Avalanche Blank Panthers 3-0

It was a great win for the Colorado Avalanche coming off a 6-4 loss to Vancouver on Tuesday.  Craig Anderson got his 7th shutout of the season, tying goaltenders Tomas Vokoun, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Marty Brodeur for most shutouts of the season.  It was a great accomplishment by the Avalanche as a loss like they had on Tuesday can run like poison through the veins of a team, but the Avs shook the loss off and played some hockey tonight.  And though Sid&Ovie.com doesn’t bother covering the Avalanche when they win, but tend to jump on the Burgundy Boys when they lose, that’s why you come here.

Photo by Michael Martin - Getty Images

The first period at the Pepsi Center started out a bit rusty by both teams.  The Florida Panthers came into Denver after winning three games in a row and were ready for #4.  Unfortunately for them, the Avalanche have been streak killers this season.  Remember the Blues five game winning streak?  Yeah, neither does Chris “Me Smash” Mason.

Period the first was a lot of back and forth play, almost like the Avs and Cats were feeling each other out.  The last time the two teams saw each other it was the Avs 6-5 shoot out loss to the Panthers.  It was also the game where Keith “The Goalie Slayer” Ballard took out Craig Anderson for nine days back in December.  The aforementioned hit then resulted in Ballard being pummeled by captain Adam Foote, who you can see with the bloody grin from tonight’s game on the left.  Awesome.

Both teams had some pretty good chances there in the first period, but Vokoun and Anderson stood strong.  The fans at the Pepsi Center and those watching at home would see a scoreless first period, but a great prat fall from Ballard.  The referees believed the fall and put T.J. Galiardi in the box.  The Avs then killed the penalty easily.  Cody McLeod also dropped gloves with Gregory Campbell with just over three minutes left in the period, which ended with two big old goose eggs on the scoreboard.

The Avalanche played smarter offense in the second period, getting the puck down on Vokoun, and creating better chances.  The first goal came from Paul Stastny, who was parked right in front of Vokoun and knocked a rebound from a Brett Clark shot into the net with a backhander.  Staz had four shots on goal through the entire game and was only outshot by goal hungry rookie Matt Duchene.  Dutchy tried five times to get a goal tonight and was denied by Vokoun each time, once on a promising looking break away.  But the veteran goalie had Duchene’s number tonight.

Photo by Michael Martin - Getty Images

Just over ten minutes after Stastny’s goal, he decided to get a second.  It came on a power play from a roughing call on Radek Dvorak.  Peter Mueller (or “Muells” as Stastny called him after the game) sat at the top of the slot and passed the puck to Chris Stewart, who was sitting in the left circle.  Stewy passed the puck through the slot to Paul Stastny, who was parked just right of the crease.  Vokoun committed to a Stewart shot, but was thwarted when Staz slapped the puck behind him from the other side.  The period would end with the Avs up 2-0.

Period the third began and looked similar to what we saw in the first.  It was a lot of back and forth, but the Cats put a lot more power behind their wheels.  It was the only period where the Avs were outshot and overall the Burgundy Boys put 31 shots on Vokoun, opposed to the 27 shots Andy faced.

Photo by Michael Martin - Getty Images

The highlight point of the third was when Matt Hendricks gave the puck a poke at the Panthers’ blue line just as they were about to being a rush.  Hendricks then took the puck to Vokoun, did that little fake he made in the Avs last shootout, brought it to the right side and snapped it up top shelf.  That pretty much solidified the game for the Boys as there was only 2:35 left in the period.  The Avs would spend the rest of the period doing much of the same, strong D and a couple of attempts on the net, winning 3-0.

I think the greatest thing about this game is that the Avs didn’t come out like they had against Vancouver with all guns blazing.  They came out and played consistent hockey, something they have been lacking most of the season.  Generally they Boys come out and play one or two amazing periods and then it’s defense the rest of the way.  This time they played consistently in all three sections of the ice.  Sure, there were a few more turnovers than usual, but the solid D played tonight made up for that.  The Avalanche did a great job of getting the puck and opposing players out from in front of Anderson.

With the Canucks losing to the Phoenix Coyotes yesterday in a shootout, the Avalanche now sit three points behind the Northwest Division leading team.  This was also the first appearance of Kevin Porter, who came over with Peter Mueller in the Wojtek Wolski trade.

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