Avalanche's Hot Start

If you were to look back on last years standings, you would find the Colorado Avalanche sitting in last place in the Western Conference. This year is completely different. The Avs are ten and one and have a goal differential of +19. What is the difference?

P.A. Parenteau battling the Maple Leafs

Coach Patrick Roy has made a big impact on the team this year. His passion has changed the franchise for the better. Coach Roy has demanded success this year, and that's what he has received. He even picked legendary goaltending instructor Francois Allaire, who managed to train J.S. Giguere and Semyon Varlamov into elite goalies.

Coach Roy defending his players

Rookie, Nathan Mackinnon, seems to be a solid forward who is an excellent playmaker. He has the fifth most points on the Avalanche at seven. The rookie leads his team in assists and has participated in every game his team has played. 

Rookie Nathan Mackinnon

Matt Duchene is an even better player. He is the Avs' leading scorer. He leads his team with nine goals. That ties the record for most goals in the month of October. He joins Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg,  and Chris Stewart for most goals in October. Duchene keeps getting better as seasons pass, and he doesn't show any signs of stopping. 

Duchene after goal

Another reason for the Avalanche success is the goaltending. J.S. Giguere has the best GAA and save percentage in the league. Starting goalie, Semyon Varlamov has one of the best save percentages in the NHL.

Giguere and Varly

The Avalanche seem to have established themselves as a competitive team in the NHL. Unlike last year, they are good on all sides of the puck. They have killed fourteen penalties in a row. They show signs of being a playoff team or even Stanley Cup contenders.

My Playoff Predictions #1

Here are the teams that I think will make the playoffs.

Western Conference

1. San Jose Sharks

2. Chicago Blackhawks

3. Anaheim Ducks

4. Colorado Avalanche

5. L.A. Kings

6. St. Louis Blues

7. Phoenix Coyotes

8. Vancouver Canucks

Eastern Conference

1. Pittsburgh Pens

2. Toronto Maple Leafs

3. Boston Bruins
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. Montreal Canadian
6. Ottawa Senators

7. Carolina hurricanes

8. N.Y. Islanders

All 30 NHL teams

The Eastern conference is the toughest to play in at the moment. There are many teams that could slip into the seventh and eighth seeds. The Tampa Bay Lightning may have a decent shot at the playoffs if they do the right things. They still have more to prove before you can predict them making it to the postseason.

Another interesting team is the Washington Capitals. If they can string some wins together, they might be a solid contender. Alex Ovechkin has had a good start to the season with seven goals and three assists.

Alex Ovechkin after a goal

The Western Conference seems to be easier to play in. Every spot is pretty clear, except when you reach the eighth slot. Nashville, St.louis, Phoenix, Vancouver, or Minnesota could stumble into the playoffs.

Nashville Predators vs Minnesota Wild

The Colorado Avalanche might have a chance to finish higher if they play to their full capability. In order to play to their full potential, Semyon Varlamov and J.S. Giguere must be solid in goal. The Avs offense needs to produce more shots if they want to finish higher than the fourth seed. So far this season, the defense has been good. They have only allowed 12 goals in nine games. 

The Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog 

The Pens are skilled on all sides of the puck, and if their starting goaltender, Marc-Andre Fleury, returns to his old form they should grab the number one seed in the easter conference. They might just happen to win the Presidents Trophy (for most points in the NHL.)

The Toronto Maple leafs are making a statement this season. They have six wins and only three losses. The Leafs goal differential is a +8. This leads me to believe that they will be a higher seed this year.

Carolina has been very good so far. However, I don't think their hot start will continue. They will make it but not very far. I believe this because their goal differential is a negative four. Two key players are Eric Staal and Cam Ward. Eric Staal must contribute at least fifty points this season, so that the Hurricanes will get some offense. Cam Ward has to be solid in goal this year and avoid injuries. 

Eric Staal

Goalie Analysis #1

Well, there have certainly been some surprises around the league in terms of goaltending. The biggest has been the Avalanche goaltender. Semyon Varlamov has opened the season with a .950 save percentage and GAA of 1.68 - pretty impressive numbers. If he keeps this up he should be a Vezina trophy contender.

Varly and his team after a win

Antti Niemi has picked up right where he left off. He leads the league in wins and games played. Antti also has the best team in the NHL so far. The San Jose Sharks have not lost a game in regulation. 

    

  

 Antti Niemi's mask for the 2013-2014 season 

Unfortunately, Henrik Lundqvist has been a disappointment. So far, he only has two wins. However, the Rangers' bad start isn't all his fault. He isn't the Vezina contender we have seen for the past few years. King Henrik has given up twenty goals in his his seven games. That is the fourth most in the NHL. I believe that the new pad sizing rules are affecting him. Before the rule was placed he seemed to have oversized pads. That being said, he is an excellent goaltender that is just going through a slump. 

Henrik Lundqvist.

Another goalie making his mark is Toronto goaltender Jonathan Bernier. In the time that his goaltending partner, James Reimer, has been injured, he has stepped up and proven that he can be a starting goaltender in the NHL.

 

Jonathan's huge glove save against the Oilers

Hello!

Hello there. My name is Brock. Welcome to my blog.  I am a goalie in Colorado who enjoys the game of hockey. I created this blog so that I could write about my passion. From the NHL to the junior leagues, I will cover it all.

As a goalie, I learn a lot every time I hit the ice. I will be sharing my day to day ups and downs with you as well.