Patience People, Patience
There was no secret that the Avalanche were struggling to start the year. Games one and two were lost in a home and home series vs the Wild, with the Avs not able to score in either game. The first game was just horrendous, we will put that one in the grinder. However, Colorado did show signs in the second game against Minnesota that they were putting things back together, starting to play more of the Avalanche hockey we have come to expect. Yet still, no goals and no points to start the season. There was an Avalanche of panic not necessary.
Frustration was growing all around. How could a team with such offensive talent not manage to score even one goal in their first two games? Last season they started off 14 and 2 and for some reason they were expected to do the same exact thing this time around. You can’t expect instant results, or expect the Avs to break records out the gate again. This team is still young and learning and are most definitely on their way to becoming a top contender.
Patience is needed though. Like captain Gabe Landeskog said before the season started “we may not win the central division this year and we may not finish with 112 points, but we are going to be a better hockey team overall”.
Building Chemistry
This is not last season. This is a new team with new faces in a new season with new hurdles. New faces such as Iginla, Briere, Stuart, Winchester, Everberg, and Redmond. It takes time for these new faces to get used to the “old” faces and their new surroundings. It takes time to create that chemistry, and because creating chemistry is so important in hockey, the Avs’ current four game road trip provides the perfect early opportunity for the team to gel.
Monday afternoon saw the Colorado Avalanche visit the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. The game was Colorado’s first road game of the season, the first of their four game road trip through the East. Both teams were coming off shutout losses and wanted to put an end to their frustrations. Jamie McGinn was the first Avalanche player to score in the 2014 – 2015 season, sneaking a shot by goalie Niklas Svedberg.
The game was tied a goal a piece when the clock was winding down towards overtime. With seconds remaining, the Avalanche were persistent in the offensive zone ending in dramatic fashion. No overtime was going to be necessary in this one. Danny Briere scooped the puck up from a rebound and netted his 300th career goal with .5 seconds remaining to win the game in regulation.
Colorado played a great road game, and Reto Berra is looking like a great trade acquisition. Perhaps most importantly, Colorado’s overall depth and defense is a hell of a lot better than it was last year.
One great story developing is that of Dennis Everberg. The Avalanche wanted to bring in more size and depth to their bottom 6 this summer. That is exactly what they did in adding Dennis Everberg. He has stuck with the lineup, due to injuries to John Mitchell and Jesse Winchester. However, Everberg is playing quite well and does not look out of place at all for a rookie who just came over from Sweden. When Mitchell and Winchester come back, Everberg should definitely stick around.
Colorado now moves onto Toronto where they will play the Maple Leafs. We’ll need to keep an eye out to see if this Avalanche team is finally starting to build chemistry, and if they are for real or not. This road trip will provide the players an opportune moment to come together and start stringing some wins together. What ever happens, people need to keep in mind this is still a very young team who are still gaining valuable experience. Hold off on the Avalanche of panic because its not necessary, this team is only going up.
