It has been a little while since I’ve fawned over stellar Colorado Avalanche crease crusader Craig Anderson and since he’s been named the NHL’s 2nd Star of the Week for his insanely awesome play, I figured now would be the right time to do so.
Courtesy of nhl.com
Ever since he was refused the honor of representing America in the 2010 Olympics, Craig Anderson seems to have been on a mission. I would go as far as to argue, as I have already done, that Tim Thomas and his slumping year should have been the goalie left off of the roster. Don’t get me wrong, he had a great ’08-’09, but you can’t pick a goalie because he won the Vezina Trophy without waiting to see if he can keep up that performance. Unfortunately, Brian Burke had his mind made up about both Ryan Miller and Thomas before the season started and that left Andy and Jonathan Quick to battle it out.
Quick deserves his spot for turning things around for the L.A. Kings, but Anderson is a keystone on a team that was picked by everyone to finish last last last. But since that point, the man has been on fire. In fact, he has only allowed 5 goals in his last 6 games and he has posted 2 shutouts (both against bottom feeders). Not to mention that Andy held the Flames (sinking ship there), the Devils (hot hot but can’t score), and the Predators (hot also) to only one goal each.
To top it all off, the Colorado Avalanche are on a 6 game winning streak (in case you haven’t been paying attention). That puts the Burgundy Boys firmly and legitimately in 3rd place in the Western Conference and 1st in the Northwest Division, two points behind the relentless Vancouver Canucks. The Avs would even be 4th in the Eastern Conference right now.
Hey remember when the Avalanche won like 100 division titles and Vancouver was always nipping at their heels? Could those days really be back?
Courtesy of nhl.com
NHL Live even had Anderson on briefly today, asking him questions about this or that. When asked about the Avalanche and whether or not they’re still surprising teams with their play, Andy responded, “Lately we’ve come out of the gate really fast.” Having rookies on the team that can produce really helps, and both of the 18 year old’s are dedicated. “Duchene’s just a happy go lucky guy… loves being at the rink,” said Anderson, adding that Ryan O’Reilly is the “first guy on the ice, last guy off.”
“When you’ve got a team on their heels, they don’t really generate too much,” Andy said about coming out strong and keeping it up during the teams current winning streak. “I’ve only had to make the first save. I haven’t really had to make the second or third.”
His true colors remained when the show hosts tried to coax Anderson into giving a juicy quote regarding not making the Olympic cut. Instead, he maintained his composure and respectfully said: “It would have been a great honor to be there. The guys they’ve selected have been outstanding this year and they’ve been carrying their teams.” (See phrase “biting the tongue”).
For all of you goalies out there, Craig Anderson finally offered a little insight into any superstitious behavior that he may have. To him, it is all about repitition. ” I like to do the same warm up, eat the same foods…chicken and pasta.” – A habit I formed myself when I entered the desolate realm of the goaltender.
The man has helped this team an unquantifiable amount thus far this season, with a minor tip of the hat to backup Peter Budaj. But it helps to have a team playing around him as well. When they work hard, he doesn’t have to work as hard, giving him time to focus on his job and his job alone. Lately the Burgundy and Blue have been connecting, playing as a unit, and – as evidenced in the Dallas Stars slaughter – smothering the opposing team defensively, attacking the puck.
I’ll leave you with a nice save on Martin Erat:
Ladies and gentlemen, Craig Anderson!
Related posts:
- Avs vs. Jackets Game Notes
- Budaj In, Duchene 3rd Star
- Liles Benched, Anderson In Net
- Olympic Rosters – Part 1 *Updated*
- Darren Haydar Goes To The Show + Game Notes *Updated*
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