Rick Sadowski: Avs hit the road for Game 3; Duchene skates for first time

Boys need to take care of business so there is no temptation to rush Duchene back. If they can get back to Denver 3-1, that would be ideal (obviously a sweep would be unreal, but I cant see that happening). Plenty of time for him to keep skating and get his legs back.

Looking forward to game time..

Keep it rollin Nate.

Roy might as well sit Duchene for the series. It's going to be over by Wednesday anyway now that Yeo and his magical personel moves are getting creative!

Not sure what kind of statement is being made by putting a slug like Heatley back in the line up when the best move Yeo made all seaon was removing him down the stretch of the regular season!

Heatley in = Series over!

Heatley actually usually plays well against us, this series is far from over, though I hope we can get a stranglehold on it tonight.

I am 100% fine with a team setting up a Matt Cooke shadow, changing goalies and inserting healthy scratches.

You know you're in a good place when your opponent is scrambling.

Heading over to St. Paul now in my Stastny jersey! Hoping to see a great game tonight at the Xcel, I don't expect it to be an easy one. Go Avs!

Heading over to St. Paul now in my Stastny jersey! Hoping to see a great game tonight at the Xcel, I don't expect it to be an easy one. Go Avs!
- AvsFanYeaa

I got my Landeskog Blueberry ready for tonight...I secretly love our 3rd jerseys

Had to upgrade my cable channels to get the NHL network for this game...

Don't let me down boys!

I got my Landeskog Blueberry ready for tonight...I secretly love our 3rd jerseys
- DDM-Coga

That is a secret you want to keep in the closet!

My wife has that jersey and my kid loves it. It will be his soon (way too big) because we just ordered my wife a legitimate normal jersey.

That is a secret you want to keep in the closet!

My wife has that jersey and my kid loves it. It will be his soon (way too big) because we just ordered my wife a legitimate normal jersey.
- Lawdaddy

I think it has potential, its the closest we will get to having some Nordique in our current set.

I am really hoping they do something special for this rumoured outdoor game, but I can see them going mor ein the Rockies direction isntead.

Heatley actually usually plays well against us, this series is far from over, though I hope we can get a stranglehold on it tonight.
- Avs-Ice

Yeah knowing the Avs luck he'll probably get a hatty tonight.

From Ben Hochman's column on Vatly:

To my left, Post columnist Mark Kiszla and I looked at each other warily just two minutes in, when Varly looked behind him, thinking the puck was in the net. Uh-oh. Was this a harbinger? To my right, one minute later, NHL.com writer Rick Sadowski said the Minnesota power play "looks like the Gretzky Oilers," as the Wild was like a Wild West gunslinger. Minnesota did indeed score — what happened with Jan Hejda on that play? — but Varlamov's second period was stellar, Ill tell ya.

That's actually the most fair assessment of how the Wild's powerplay looked like last night. Kudos.

Down 3 guys. Just battle through

At the game, what's the word on Barrie?

At the game, what's the word on Barrie?
- manchester33

done for the night apparently

done for the night apparently
- DDM-Coga

Just a brutal play. Should have been 5 and a game apparently, brutal

Just a brutal play. Should have been 5 and a game apparently, brutal
- AvsAnonymous

yup, just straight up bonehead. Refs let too much goonery go prior to that and every hit just had a little more extra to it every time. Even after that the refs are letting too much slide like this is Game 7 in the Cup Finals. Need to clamp this down, refs already lost this game in terms of emotional and control of the play

I cannot watch the game. NHL network sucks.... WHo is out? Benoit barrie...?


What is going on?

I cannot watch the game. NHL network sucks.... WHo is out? Benoit barrie...?
- JeffShantz

Barrie is gone for the game, possibly longer from the looks of it.
Benoit is back and so is Bordy

The kneeing penalty to Cooke is what knocked out barrie?

The kneeing penalty to Cooke is what knocked out barrie?
- JeffShantz

yup, was a bad targeting of the knee, doesn't look good at all

yup, was a bad targeting of the knee, doesn't look good at all
- DDM-Coga

Also if I had a dollar for the amount of times game 7 2003 gets referenced....

Also if I had a dollar for the amount of times game 7 2003 gets referenced....
- AvsAnonymous

But that's all the wild have for the biggest playoff moment, have the mention something, we have been lucky to win 2 cups so quickly as a franchise,

The NHL discipline team is going to absolutely drill Cooke and pretend they're doing their job on cracking down on cheap shots.