Blogga-de-blog-blog!

Fresh off a relaxing Thanksgiving weekend which involved some friends and myself attending the game between the Avalanche and Coyotes on Friday I’m feeling an in-game blog coming on.

Let’s just say that after watching the Avorinos play hard for about seven minutes at the Jobing.com Arena/Condominium Complex I’m a bit “gruntled”. I’m not completely “disgruntled” mind you, but I’m fast approaching full-on exasperation with the Avs.

Still, hope springs eternal (and it isn’t like I have much to do anyways…) as I settle into my couch deep in my Mom’s basement. Would you expect anything less? I mean…the Avs have to start scoring right? Right?!?!?

And we’re off! Tonight features an inter-divisional matchup between the Avs and the team that the Avs upset in the playoffs last season, The Wild. I never get tired of writing that.

5:50 in…

Goal by Pierre Marc Bouchard.

We have a Martin Skoula sighting on that goal. I’m still perplexed how Marty has managed to carve out a career as a defenseman, and on the Wild no less. He has a penchant for…um…how do you say, making himself turn invisible? We all have superpowers. Me? I have a talent for complaining about hockey! SPANK!

9:09…

Goal Marek Svatos! Uh oh. If Svatos gets cranked up this could be an interesting game. I have a friend who played against him once in a beer league game. Apparently playing against Svats is like trying to catch a hummingbird.

About 7 minutes in…

Whew! Nasty rebound off the crossbar. Budaj didn’t see that one and it slapped right down in the crease after nailing the iron. Those are the worst kind of hit-the-post rebounds for goalies because there is no way to know where the puck went.

A couple of thoughts here:

-The Avs are a much better team when they decide to crash the net. It is like a lost art with this team. They have made me long for the days when Adam Deadmarsh and Mike Ricci schooled the league in that area. Minnesota seems to be softer up the middle than Ken Hitchcock tonight. Um…boys…take advantage!

-Three words for the Wild uniforms: “Coleman Camping Collection”. There is trumpeting the fact that your state is a haven for sportsmen and outdoorsy types, and then there is going out of your way to make sure you will get accidentally shot if your wear your team's jersey in the woods.

3:30 left…

Smitty gets mugged by the Wild net. The close up shot reveals that he may be attempting to grow his mullet back, and we all should know what that means. Yep, 6 more months of winter!

The Avs are on the power play facing up against a Wild team that is killing 89% of their shorthanded situations. Yikes. Stastny keeps getting denied. I’m waiting for him to finally snap and start fighting people. Hope, hope!

47.9 seconds left…

Goal Mikko Koivu. Oh and Smitty gets the gate again for verbally abusing the officials. Captain Canada needs to cool it a bit. With Burnaby Joe out this is his team now.

Let’s roll it on to the second period.

22 seconds in…

Goal Bouchard! Good grief. Is this the part of the game where the wheels come off the Avs? Please say no. I have…so many nachos left…

16:11…

GOAL STATS! Finally! The kid finally breaks out of a 4 game scoring slump with a dirty chipper from the low slot. So yer sayin’ there’s a chance?

His fifth goal of the season knots this one up at three. The Avs are vibing well right now. In fact they couldn’t vibe any better if they had Ravi Shankar on the bench juggling crystals.

15:36…

Tyler Arnason gets popped by the Wild net. This is the hardest he’s been hit since he accidentally stepped on Jose Theodore’s paycheck in the locker room during the Detroit series last season.

13:17…

Jordan Leopold is STILL HEALTHY. Stay tuned.

11:44…

Hejduk steals the puck low and scores!

This goal was provided by donors like you…and a boneheaded Marek Zidlicky turning the puck back into his own zone, even though he had a clear chip shot up the ice. Thanks buddy.

Here’s a stat: The Avs had gone 11 straight games with out scoring multiple goals in a period. And you were wondering why I can’t crank out more than one DNP a week…

3:28…

T.J. Hensick scores! Whew! Could this be the kind of blowout that carries Avs fans through the winter?

2:09…

STATS AGAIN! Good gravy. That one was gifted to him in the form of a rebound provided by a driving Smitty. I hope Granato is taking notes here:

1. Drive the net.
2. Play hard all the time.
3. Stop going out for drinks after the game with the team.

40.1 left…

Owen Nolan. Goal. That one was for every beer leaguer over the age 65. Keep reaching for the stars boys!

Make that three power play goals for the Wild on the night. Something tells me the Avs might not be so good on the penalty kill…It’s just a guess…let’s go to the third…

After one of the more exciting periods of the season the third appears to have taken a full dose of Ritalin…fortunately for the Wild, Josh Harding is now holding down the crease. Assuming no more goals go in this means that Harding is going to make some Wild fan happy in their fantasy league.

“Ya see boys! I told ya dat Harding wasn’t gonna let nothing in! Pass me a Leinies and some sliders!”

6:00 in…Grind Time

Brent Burns manages to kick the puck in by also kicking Budaj off the post. But this is allowed because, like, it’s Brent Burns! I mean, yer allowed to do that right?

Oh boy. This is getting tight. If the Avs lose this I might come down with shingles. The tension is palpable!

Zero seconds left…GOAL WILD…wait…check that. Time ran out. No goal. Looks like the Twin cities might see a drop in production in the work force tomorrow. Good.

With that said, The Avs were due in this one. I’m just hoping the dam stays broken. They ain’t gonna win a Cup, but that doesn’t mean they can’t play with the same heart that they did tonight.

Bravo boys. Bravo!