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GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KMOX

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 5:46 am
by dmiles2186
Headed over to this one, looking forward to it!
AVALANCHE (49-21-6) at BLUES (52-17-7)

TV: ALT, FS-MW

Last 10: Colorado 6-3-1; St. Louis 7-3-0

Season series: This is the fourth and final game between the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche will try to avoid being swept by the Blues, who have outscored them 13-5, though the most recent game on March 8 was a tightly played 2-1 final.

Big story: Only the 2000-01 Stanley Cup team has won 50 games in a season in Colorado/Quebec franchise history. Rookie coach Patrick Roy can lead the 2013-14 Avalanche to that accomplishment with a win Saturday. Semyon Varlamov can also tie Roy's franchise single-season record by picking up his 40th win.

Team Scope:

Avalanche: Roy joked Thursday afternoon he was thinking about holding Varlamov out as the six-year NHL veteran closed in on his wins record. As it stands, Varlamov will start again Saturday as well as Tuesday against the Edmonton Oilers, but Roy wants to give starts to Jean-Sebastien Giguere and Reto Berra when the Avalanche close the regular season with three games in four days.

Varlamov, who has already far exceeded his previous single-season win total of 26 and also boasts a .926 save percentage (his previous career best is .924), doesn't just have personal stats to think about; the Avalanche are trying to hold off the Chicago Blackhawks for second place in the Central Division and home ice in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Rallying for a 3-2 shootout win against the New York Rangers on Thursday helped matters. Defenseman Tyson Barrie had the tying goal with 51.4 seconds left in regulation and the only goal in the penalty-shot tiebreaker.

"What has made the difference with Barrie? He went to the minors and worked on his game and he plays north hockey," Roy said in the Denver Post. "We did not want him to play east-west anymore. He has our full confidence."

Blues: A franchise record fell in St. Louis after the Blues edged the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 on Thursday. Their 52nd win of the season eclipsed the standard set by the 1999-2000 squad, which also racked up a total of 114 points this season's squad is poised to surpass as well.

"(The record) is a special thing, but tomorrow it really means nothing," said goaltender Brian Elliott, who made 24 saves Thursday. "We have to keep going, get better tomorrow and get ready for these last few games."

With six games remaining, the Blues have to contend with the Anaheim Ducks for the top seed in the Western Conference as well as the Boston Bruins in the race for the Presidents' Trophy. They have a comfortable seven-point lead over the Avalanche for the Central title.

Who's hot: Avalanche forward Paul Stastny has one goal and five assists during a five-game point streak. Barrie has two goals and two assists in his past five games. … Blues goalie Ryan Miller has a 2.01 goals-against average and .920 save percentage in 14 starts since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres.

Injury report: Colorado forward Cody McLeod (ankle/knee) left the game Thursday and is day-to-day. Forward PA Parenteau (knee) could return at the end of the regular season or by the start of the playoffs. Forward Matt Duchene (knee) is likely out until some point in the first or second round. … St. Louis forward Alexander Steen (upper body) was out of the lineup Thursday. Forward Vladimir Tarasenko (hand) remains sidelined.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 3:49 pm
by cardsfan04
What happened that Patrick Roy is pissed at Backes?

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:01 pm
by cardsfan04
I just read through JR's tweets throughout the game. Sounds like it got really ugly out there.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 4:08 pm
by Toasted Oates
Lou Korac's twitter has all the post game quotes for what it's worth. Roy alluded to Backes' scrum with Talbot early in the game (pretty standard issue, IMO) and 42 dropping his gloves and tackling Nate MacKinnon. The play on MacKinnon was a tad goonerish, but I think it was an eye for an eye type of deal (Bordeleau smoking Shatty).

The Hawks be damned. I'm rooting hard for Blues/Avalanche in Round 2.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:10 pm
by dmiles2186
I go to my first game of the year, and not only do we get goose-egged, but we were as listless as I've seen us all season. We chased the entire game. We didn't hit hard enough. Our passing sucked. Our shots really weren't all that threatening. For playing a team we've dominated all year, I figured we'd actually put up a fight.

The thing that frustrated me is that our guys showed no fight and then when it was too late they're lobbing punches like no one's business. I'm not saying I agree with Roy, I don't. But show a little heart before finally deciding to beat up their guys who earned that win.

That said, one of the best moments I've ever had at a hockey game was win Tom Calhoun said, "And everyone else on the ice gets a 10 minute game misconduct." That was hilarious.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:22 pm
by sseagle
dmiles2186 wrote:I go to my first game of the year, and not only do we get goose-egged, but we were as listless as I've seen us all season. We chased the entire game. We didn't hit hard enough. Our passing sucked. Our shots really weren't all that threatening. For playing a team we've dominated all year, I figured we'd actually put up a fight.

The thing that frustrated me is that our guys showed no fight and then when it was too late they're lobbing punches like no one's business. I'm not saying I agree with Roy, I don't. But show a little heart before finally deciding to beat up their guys who earned that win.

That said, one of the best moments I've ever had at a hockey game was win Tom Calhoun said, "And everyone else on the ice gets a 10 minute game misconduct." That was hilarious.
You are banned from Scottrade, FYI

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:28 pm
by dmiles2186
sseagle wrote:
dmiles2186 wrote:I go to my first game of the year, and not only do we get goose-egged, but we were as listless as I've seen us all season. We chased the entire game. We didn't hit hard enough. Our passing sucked. Our shots really weren't all that threatening. For playing a team we've dominated all year, I figured we'd actually put up a fight.

The thing that frustrated me is that our guys showed no fight and then when it was too late they're lobbing punches like no one's business. I'm not saying I agree with Roy, I don't. But show a little heart before finally deciding to beat up their guys who earned that win.

That said, one of the best moments I've ever had at a hockey game was win Tom Calhoun said, "And everyone else on the ice gets a 10 minute game misconduct." That was hilarious.
You are banned from Scottrade, FYI
I'm more okay with that than you probably realize. I've had a terrible run of luck lately.

However, my wife had the line of the day when the folks started doing the Power Play dance, she said, "I wish I was Michonne (from "The Walking Dead") so I could cut off all their arms at the shoulders."

I almost re-proposed to her on the spot.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2014 7:33 pm
by dmiles2186
cardsfan04 wrote:What happened that Patrick Roy is pissed at Backes?
They get tangled up at the lower left to start and then it all sort of breaks out from there.

[youtube][/youtube]

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 6:56 am
by cardsfan04
THAT'S what Roy has a problem with? LOL. That wasn't a very big deal at all. Backes certainly instigated it, but maybe he should tell his precious 18yo that only pussies keep their gloves on when somebody else has already dropped em.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:05 am
by not_a_wings_fan
There wasn't anything wrong with that. It wasn't Reaves or something. It's a big boy league and McKinnon shiuld learn to defend himself.

I was lol'ng at that first player jackman shoved. Dude went down like he was shot. Should have gotten a pair for diving.

I have no issues with having a scrum, but please show up and play hockey first.

Re: GDT #77: 4/5/14 > Blues vs Avalanche > 1:00 PM > FSMW/KM

Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2014 12:20 pm
by glen a richter
The boys better be just resting up for the playoffs because they look like shit. Tarasenko, evidently, IS that important to the team.