Eurolanche

Pregame thoughts: Coyotes

Yes, I'm still around, but I barely have time to breath so for those of you interested in what I have to say (so basically my Mom and some of my brothers) I'll try to squeeze in a few words after the games, especially at this time. Just to pour some cold water on an otherwise inflated fan ego, it reminds me of the 06-07 campaign, when we all know what happened, the Avs had an amazing stretch at the end only to fall just short. The one thing that is different - besides the players, duh! - is the team is already in right now, it's not outside looking in. Sure, there are some games in hand by the opponents, but the Avs have games against them, meaning they control their own destiny. A thing you can't have in the real life, but hey, that's the beauty of sports.

And let's again give credit where credit is due. The trades were just perfect for the Avs. Besides the points, which were plenty, Downie and McGinn added the thing that the Avs were lacking: physical presence. And it seems to rub off on other players too. Not Lando, he didn't need another motivation to hit everything in sight. By the way, since he's obviously the most complete rookie this year and he's only 19, it would be a travesty if he wouldn't get the Calder. Yes, I'm biased, but he's amazingly good. I can only imagine him in 5 or 6 years, if he keeps it up.

Another crucial element in this run has been the goaltending, especially Varly. I still claim the price for him was too high. Not because he's not worth it, but because of his situation with Capitals. That's why the Avs could've gotten him cheaper, in my highly uninformed opinion. Well, the past is the past. The main thing is that Semyon is playing out of his mind right now, this time helping, not saving the team. Because the team clicks. Something happened and it just works. You see them get down one goal and you're still relax, because now you know they can come back. This wasn't my frame of mind about 20-30 games ago. A goal down meant "we're screwed".

Now it's the final stretch and even if the 7th or 8th spot isn't inducing of high hopes of a long playoff run, it's still fun to get there. So one game at a time. First, an important rival, the Yotes. A win in regulation would negate the game in hand. I hate these four points games, but they make for great fun.

Robert Ciubotaru regularly writes his personnal opinions and commentaries on the latest Colorado Avalanche news exclusively for the website of the Eurolanche Fanclub. He'll also pester you from time to time with unrelated things about Green Bay Packers or Chicago Bulls, but he's generally harmless, so don't poke him with sticks.