DDM

Is Barrie going to rebound this week?

DDM

Is Barrie going to rebound this week?
- stljam

I sure hope so, he looks good skating wise, just that offence needs to start clicking as well.

Launching himself at Haula like a spider monkey on crack, elbow first aimed at Haula's head is a poor excuse for a hip check. I don't think it was executed as planned which is why Johnson is out for his own academy award "cheap shot? Well I never! That is absurd!" Combined with Patrick Roy's threat of "well of a Minnesota player gets hurt all is fair in love and hockey, we will gladly remind them of Matt Cooke," I do not have much sympathy for Johnson, regardless of how unhurt Haula is(and thank God he's not). Yes, yes, Patrick Roy, you have been reminding us, every chance you get since April, my God. If the Avs ever get revenge will someone please promise that Colorado will never mention the name Matt Cooke again? Is it really better to spend months obsessing over how bad he is and then go out with intention to do the exact same? No that is much worse. In the end, what the ref witnessed was enough to immediately eject Johnson from the game, I saw him get escorted straight off the ice. They didn't even question it. Haula got hit, obviously, in the face, and fell and cupped his face- sure it stung. Haula got up and Johnson was already ejected....refs usually don't go back on their calls, to the ref it was clear he meant harm, not Erik Haula's fault he wasn't more injured nor was it his fault that Johnson was blantently obvious in his attack/Avs have a loose lipped coach. If you think the refs made a bad call well you know they also made a bad call when Hejda pushed Nino onto Varlamov which resulted in Coyle's goal being discounted, but hey we aren't complaining... We only needed 1 goal per game to win, and we obviously far exceeded that.
- WildblankAvsX2

Why don't you go be a troll somewhere else.

Why don't you go be a troll somewhere else.
- TravisK

Back off man. He has been a member since 10/12/2014

Why don't you go be a troll somewhere else.
- TravisK

he made that account on the weekend just so he can troll, let him get his use out of it.

Where's Sadowski? We need a new blog about the Boston game - it's in one hour! We can't get away from the Wild games fast enough.

- DDM-Coga

Thanks D, originally thought I was in T's blog. Open mouth insert foot!

Thanks D, originally thought I was in the T's blog. Open mouth insert foot!
- MnGump

I love this gif and find any reason to use it haha

I love this gif and find any reason to use it haha
- DDM-Coga

It's fitting! PLus who doesn't love Big Ern!!!!

I sure hope so, he looks good skating wise, just that offence needs to start clicking as well.
- DDM-Coga

He missed at least one open net on Saturday.

I sure hope so, he looks good skating wise, just that offence needs to start clicking as well.
- DDM-Coga

Did you see that play against the Wild where Barrie was doing work in the offensive zone and he passes to Talbot who just whiffs on it?

Did you see that play against the Wild where Barrie was doing work in the offensive zone and he passes to Talbot who just whiffs on it?
- Avs-Ice

remember when this team was able to score goals

Edit: HOORAY a Goal...step 1 complete

Credit 4th period for this gem

Is Wilson hurt? Box score has him at 607 TOI, and had him at that for two periods.

I can't believe everyone is still talking about this. The time spent arguing over this worthless play is absurd and is a little depressing considering how terrible of a hockey play it was all around. Bad check/embarrassing attempt to injure, some embellishment, a paltry comment by another player. I know not much has happened to argue about in the first week, but can we just all get over this one?

I'm thankful that we don't play the Wild until February and I'm hoping that once the Wild play another game the fans will stay away a little. I know to Wild fans that the Wild are on a straight trajectory to the top with a team full of honorable players and wonderful human beings. And that the Avs are going the opposite direction due to their inhumane, despicable players.
- manchester33

At least we can all agree upon this

Losing your number 1 dman will have an impact on the game, yes the Wild were the dominate team that game early and often, however he was ejected early on, and EJ has the ability to change games with his shut down ability and the marginal offensive ability he has, so it is very premature to say that whatever the ref called has zero input.

It shouldn't have been a game, double minor at the most bc of how bad it looked, and I don't think Haula is a saint on this one either. They both played it terribly, EJ should have lined up for a hit better and if he thought Haula had the jump on him or he should have stop engaging the hip check which turned into a correcting himself and exposing his elbow instead.

Haula should have either used his speed to power through the hit or look at dumping the puck in. Any dman is trained to force the guy with speed to the outside and is expected to be hit, stopping short is never a smart play to avoid contact.

Granted its easy to look at the game tape and break it down on how each player should have engaged in the play after the fact, but like I have said before, its never black and white in these situations. Emotions and adrenaline of the play get the best of players and before you know it, stuff like this happens. On either end of the spectrum.

So after all that, to me its a nothing play, EJ screwed up his lines for a hit check and had his elbow out bc he was trying to force a hip check that wasn't there and Haula didn't power through the hit or dump the puck in, stopping short and perhaps selling the play more than it actually was bc he was stunned from the break down of the play. It wasn't dirty, no ones hurt, its just a bad break down of one isolated innocent, nothing more
- DDM-Coga

Hard to ask someone to power through when they are a speed player. Also it doesn't matter what the player with the puck should do, it's quite clear you should never leave your feet that much to finish a hit. Initial reaction seemed fair by the refs for my biased opinion when I was watching the game, but looking at it again and again I don't see any major intent by EJ. He put himself in that situation tho and those things can easily look bad in real time. Anything from a double minor to what he received seemed fitting in my opinion, especially since blows to the head are such a strong focus in all of sports these days.

Congrats on your first win Av's fans!

Edit: and first goal(s)!

Losing your number 1 dman will have an impact on the game, yes the Wild were the dominate team that game early and often, however he was ejected early on,

- DDM-Coga

Wait a sec.... Last season you guys said Barrie was your number one D-man... Let's make up our minds... hmmm!

Hard to ask someone to power through when they are a speed player. Also it doesn't matter what the player with the puck should do, it's quite clear you should never leave your feet that much to finish a hit. Initial reaction seemed fair by the refs for my biased opinion when I was watching the game, but looking at it again and again I don't see any major intent by EJ. He put himself in that situation tho and those things can easily look bad in real time. Anything from a double minor to what he received seemed fitting in my opinion, especially since blows to the head are such a strong focus in all of sports these days.
- Spikiekj

yeah I wrote that last night slightly annoyed, I will admit that Its a bit unreasonable to say that.

I was more thinking of how annoyed I got when a forward would try and avoid a hit when I was playing Defence, always seemed to cause more boarding calls when they tried to spin, stop, or turtle their way out of a hit, which always made me look like a goon. Still remember when I hip checked a guys prostetic arm off, he was missing his top hand and it was grafted onto the top of his stick, he tried to side step me but I got his top hand and his limb and stick when flying on the ice, haha I got ejected for it.

But I sort of contradicted myself saying no one knows what those guys were thinking, and yet I go on a tangent saying how they should have played the sitaution. Ill be the first one to admit that

Wait a sec.... Last season you guys said Barrie was your number one D-man... Let's make up our minds... hmmm!
- MnGump

Best offensive Dman combined skills they would make a true number 1 dman

Best offensive Dman combined skills they would make a true number 1 dman
- DDM-Coga

The answer for everything guy! I get it!

Congrats on your first win Av's fans!

Edit: and first goal!
- MnGump

2 goals, we are rolling now...could have been 3 without the call back on that one.

Berra first W of the season, and Briere for GWG...jesus christ would have never have guessed that in a million years

I didn't catch the whole thing, but pretty good game overall. I even saw Hedja make a nice defensive play. I'm not super comfortable with Berra in net - he seems to be on the ice as the offensive player is just winding up for a shot.

I didn't catch the whole thing, but pretty good game overall. I even saw Hedja make a nice defensive play. I'm not super comfortable with Berra in net - he seems to be on the ice as the offensive player is just winding up for a shot.
- manchester33

Berra has been one of the nice surprises of the season so far. By seasons end, Avs fans will hopefully be happy with this guy backing up Varly. So far he's been pretty solid in net.

Thats not nice.
- Tony Dean

The world isn't all sunshine and rainbows.