Welcome into hockey mountain high your go to avalanche podcast presented by Superbook
sports JJ J.J.
Razz here air of Dean both of mile high sports joined by Peter ball of the athletic here to
break down some more avalanche hockey for you guys right I mean they the abs kind of take
two games from the kai from the coyotes here over the last couple nights much to the thanks
of bound the chuchkin but I guess you know let's start with air if I'm sure you're hungry
so we're gonna give Peter the microphone right now happy Ramadan by the way to you
Peter have you ever covered a game in Molotarina I guess to start I have not I think both of
them have been one was right after Christmas this year and then this one's a back to back
and I don't always travel for back to back so I've not been to Molotarina I think it sounds
like a really interesting place to go once and it sounds like a place people probably
get tired of going night after night after night it sounded I mean it sounded a little
bit like in that third period and overtime like it was starting to get a little raucous
you can hear like the atmosphere of like a college barn through your TV speakers or
whatever you are watching on but a heck of a lot better than the showing the avalanche
had the last time if you will like you said the game after Christmas that was the one
where they had to fly in that morning and then play the game that day so didn't go to
all the first time yeah I saw a real concoction of different jerseys in the crowds right just
a big salad of of everybody going to represent different team from somewhere across the two
countries here and yeah just seems like it's turned into like an experience that people
just want to go see a game there doesn't matter who they're really watching yeah I mean it's
going to be around for a few years so if you don't get into it this year you're going
to have a couple more opportunities probably and Arizona State will keep playing there
so you can have exactly a plenty of time alright well yeah two games from the coyotes
and you know we know how low the coyotes are in the standings but you know what we saw
in these last two nights with some real pushback from the coyotes and real trying to study the
avalanche and maybe just see what they could do to counter so my question to you guys to
start the podcast here is simply what have we learned from these two back-to-back games
against Arizona I'm gonna say that we've learned something that Peter has been hammering into
my brain all season that I refuse to acknowledge it's that the Arizona coyotes give the haves
problems every damn time they play like I know they beat them three to one at ball arena
but you know it wasn't an easy game in the early going in the avalanche took over late
and then tonight it felt or today it felt like it was gonna be the same thing and then
lo and behold two nothing became two two and then a val in the chooscan goal and then suddenly
it's three three and then it needed a shootout so for whatever reason they don't necessarily
always beat the avalanche or get points out of them but the coyotes play them well and
have for a number of seasons here now well and Connor Ingram is a known that to avalanche
hunter they usually find a way to beat him but he makes it really difficult on him and
he maybe wasn't quite the force that he has been in the past tonight but he still played
decently well and kept Arizona in the game I think that look this time of year the biggest
thing is finding ways to win games and this was not a good avalanche game by any means
that they they let the game get away from them they had kind of an ugly area they committed
some penalties so it wasn't a pretty game but in an 82 game season you're not gonna
have 82 pretty games and the point is even against teams that are low in the standings
you've got to find a way to win and they found a way to do that I do think that the
fact that this game got to overtime is is unfortunate for the avalanche and probably
not something they should be thrilled about because regulation wins is the tiebreaker so
that could end up being costly at some point but they got the two points and that's the
most important thing for them and and they found a way to win I think the big thing is
just they this is the first time in a little while they'd had kind of one of those lapses
where it was like a few minutes when they were going through that rough stretch at the
beginning right after the holiday break it felt like there are a few games where they'd
kind of allow like for like a five or six minute stretch just like some bad hockey and
they kind of did that again for the first time in a while but yeah I'll say it again
they came away with the win and that's the most important thing for them.
Yeah I mean first place in the centrals up for grabs right now we're seeing a little
bit of musical chairs there in the top three so you mentioned the regulation wins do you
think that's going to ultimately be a difference maker here with 10 games to go.
That's a question that we can answer better in approximately seven days because right now
though yeah like those two games coming up against Dallas and Minnesota both at ball
arena where the avalanche by the way I've only won 19 games and lost 17 obviously five
in overtime but those two games are going to matter because the way the standings are
laid out right now the wild have played 73 games the abs have played 72 the stars have
played 73 Colorado and Minnesota have 30 regulation wins Dallas has 32 so let's just say in an
ideal world if Colorado can get that regulation win tomorrow all the teams would be at 73
games the abs would have 94 Minnesota 93 Dallas 92 but they would be below Dallas in the regulation
wins that's when it starts to matter because those two games next week if you lose to Dallas
or if you beat them in overtime they get a point in the standings and they have the tiebreaker
but if you can beat them in regulation it's going to be big same with Minnesota you guys
both are locked up at that 30 right now of RW and if Minnesota takes you to overtime
or if you lose to them outright and they get the regulation win and the two points it's
going to change a lot so those two games Wednesday and Saturday where the avalanche will have
a couple days off in between to really rest and recoup and be ready to go are going to
be the biggest things this season for the standings I'll tell you what I learned in
that game and correlates with that exactly right is that the avalanche are 100% going
for first in the central right here we've heard it from Jared Bednar so it's not really a
surprise but by playing Alexander Gorgiev in what should be you know quote unquote an
easier game for you and not not looking at Jonas Johans and I think 100% tells you their
commitment to just stacking wins right now that's all they're about is just continuing
to get those W's to really try to snag that number one spot so obviously an important
position and a little carrot that I think that the avalanche are chasing right now and
also I think sorry go ahead yeah I think that I think that they're definitely trying to
stack wins I think starting Gorgiev today was honestly probably because this was the
more difficult of the two games on this back to back and Bednar said he plans to use each
goalie on this trip so I would imagine we'll see Jonas Johans in tomorrow and it'll be
a big it's a big game for him and it's a big game for the avalanche and he's shown honestly
if you look at his track record he's certainly had some clunkers if you look at the game in
Toronto last year where that was kind of a disaster for him but but he's also come up
with some big wins if you remember in 2021 he started the last game of the season against
the Kings and the avalanche needed a win to clinch the president's trophy and he came out
and played really well that game so they need another performance like that from him tomorrow
night and we'll see we'll see what he has in the tank. I also think it's good to give
Georgie Monday off because now you know it's Sunday afternoon Georgie have just finished a game
he's gonna have Monday and Tuesday off play a game Wednesday a big game against the Minnesota
wild and then have another Thursday and Friday off before he plays a big game against Dallas
you know he's gonna get both those games you know assuming there's no injuries or anything that
that stops him from playing those two you know he's gonna want to play both those the abs are
gonna use him in both and now he has an opportunity to have a couple days off between games both
in preparation of Minnesota and in preparation of Dallas. I just look at these last couple games
and it's even the two against the coyotes right and I think Georgie have is a major reason for them
pulling out both of those victories because I know the the coyotes weren't extra threatening
throughout the entire six periods that we've watched here but there were some good chances
there were some really good opportunities that they generated and Georgie was there to shut
them down so I guess do you guys think this is the best version of Alexander Georgie have we've seen
all season long what we're seeing right now. This last little stretch I would say it's certainly
up there I mean even in the Pittsburgh game he gave up I think four goals but I think they had
45 shots on him or something so he's he's playing at a really good clip right now and I think
one of potentially when we look back at this season that mental break that Bednar gave him
where he gave him a couple days off after after a few tough outings I think that might we might
end up looking back at that as a really really good decision that that the coaching staff made
and one that that has benefited him a lot so certainly a good stretch of hockey he has a 950
save percentage in his last while that was going into today he had a 950 save percentage in his
last five games so certainly been been playing at a really high level and yeah we were talking
in the the media room the other day about where he should rank in the Vazna conversation and I think
he's probably for me in the five to ten range but the fact that the abs are having that conversation
about a goalie is is really impressive it speaks highly of the team considering they let us
Stanley Cup winning goalie walk last year for a guy who had never been a starter or a regular
starter in this league. Yeah they let a president's trophy winning goalie's walk they let us Stanley
Cup winning goalie walk after that now they've went out and got a guy that's never been a starter
before and you know pretty much handed him the range right away today was a 6 54th start of the
season the avalanche have played what 72 so he's played a large chunk of games 54 to 18 for
your game versus games where somebody else is playing and that's pretty wild for a guy that had
never seen this type of minutes these types of starts in the NHL before and someone who you knew
you know wanted and was ready for it but also had just not been proven to do it yet. Yeah I mean
what you're seeing right here is just the epitome of good avalanche hockey right the goal tending
showing up you're getting you're getting goals out of your stars like ranting in like you did today
and then a defensive goal chipped in by room I mean you and I've talked about it lately Arif
that's kind of the recipe a little bit of the forwards the goalie playing hot and the defense
chipping in offensively too so I know again it was just the Arizona Coyotes but let's give them a
little bit of credit because I think they've played the avalanche not only well in history but really
well these last two nights that we were able to watch them and yeah I think either way the avalanche
just getting out with these two victories I think they're playing some pretty good hockey they're
in a nice rhythm right now so I like the direction they're headed and I guess the the heat check on
on the avalanche right now is right where I want it to be and I think the other big thing for them
the other big thing for them is their their power play has gotten going and that was
kind of in the middle it started the season really hot and then it has been kind of up and down for
a bit but now it's been 11 consecutive games in which they've had at least one power play goal and
that's I mean that look this team if it can win the the special teams battle it's going to win a
lot of nights and that's what it did tonight I don't think all of Arizona's goals were even
strength I think the abs had a power play goal they won the special teams battle won nothing and
that's the difference in well I guess the game going to overtime or the game being an Arizona win so
it's it's it's certainly been an encouraging development for Colorado I think Val Nachushkin's
looking more and more comfortable he's almost at a point per game this season I think he's 42 and
43 games should be 43 and 43 but they don't count shoot at goals as as goals but yeah he's certainly
yeah an encouraging trend I think is definitely the power play yeah do you know real quick pop quiz
where the avalanche rank power play on the season right I'm gonna guess like ninth
so we're in that ring second oh in the league in the league wow because they were yeah they well
they started like up here and have kind of dipped so now they're who's number one it's still Edmonton
Edmonton's at 31.6 Colorado's way down at 25.6 and then Toronto 25.4 Tampa 25 LA 24.6 basically a
lot of teams were bunched in there and the abs have now gone three for six over the last couple
games and that doesn't even include they had one against Pittsburgh they had ones before that on
the long road trip they have climbed all the way up to second and I can't believe that because just
a few days ago they were seventh I think before the first Arizona game and I was thinking wow they've
climbed up to seven so it's rocking at the right time this this power play they they needed it they
needed it more than ever and and it's gotten them to where they are right now in the standings yeah I
mean the addition of KO McCar the reinsertion of KO McCar into that power play I mean is gonna do
wonders for it right no no shot at Devon Taves he handled it well while McCar was gone but there's
just an extra element of danger that comes with KO McCar and I asked Mecal Ranton about that the
other night after the Arizona win like how great is it just to get that confidence back with all
your set guys and I completely forgot that there's still one key guy that's missing out of that
power play in Gave Landeskog so not even that full familiarity there with him but I mean I think
that comfort and that familiarity with that group now is really what puts them above the rest of
power plays because yeah you can have similar structures across the NHL but it's about your
execution and I think the way these guys know how to work together right now um you know it's second
to none but of course power plays kind of tend to drop in the in the uh playoff so you don't want
to rely too heavily on it but just good to see it operating the way it is right now yeah our Terry
Lekenin our Terry Lekenin's also a big part of the the power play he's so good at digging pucks out
and in power plays maybe they're I think the sometimes sometimes later in series you'll see
fewer power plays but I think especially early in series they're they're pretty pretty important
and we saw the power play play a pretty vital role last year in um the abs playoff run yeah I
mean that's what I was gonna say like I keep forgetting I mean you know you mentioned Gave
Landescog I keep forgetting that our Terry Lekenin hasn't been healthy either so you're down two
of your top six forwards two of your top six top four wingers I should say and uh without them you
just you got to get the wins anyway you can so if it takes a shootout if it takes a power play
goal against Arizona like you were saying not something you want to rely on the entire way in
the postseason uh so be it you got to do what you got to do until you get these guys healthy it's
pretty crazy to say that this feels like the healthiest and like most like put together well
put together team this the abs have had pretty much all season and you know Josh Manson is still
you know expected to make a return at some point or Terry Leken is a lot more clear with his return
and then obviously Landescog is the one that's a little bit of a question mark but just even
getting someone like Darren Helmbach and adding him into the lineup has just made everything just
feel a little bit more structured three of those fours names you just rattled off are also
guys that tend to play on the penalty kill right now right I mean at any time so
how do you think the penalty kill is doing because you look back at that Pittsburgh game and that
really was the difference in that game forum you know Peter lightly brought it up against the game
uh against the coyotes today so penalty kills seems to be okay but I wouldn't say buzzing quite
at the level of the power play yep all you Peter yeah I mean I think that's been kind of the case
for the team all year there's been stretches where the penalty kill has been really good but it kind
of was the inverse of the power play at the start of the year where the power play was
I think at a ridiculous clip and then the penalty kill was among the worst in the league and it's
slowly climbed back to now it's closer to the middle of the league I think um there's room for
room for growth I think having guys like laconan and and players like that always helps I do think
the penalty kill lately has looked a little more aggressive in a way that I think is pretty fun
where you'll see shorthand I mean Val had a shorthand a chance last Arizona game Lars Ehlers
had a couple and he scored on one um cogliano at a shorthand a chance so I think that's kind of
when the penalty kills really going is when they're aggressive and and oftentimes that leads to
chances other ways with the other way when they can use their speed and I think you've seen that a
little bit more lately yeah they're exactly middle of the pack on the pk right now they're tied for
that 16 17 spot so 15 teams ahead of them 15 teams below them tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins
the shorthand scoring opportunities is something that has really picked up I think early in the
season they started strong with that and then it kind of dipped but it's it's been uh it was those
two games in a row I think it was Lars Ehlers and Val Nachushkin where they had the one against
Ottawa on the uh no sorry not Ottawa Ottawa was the funky play they had the one against Detroit
that was uh that was a really nice play between the two of them and then the very next night I think
they had a big opportunity in that first game back against Chicago against you know you just
mentioned against Arizona the other day and the Chushkin had that breakaway so those power
those penalty kills scoring opportunities are going to be huge for them especially if they
want to obviously win those special team battles yeah agreed agreed absolutely so um in the since
the last time we recorded a podcast Erif Kayle McCarr Eric Johnson and Evan Rodriguez all return to
the lineup so I guess that begs the question who is going to go to the IR tomorrow night
no but really really are you getting similar feelings to last year when everyone kind of
became healthy right as the playoff started and you know everything was glitter and rainbows come
playoff time you're getting the same vibes honestly it feels like it the only difference is this
time around look we're talking about uh Arturia Lecken and we know Jared mentioned the other day at
practice that like that one's a little bit more clear you know when he's coming back but
Landis Gogg is a question mark trailing slowly behind him is Pavel Fransos who's also kind of a
question mark it feels like I wouldn't did you say Landis Gogg's a question like Fransos is trailing
behind Landis Gogg like Fransos is he's almost as big a question mark as Landis Gogg's oh yeah yeah
yeah yeah so so Landis Gogg's obviously top seed in terms of question marks Frank he is a little bit
behind him and then Josh Manson's a little bit of an interesting one because that went from he's
gonna play games in March to suddenly like now Jared's going more the hmm we'll see kind of approach
with him where it's he hasn't even started skating yet so who the heck knows what's going on there but
that's a player that if he's you know 75 80 pick an arbitrary number healthy I'm sure he'll
want to get in for some playoff games uh but you know as Jared said yesterday when we talked to him
about gay bland is Gogg like at this point getting healthy for this team means getting everybody
except for 92 if 92 comes back it's a luxury but Jared said yesterday he's got to prepare for these
games with the guys that he knows are going to be healthy and right now gave Landis Gogg's not
a guy that he expects back at any point here in the near future well he didn't say he doesn't
he said he's still hopeful it could happen yeah yeah he he he it's I mean it's clearly the Landis
Gogg's situation has gone from he's going to be out 12 weeks to he's going to be out a little longer
to now there's uncertainty that wasn't there before so I think that we'll see how Landis Gogg's
body continues to respond as he as he ramps up and and obviously the abs I think really will
probably meet him if they want to make a another run at winning back-to-back cups but um it's going
to be a challenging road no matter who they have on the roster and if they enter the playoff
shorthand it that's going to be one thing that last year's team didn't have to deal with last
year's team entered the national series fully healthy for the first time all season and and
looked really good from the jump and Nashville entered banged up and looked the opposite so
it health is a big big question mark and um so I I don't necessarily have the same
vibes as last year JJ to answer your question that doesn't mean that they won't have similar
success but this hasn't been as smooth as season as last year we've seen kind of maybe some more
hiccups where last year's team after losses you rarely would see back-to-back losses this year's
team at points has let um losses kind of pile on top of each other but I also think this last
little bit has been um a really encouraging bit of hockey for the abs they're taking advantage of
an easier schedule um you're seeing the big guys kind of come up and and produce and if they're
if they're healthy entering the playoffs they're going to be a formidable force even if even if 92
is not available I know you have to kind of play the schedule that's ahead of you and it helps that
you're playing teams like Arizona and Anaheim but I think it's a really really good thing that this
team did not let that Pittsburgh loss turn into yes one or two or three you know pilot like tonight
like they didn't lose tonight and today in regulation after giving up that two to nothing lead because
after the all-star break like the abs entered the all-star break I believe you know winning a few
games in a row and then after the all-star break they had that weird hiccup where like Pittsburgh
tied it up late and beat them in overtime they got destroyed in in Tampa Tampa came here and beat
them in to shoot out they obviously won in Florida so they had lost three of four and then it happened
again with LA, Seattle and whatever other loss was mixed in there they had like lost three of four
games before this most recent six-game winning streak and then they lose to Pittsburgh and they
quickly rebounded with two straight wins and they're going into play the Anaheim Ducks on a Monday
a game that you want to win as well so I'm like you know very pleased with them not letting the
Pittsburgh loss turn into like you said those pylon losses because even in this whatever it is
stretched now since the 40-game mark 23, 6, and 3 like those 6, and 3 those nine games that they
haven't won have all kind of come in bunches because they've had a six-game winning streak in every
single month since the new year. I mean we talked about how extra upset they were after that
Pittsburgh loss knowing kind of what they let slip through their fingers I think is no surprise that
they bounced back kind of with a little bit of anger a little bit of sandpaper like they did
these last couple games but you know I look at guys like EJ and Rodriguez and it's nice to get
them back in the lineup and and get some runway into the playoffs and then I look at guys like
Manson and Lekkenon and you know those are guys that you might not see again until game one of the
playoffs so I know each decision is circumstantial but if you guys were in charge what do you what do
you think is better kind of getting that last little stretch of games to really get some
get your feet under you get some momentum heading into the into the playoffs or having as much rest
as humanly possible and and getting to go in game one. I think it depends situation by situation I
think if you're able to get 100% or close to 100% in time to get a couple games in I think that
matters because I think timing is hard to pick up on the fly I think that if you're not 100% it's
probably not worth damaging something further so that you can get some of the rust knocked off you
probably want to wait until the playoffs but I I don't think it's a one-size-fits-all situation
I think it really is a case-by-case basis. Yeah I mean just look at gay-blindest gaga as an example
it went from like you know as long as he gets 20-25 games he'll feel up and running to like as long
as we get him back by the trade deadline as long as he plays 10 games to now it's like who cares
if it's game seven of us down the Cup Final the dude's healthy play him and that's a win like it's
it's going to be circumstantial with all these guys case-by-case bases because I mean look any
any one of these guys you'll take them like you know no disrespect to the guys at the bottom
of the lineup but I'm sure you would take gay-blindest gaga rusty not having played in 10 and a half
11 months then I don't know Dennis Malgin or Matt Neat or name your guy on the on the fourth line that
would probably sit when land is gaga's healthy if he gets healthy so like you're just gonna have to
play it game-by-game case-by-case I don't think the avalanche are in a position like today Boston
sat Bergeron had a illness but hampus Lenholm and Brad Marchand also sat for what they called
nagging injuries which is basically who cares we've got the Eastern Conference locked up we've got
our playoff spot locked up and even in a game against the second place Carolina Hurricanes
we have the luxury of saying Lenholm and Marchand are going to take a seat and enjoy some rest the
avalanche don't have that luxury this year so you just you get the guys when you do and the other
thing with some of these guys is is like Landa Skag for example if he's able to come back timing
obviously matters but he does so many things that I think as long as he can skate he will be able
to do at a high level even if he doesn't fully have his timing namely net front presence and getting
kind of screening and stuff like that that that the abs have really missed this year so it depends
on the player but yeah the abs certainly don't have the luxury of resting guys who are a little
banged up like they did last year at points and we're probably going to see that down the stretch
because they're going to have to push pretty hard because I think that getting winning the
division really matters this year I don't think you want to play Dallas or Minnesota in the first
round you'd much rather face a Seattle team that's a good team but doesn't necessarily have the same
level of gamebreakers or experience or players that really scare you to that level so it's going to
be it's going to be an interesting final stretch and I think the abs are going to control a lot of
it by how they do and next week when they host both Minnesota and Dallas yeah two two big games
there you want to play a wild card team and it's like you said it's looking more like Seattle but
if you find a way to play Winnipeg as well even with a Connor Hellebuck you would much rather have that
series than playing Minnesota or Dallas in the first round not that you can beat Minnesota
Dallas in the first round and then face the other in the second round and you know have the confidence
to beat them too but ideally you don't want to have to do that well dive deeper into playoff
scenarios and and standing story lines here in a second but you know I just only reason I asked
that question is because I kind of like the balance of having some guys rested and having a decent
enough lineup to still be able to compete it's almost like you know when swimmers are practicing
swimming I believe they use what's called drag shorts right which are just shorts that are going
to make it a little heavier a little harder for you to swim while you're practicing and then you know
when you go to your meet you're in your little speedo much lighter much faster much slimmer it
feels like that to me would be such a great strategy and concept just kind of go with this
85 full lineup and then once playoff comes you got everybody back and getting some extra guys the
extra rest they needed I mean hey if that's if that's the way you got to explain how this is like
the imagery there no no I love it that's a great way to explain it but you know the avalanche would
have loved to have their speedos from game one I guarantee you having speedo land as gog would
have been so much better for this team from the first game than possibly getting him back in like
halfway through the second round or something but you know what they're still one of the better
teams in the NHL right now their 43 wins are tied with teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs even
though they're behind in the standings because of OT lost points like they are right back to where
they belong in terms of being one of the better teams in the NHL I believe they're eighth in the
NHL points percentage so they're doing this with like you said the 85 sometimes a far
smaller number than that in terms of how many guys were healthy but you just it's a lot of luck
plays into this stuff and like we've seen so many times this year two come in two more exit and then
another guy got healthy and then suddenly you lost Lekenin and then Rodriguez in two out of three
games or now Rodriguez has come back EJ's come back Darren Helms come back Kilmercars come back
you're starting to feel good about it you just hope that that unluckiness doesn't strike again and
knock somebody else out of the lineup 100% good point I hope everybody was able to hear that point
after you putting the image of Gabe Landis Gog and a Speedo in everybody's head so let's take a
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visit superbook.com for terms and conditions gaming problem call 1-800-5-2-4700 I just realized
that Val Nachushkin is on a six-game point streak he's played well lately yeah he didn't have any
he didn't have anything in Toronto in the game before that he had three points so points in
seven of his last eight games and he's just been incredible in this stretch and it's the
intangibles that do it for me I mean it's you got to watch him live and really you know when
take your eyes off the puck and see those small things he's doing especially when it's
forechecking when it's penalty killing he just plays these little mind games with
the opponents that makes it tough and you know typically that next pass they make is a
fumbled pass or straight into a turnover and Leckenin brings that same thing too right and I was
gonna bring that up during our penalty kill conversation so once you get a guy like Leckenin
back in the lineup too I mean the chaos that those two bring on forechecks is unmatched yeah I'll
never forget last year one of the first games when when they got after they got Leckenin they
played Pittsburgh and Chris LeTang just getting harassed by Leckenin and Nachushkin trying to get
out of his own yeah it was very funny that was the day where the quote that I've used how many times
now JJ are you gonna say Minnie Val bingo that was the day that Jared Bedner called him Minnie Val
I love that line from the moment he said it it was just like yep this is exactly what Leckenin is
and that was a moment where I knew the avalanche did a great job at the trade deadline all right
well standings watch guys we could do west or east but I just want to know some of the some of the
storylines you guys are following across the league I mean there's a lot of things going on a lot of
movement and everybody's waiting with a baited breath for this Eastern Conference playoff so what
are some things you're keeping an eye on maybe not avalanche related necessarily um I'm curious of
if Pittsburgh I don't think Boston is going to be very hard to be in the first round but the one
matchup that I would be really interested in as a first round matchup for Boston is if the islander
slipped to eight and Boston played to the second wildcard and Boston has to face Sorokin because
the islanders I mean that's a team that that has some playoff experience has a goaltender that I
would argue is had as good a season as anyone this year and and really could could maybe make life a
little more difficult than Boston would be comfortable with I still don't think it would go past five or
six games but I think it would be be a little bit a little bit of fun to watch and I would I'd be
interested in how a series between those teams would would shake out I've been talking about that
for weeks now having Sorokin and the islanders go up against Boston is would be like two of the
last three years the islanders were in the Eastern Conference final the year they weren't they missed
the playoffs entirely so their last two times in the playoffs where you know and it's a different
team like you know they have Bohor Vat now they don't have Devontaves but then it struck me
they didn't even have Devontaves in 2021 like they had him in 2020 they lost him and they still
took Tampa Bay to game seven in 2021 the very next year so that series would be a lot of fun
the one that I'm keeping an eye on is the team in the Western Conference that nobody's talking
about Nashville no it's the LA Kings like I mean obviously some people are talking about them but
like Edmonton's getting a lot of you know talk for obvious reasons Conor McDavid's about to hit
140 points Lee on dry side all's got a new career high and all the other things they're doing
Matias Eicholm was a great addition Vegas is bounced back and rebound Minnesota doing what
they're doing with ten or fourteen million dollars less in salary cap than every other team in the
NHL because of those buyouts Dallas is big season Colorado coming on strong here but the LA Kings
with the addition of Jonas Corpus Salo has given them exactly what they need their
8 0 and 2 in their last 10 games there are four points back of Vegas with a game in hand they are
one of the better teams in the NHL this year in terms of offensive production they're 24 9 and
4 on home ice that's a team we got to talk more about because Anjie Kopatar and Philip De
Noah are going to give a lot of teams a lot of problems here that's what I've been saying lately
I think there are two teams in this Western Conference that really you know make me a little bit
nervous if the avalanche match up against them one of them is the LA Kings the others the Dallas
Stars just because what we've seen in past seasons and contests and sorry I've got a cat
trying to enter the show here and yeah I think even Minnesota strikes a little bit of fear in my
heart just because I know how physical they can play so like you brought up earlier Peter I think
the avalanche tried to do everything they can to avoid playing either the stars or the wild if it's
at all in their control yeah and I think the wild had a really good deadline I think they had a
guys who I think Klingerg's a really good addition I think Sunquist is a good player I think
Klaya Würg Sunquist, Jo Hanssen, Marcus Jo Hanssen and Gustav Nyquist who hasn't played
all the Swedes all the Swedes yep they went all Swedes and it's been it's been pretty denga which is
pretty wild given their salary cap situation that they think they had they had some salary cap
flexibility this year I think next year is when the buyouts really that's when let me look
oh no I think this this year was the first year that's why they had to lose the alla
it's three straight tough years and this is the first one
yes but next year's a little more 7.3 but they had a they had some they had cap space to work with
at the deadline I'm not completely sure how but I but they did have some cap space to work with
because they're still they're still at like 81 million on the cap and they still have some and
they were retaining cap for for different teams like Orlov and O'Reilly yep yeah or
love and O'Reilly so so they had some room this year I'd have to look back at exactly how they
managed to do that but yeah it's definitely going to get tighter for them next year with
a lot of ufa's coming up and a lot of rfa's that they're going to have to
design and bold these seven million kicking in yeah underrated deal acquiring Philip Gustafson
for Cam Talbot not just because Gustafson's been having a great season but because he only
makes seven hundred and eighty seven thousand dollars obviously they also since the beginning
of the season have gotten rid of Tyson Joston waivers that cleared up two million they traded
Jordan Greenway that cleared up over three million so they found a way to kind of move some guys out
use that cap space to bring other guys in so Minnesota looks dangerous LA looks dangerous
I mean all these teams like dangerous Vegas looks like a team that Vegas I think broke an NHL
record yesterday they've won four straight games with four different goalies getting the victory
each night like it's just wild what they're doing with their goalie carousel and Edmonton I mean
what can you say about Conor McDavid that hasn't already been said he's at 139 points he's one
point away from 140 he's 16 points in his last nine games away from tying Steve Eiserman for the
most points in a single season by a player not named Gretzky or Lemie U that's a very weird stat but
the top 12 seasons in the NHL have all been Gretzky or Lemie U number 13 is Steve Eiserman at 155
and Conor McDavid could pass that so the Oilers obviously are dangerous because of that too so
it's going to be a battle in the West it's going to be a very rugged kind of battle different from
what you're going to see in the Eastern Conference different from what you saw in the West last year
but the avalanche they should have what it takes whether without land is called you have a strong
defense you have McKinnon you need health otherwise and having 92 would obviously be a big boost
you know what they say in regards to the Vegas golden knights if you have four goalies you have
none right that's the same um no the other story we're watching too Calgary only four points behind
the Winnipeg Jets for that final wild card spot with eight games to go do they do they make it a
contest or does Winnipeg back their way into that final spot I think Nashville's more of a threat
than Calgary yeah I think Calgary's done Calgary just they just can't wait yeah they just can't
win their damn games like they're four points back with the same amount of games Nashville is five
points back with three games in hand which again when you have three games in hand you got to win
those three games and with 11 games left that's pretty tough so like even them it's looking a
little bit grim but I would give them more of a chance than Calgary at this point.
Calgary's really I mean Winnipeg's really kind of given some games away late but Calgary has had
so many chances where it looked like oh maybe they could they could get in it and then they lose to
some really bad teams and and they've I don't know the vibes feel off there it doesn't really feel
like doesn't feel like they deserve I mean I don't want to say they don't deserve it but they
certainly I mean I think the numbers bear out right now that they haven't deserved it up to this point
yeah they they've had a lot of weird games I don't know what's going to happen with their coaching I
feel like Darryl Sutter might be on the way out who knows that's just like a hunch but they've had a
lot of games here in the last several weeks where Jonathan Huberdow would play 13 minutes or
Nazim Qadri would play 14 minutes and and it's just been very there's something off with the coaching
with the morale of the team I just I can't see them having a chance this year I think they might come
guns blazing next year if they make a couple changes but this year just doesn't seem like it
those quote-unquote bad teams have caused caused some fits a lot throughout this regular season so
all the more reason to give the avalanche the respect they deserve for getting that win today
even though it took them to a shootout to get it yeah I mean Minnesota just lost to Philadelphia so
it happens you got you gotta not let it happen like Minnesota wild fans are looking at that game
saying we just blew an opportunity to get ahead of the abs while the abs are like oh my god we had to
take a shoot out to beat Arizona where like this stuff happens man like Vancouver the other
Vancouver just beat Dallas Minnesota just beat just lost to Philadelphia like it happens so if
you're the avalanche you're fortunate you got the two points however you can get them yeah and with
that Anaheim's not somebody to look past tomorrow right so yeah they're a team that causes fits for
for other good teams and tends to take people to overtime so not somebody to to just look past so
yeah ducks tomorrow Minnesota on Wednesday pretty big week as the avalanche continued to climb the
standings I guess I know we got to get out of here guys so closing thoughts regarding the week ahead
couple big games yeah it's exciting these are the first like games in a while where it's
gonna be home games that maybe feel I mean that that really have kind of tangible playoff
implications obviously there's kind of been the ones that you think oh they that are lucky to get
those points oh they should have gotten those points but but these are the ones where it's the head to
head matchups that are really fun and and we'll see if the abs can put up a better effort than they
they did against Dallas a couple weeks back when they got smoked in Dallas so it's it's a big game
and it'll decide who wins the season series too yeah exactly I mean both of these games are
going to be huge we saw at right after the all-star break and right before it the energy at ballerina
started to ramp up it was that game against St. Louis where Georgie skated to center ice when
Bennington was having his little tantrum and then there was a game against Edmonton where they
trailed 3-0 and came back and beat them there was a game against Calgary where Nazem Kaju made his
return a lot of high energy high intensity like really loud crowds at ballerina and it's kind of
dipped lately because I mean like you know it's been the Arizona the Pittsburgh game was a little
loud but you know the abs kind of and a lot of penguins fans a lot of penguins fans that was
the biggest thing the avalanche couldn't really get a hold of that game to give the crowd something
to cheer for it seemed like but there was a lot of you know the Arizona's and the Chicago's and all
these games where you're just San Jose the shutout game like just not a lot of teams that you're
playing that are going to be competitive Minnesota and Dallas are going to be intense games with
crazy loud audiences 8 p.m. on Wednesday Saturday at 7 p.m. that's it's going to be so much fun
and I can't wait big time implications strapping you know in go Eryph and I will be here to break
all that down throughout the week so I guess everybody enjoy the final 10 games here strapping
and playoffs right around the corner so most exciting time of the year and the avalanche just
happened to be playing some of their best hockey of the year right now so good times in avalanche
lane so thanks for hanging out with us today in the podcast um fun podcast thanks for joining us
Peter always a pleasure to have you or us um yeah like I said we'll be back later in the week
era for neither the breakdown more stuff so if you made it this far in the podcast
bless that pretty little heart of yours let's make hockey for everyone we out here
you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you you.
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