The Colorado Avalanche have got some very nice pieces at the forward position. The main core on offense could all end up being full-fledged stars in the NHL very soon. Young, smart, and full of firepower. This year however, you would never have guessed that Colorado’s dynamic duo consists of two forwards that are battle-hardened veterans of the game. Those two players would be Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay.
The chemistry between these two is special. Calgary Flames fans know all about it, since it was there that these two began playing together.
Meet and Greet In Calgary
Every time I watched the Avalanche match up against the Flames, which was a lot, it was Iginla and Tanguay who always worried me when on the ice. The two seem to know where each other are out there at all times. Similar to the Sedin twins in Vancouver, Iginla and Tanguay are awesome to watch and a match made in hockey heaven.
Alex Tanguay has some of the slickest hands in the NHL, and Jarome Iginla has one of the best shots in the NHL. Tanguay loves to pass, Iginla loves to shoot, get it? They have developed great reputations based on these skill sets, though both are extremely underrated at doing what the other does best. Jarome Iginla can make a slick tape to tape pass too, and Alex Tanguay’s wrister and slap-shot are both extremely hard and accurate.
Though not seen often, sometimes it can be Tanguay banging home a one-timer from an Iginla pass. They just compliment and know each other so well, it’s very evident on the ice. A big thank you to the Calgary Flames for making this happen.
Rocky Mountain Reunion
They played many years together in Calgary, and now they have reunited in Colorado. The Avalanche acquired Alex Tanguay and Cory Sarich a couple of years ago, in a trade sending David Jones the other way along with Shane O’Brien to Calgary. This was a huge win for the Avalanche, as Alex Tanguay is doing nothing but put up numbers again in Colorado.
When Paul Stastny went home for more money, Colorado had to replace him in their top-six group of forwards. Losing Stastny was a big loss, but as soon as Jarome Iginla was signed as a free agent moments later, the feeling of loss turned into a feeling of gain. Iginla is, after all, a future first ballot hall-of-famer. THE model of an outstanding power forward who also comes with buckets full of leadership and experience.
Leading the Team, Literally and Figuratively
Not only do Jarome Iginla and Alex Tanguay provide tons of leadership and experience for the Avalanche, but they are also both tied for the team lead in points. Going into Washington last night, Iggy and Tangs had 12 goals and 15 assists for 27 points each. They are seemingly in a competition with each other to see who can finish the season with more points. And guess what? They were the only forwards able to produce a goal against the Caps, with Iggy assisting on a Tanguay goal.
Jarome Iginla is only a couple of goals away from overtaking Mike Bossy’s place on the NHL’s all-time goal scoring charts. While Alex Tanguay just recently passed the 800 points mark.
Did You Know? #Avs Jarome Iginla is now 1 goal shy of tying Mike Bossy for 20th on the all-time goals list.
— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) January 9, 2015
Tanguay is 4th player from 1998 draft class to reach 800 points, joining Vincent Lecavalier (923), Brad Richards (891), Pavel Datsyuk (834) — Brendan McNicholas (@bmcnich) January 9, 2015
As you can see, these two guys have continued their chemistry in Colorado, but no one expected both of them to lead the team in scoring. There’s no question, Colorado’s young guns should be producing more, giving Iginla and Tanguay a night off every now and then. However for now, the Avalanche are enjoying the play of their new dynamic duo.
