Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Avalanche v. Wild - Scoring Chances #33

TmPTimeNoteCOLOpponent
MIN119:11
4516313755512222732345v5
MIN118:00
9233139445236112532515v5
MIN116:48
45153140433691520325v5
COL115:50
1631374452551222273234365v5
COL115:22
915314452551222273234365v5
MIN114:06
8222526273159152032555v5
MIN114:05
8222526273159152032555v5
MIN114:04Goal8222526273159152032555v5
MIN19:40
922232731391125323436515v5
COL17:40
45153140432122323448
5v4
COL218:20
8222526273156142132485v5
MIN218:02
92331394452311253251555v5
COL214:41
459233139514213248555v5
COL21:28
45825263136122227325v5
MIN317:04
45153139431421323436485v5
COL314:04
4592331401421323436485v5
COL312:24
45916314059325155
5v4
COL39:05
9233140445236112532515v5
COL38:21
8232526273136212232
5v4
COL37:20
45916314036122532
5v4
MIN35:35
22253137395236112532515v5
COL30:25
5892325443691222325v5


#PlayerEVPPSH
4J. LILES16:57334:05300:1100
5B. CLARK15:15432:53301:3500
8W. WOLSKI11:50335:49100:4200
9M. DUCHENE12:04534:24200:3300
15M. HENDRICKS8:22120:10100:2800
16D. TUCKER10:12113:13200:0000
22S. HANNAN15:18151:06002:5400
23M. HEJDUK9:47435:32100:4100
25C. STEWART10:57345:11100:0000
26P. STASTNY10:38235:32101:4000
27K. QUINCEY13:23145:42102:0600
31P. BUDAJ44:1471010:23404:4000
37R. O'REILLY14:39120:15001:4500
39T. GALIARDI9:32151:08002:2300
40M. SVATOS13:00214:09300:1800
43J. MERCIER7:22020:32100:0000
44R. WILSON15:14420:00000:1800
52A. FOOTE14:38331:11002:1600
55C. MCLEOD15:00211:03000:5000


PeriodTotalsEVPP5v3 PPSH5v3 SH
1372710000000
2313100000000
3623230000000
4000000000000
Totals121081040000000

The Wild certainly didn't do anything to help their reputation as a boring team in this game. Minnesota took the lead with about 54 minutes left in the game and from that point on there was a total of 12 chances. The Wild only had four of them and at one point went over twenty consecutive minutes without a scoring chance. Both teams were playing good defence and neither team was taking what the defence was giving them. Both teams tried to shoot the puck from poor angles in an attempt to generate rebounds but couldn't get people to the net to pick up the puck. Both teams tried to make passes to players in scoring areas but couldn't navigate through the sticks of their opponents. Both teams blocked quite a few shots. Both teams were poor on the power play, but the Avalanche especially so. 4 chances in 10 minutes is pretty poor and they just looked bad while doing it. The Wild were bad too, but two of their power play minutes involved Greg Zanon on the point as they were killing the clock in the last five minutes of the game. Their goals were a little different than usual. Not a very exciting game.

Except for Justin Mercier. It was his first NHL game, so I'm sure he was pretty excited. I was excited to see him in the lineup too because it meant David Koci was out! But, he didn't generate anything in his seven minutes of ice time and managed to be outchanced along with the rest of the fourth line. Not a particularly encouraging debut and his NCAA career doesn't exactly leave me pining for more. They'd likely be better off with Durno or Hensick.

The big officiating miss in the game was Martin Havlat lifting the net off its moorings and causing a stoppage in the second period just before the puck crossed into the Minnesota goal. I recall the Avalanche doing the exact same thing to Columbus a couple of games ago with the same result (tying goal disallowed). It seems like there's one of these kinds of things every game and must get frustrating for the players. I wonder how much these kinds of calls impact a team's record. It's probably significant.

But do you know what isn't significant? The first game back after a long road trip. This early in the season there isn't enough fatigue to cause a substantial change in performance and the psychological effect seems to be nil. The announcers were peddling this tripe throughout the first period much to my chagrin, even saying "It's been that way forever." Kids, when you hear a phrase like that about something that seems like it could be made-up it's probably worthwhile to check.

Oilers v. Coyotes - Hosea 6:4-6

"What can I do with you Mr. Manager?
And what about you Mr. Dithers?
Your savvy is like a morning mist,
present in the early hours and then quickly gone forever!"


See Also:
Oilers v. Coyotes, Sharks - Hosea 6:1-3

Monday, February 8, 2010

Avalanche v. Blues - Scoring Chances #32

TmPTimeNoteCOLOpponent
COL117:59
1516222731551820284350575v5
STL116:31
8252631445259424650745v5
STL116:27
4592331391015222843505v5
COL116:12
4592331391015222843505v5
COL114:32
82526314452518202646505v5
COL114:31
82526314452518202646505v5
STL113:49
4923273139615224244505v5
STL113:15
1622273137551015224344505v5
STL110:52
92331394452928424350745v5
STL16:40
162227313755510152246505v5
STL16:25
458252631518202646505v5
STL12:09
92223273155510152246505v5
COL11:53
458252631510154650575v5
COL10:17
4591631401826434450
5v4
COL10:12
423252627311042434650
5v4
STL217:05
816222627315694250745v5
STL214:04
8222526273159424650575v5
COL213:54
8222526273157424650575v5
COL213:53Goal8222526273157424650575v5
STL213:35
9233139445267214450575v5
STL213:05
233137394452610154450575v5
STL210:53
45825263159424650745v5
COL29:07
162227313755610152244505v5
STL27:14
15222627314067212850745v5
COL26:22
458252631510152246505v5
COL26:08Goal458252631518202646505v5
COL24:12
458252631928424350745v5
COL24:09
458252631928424350745v5
STL23:02
9233139445256101522505v5
STL22:28
162227313755618202628505v5
STL318:43
92331394452610152244505v5
STL314:08
41631374455910222843505v5
COL311:55
91522232731521465057745v5
STL39:38
923313944522128435057745v5
STL37:51
45825315567204244505v5
COL37:18Goal458925312028424350575v5


#PlayerEVPPSH
4J. LILES18:46760:40200:0000
5B. CLARK16:00740:35100:0000
8W. WOLSKI19:361061:01000:2400
9M. DUCHENE15:47380:35100:0000
15M. HENDRICKS9:02210:00000:4400
16D. TUCKER15:27250:35100:0000
22S. HANNAN20:38570:00001:1600
23M. HEJDUK16:13291:06100:0000
25C. STEWART16:571051:06100:0000
26P. STASTNY18:26961:06100:3700
27K. QUINCEY22:02581:06101:1600
28D. KOCI2:35000:00000:0000
31P. BUDAJ56:1914201:41202:0000
37R. O'REILLY15:27150:00000:5200
39T. GALIARDI17:03180:00000:3900
40M. SVATOS7:32010:35100:0000
44R. WILSON17:41280:00000:4400
52A. FOOTE18:28270:00000:4400
55C. MCLEOD13:55260:00000:4400


PeriodTotalsEVPP5v3 PPSH5v3 SH
1785820000000
2787800000000
3242400000000
4000000000000
Totals1620142020000000

The Avalanche were again outchanced in this one despite the 4-0 victory. Peter Budaj played very well to earn the shut-out in his third consecutive start since the injury to Craig Anderson. Budaj didn't have a strong season last year, got H1N1 this season and didn't start a game this season until November 4th. At some point you start to wonder if a guy's career is in doubt and with Budaj coming up for unrestricted free agency this summer his little run of strong play could not have come at a better time. When Anderson gets back it's likely that Budaj won't get many starts so it's pretty important he puts up good numbers when he gets the chance.

The game itself was really exciting, especially in the first period. The game was played largely at 5-on-5 and both teams were skating hard and creating chances - a fun game to watch. The Avalanche generally had control of the play when the Wolski-Stastny-Stewart combination was on the ice and the Blues generally had control the rest of the game. The Galiardi-Duchene-Hejduk line was really struggling to create offence. I've just expected Hejduk to turn things around this whole time but it doesn't look like it's happening. The guy still has fantastic hands (he was the team's leading goal-scorer coming into this game despite missing several) but the rest of his game seems to be falling behind.

Ryan Wilson delivered two absolutely huge hits, one in the first on Roman Polak and one in the second on T.J. Oshie. Both of the hits came at the defensive zone blueline, which is a spot that he's delivered big hits in the past. If I was an opposing coach, I'd make sure that my players knew that Wilson has a tendency to step up at the blueline, both so that my players don't get hammered, but also to potentially take advantage of an ill-advised pinch. If the player in question manages to get around Wilson in that situation he'll have a very good scoring opportunity. In terms of scoring chances, Wilson has been quite good for most of the year but has really struggled in the last three games being outchanced 20-6 in that span. I guess it's to be expected that young players will have times that they struggle but Colorado is now relying on Wilson (with Adam Foote) in a second pairing role and will need him to turn things back around.

Finally, I thought I should make some comment on the play of Chris Stewart. He made an absolutely fantastic play in this one against Barrett Jackman. He used one arm to protect the puck, controlled the puck with the other hand on his stick while doing a spin-move to make a play on the St. Louis net. Wow! He also has 13 points over his last 9 games with 9 coming at even strength and a +/- rating of +4. Yet over that same period he's been outchanced at EV 50-44 and his best AHL season does not suggest he'll be an impressive scorer in the NHL: 25-19-44 in 77 GP with a -24 (the team was -69) as a 20-year-old. Stewart is also a very big player who plays physically, consistently jumps in to defend teammates and he's a good fighter. He's also a restricted free agent at the end of this year and could be demanding some pretty big coin if he's able to roll along at his current pace. If the underlying numbers don't improve I would certainly be prepared to let another team's GM come to me with an offer. Depending on what the rest of his season looks like, there's a pretty good chance Stewart will get Lucic-esque overpay this summer and it might instead be wise to cash in the asset if you can get something really good in return.

Oilers v. Avalanche - Psalm 107:10-16

The Oilogosphere is left to sit in darkness and unending sadness;
the Oilers suffer defeat even to weak teams like the Avalanche.
Why? Because of rebellion against the words of God
and ignorance toward true wisdom.


See Also:
Oilers v. Avalanche - Psalm 107:1-9