Rookies rally to close out strong.
Artwork by Rebecca Holt
With only 16 games left on their schedule, it should be about the time where the Avs start thinking about how to finish close to if not on top. With an exact 50-50 split for home and away ice in the upcoming contests the boys should look forward to facing adversity both at home and on the road. Several roster moves, large and small, should begin to show their impact here very soon.
One roster move to note is the trade of Left Wing Wojtek Wolski, a proven scorer, to Phoenix for Center Peter Mueller and prospect Kevin Porter. Mueller is three years younger than Wolski and has already broken the ice here in Colorado posting two goals and four assists in only four games thus far. Returning to the roster after an eight-year absence, Center Stephane Yelle at 35 years adds more depth and veteran experience to the primarily young Avalanche team. Though he has never really amounted to much of anything, questions rise as to why the team decided to bring back a player whose hottest streak was in his first season 15 years ago with the Avalanche in 1995.
Colorado, 37-23-6, should give most of the credit to incredibly good rookie sensation Matt Duchene. Currently leading in points, goals, and assists.
Let me quell any rumors here: there is a very slim chance the home team will be bringing the cup back to Colorado this season, though it is certainly within reach in the near future. Though being 6th in the Western Conference and on a two-game winning streak is certainly converting a lot of non-believers to think otherwise.
Their remaining schedule certainly was not so heavily outfitted that the Avs won’t make a strong playoff run either. Victorious over both the Florida Panthers and the sub-par Dallas Stars, both played at home, the Avs will bounce back and forth from the road to home-stands for the remainder of the season. Don’t get too excited yet though, the Avs will be no more short of work than the next guy facing opponents with the caliber of: the Los Angeles Kings, Phoenix Coyotes, and the division rival Vancouver Canucks.
Matt Duchene should also be prepping to bring home the Calder Trophy, for Rookie of the Year, with 47 points overall, 23 goals and 24 assists, leading rookies in two out of four statistics. Though he is currently over-shadowed by Buffalo’s Tyler Myers (first in the league with assists with 26), when the time comes the judges will ultimately know who is better: Matt Duchene.
With the time for playoffs at hand, the competition is heating up. And again, as it was heading into the Olympic break, the Avalanche will be a problem needing to be solved by any team they face in the playoffs. Making it to the Cup Finals will be difficult, but if the Avalanche pull it off I would certainly not be one to count them out as favorites.
