When the Florida Panthers have nightmares, it has to be about Colorado Avalanche players with the first name "Peter."
Peter Mueller returned home and channeled Forsbergs aura from the night Forsberg had six points for 6-5 win against Florida. Mueller scored two goals and nearly had a third if it weren't for a tip of Paul Stastny sending it past Jose Theodore.
After an arduous journey back from concussion symptoms, Mueller has returned with the fire that made Avalanche fans and teammates alike love him. His vision on the ice is superior to most players and his shot is electric, especially when he uncorks five of them.
Looking at the guys responsible for the goals tonight, you'd have thought it was landslide win. Stastny and Ryan O'Reilly each had one and Mueller and Ryan O'Byrne each had two.
O'Byrne put the puck into his own net on the penalty kill for the first goal of the game and took down Weiss and sent him- and the puck- into the net to give Florida a 2-1 lead. That was okay, it just made it all the better for Mueller to uncork his game and take over this contest.
Even after the Panthers scored in the first minute of the third to run the score to 3-1, there was Mueller, putting in a second goal and getting the primary assist on the game-tying goal.
On the other side, while Mueller was owning the puck, Erik Johnson was mailing out return to sender pucks as he had his most dynamic game as an Avalanche. He has had multi-point games and games where his plus/minus has been off the charts but in this game he did everything. He logged 34 shifts and nearly 27 minutes of ice time. He was confident with the puck and even moreso without it.
Johnson's game won't show on the stat sheet but he and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, the number one goaltender incarnate, kept the Avs in the game when the other lines apart from Mueller dragged their feet, in some cases literally, in getting offensive pressure.
The key to looking if a player is having a good game is when there is a chance, see who is around the net and who was near the puck. Every scoring chance it seemed there was Peter Mueller. He had plenty of chances during his road games but he held off scoring until he was in front of the home crowd.
Now imagine Peter Mueller playing this well while paired with a healthy Matt Duchene. That rumble you hear is the shudder of 29 teams imagining the potential of that scenario.
No need to call attendance, Mueller has had enough days off and is ready to get back to work.
Three Stars
1. Peter Mueller- returned with a vengeance
2. Erik Johnson- played outstanding defense
3. Ryan O'Reilly- game-winning goal and set up Mueller's second goal
Facepalm of the Game
Ryan O'Byrne's game where the puck ended up in his own net after something he did, directly leading to a goal. When it is the opposing goaltender, he can't hit the net but on his own, it just seems to go in.
Bang bang play of the Game
The first Mueller goal, with the patience and the five-hole shot and the relief and the team reaction. Yeah, I think that wins.
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
Join the Discussion:
»