Eurolanche

Prediction time! Please make your bold predictions here so we can all marvel or point and laugh at the end of the year. How many points will the Avalanche finish with? How deep will they go in the playoffs? Who will lead the team in scoring? Who will be the top-scoring defenseman? And who will top the team in penalty minutes?

David Driscoll-Carignan, Mile High Hockey: 98 points, thanks in part to a resurgence of J.S. Giguere.  2^ndround exit. Stastny leads the way with 72 points while Johnson scores 44 on the blueline. Shane O'Brien has a pugilistic resurgence and leads the team with 150 penalty minutes. And Jimmy Howard wins the Calder for the 23^rd straight time.

Adrian Dater, Denver Post: I'll say they finish 11th (sorry). Leading scorer: Duchene, 69 points. Top-scoring D-man: Elliott - 41 points. Penalty-minute leader: The Highlander, of course.

Brett Shumway, Mile High Hockey: Avs will finish with 99 points.  Get tossed in the first round. Duchene will lead the team in scoring. EJ leads the D. And although O'Brien will make a valiant effort, Cody Mac will continue his reign as PIM king.

Matt Muzia, SBN Denver: The Avalanche finish second in the Northwest Division with 100 points, good enough for sixth in the Western Conference. Paul Stastny has a rebound year with 80 points, and (Bold Prediction Alert!) Colorado finishes top 12 in Goals Allowed.

Ryan Boulding, The Avalanche Guild: I hate making predictions as they are based on basically nothing when it comes to the Colorado Avalanche. Injuries, strange decisions, awkward trades have an unforeseeable impact on the season. While the diehard fan in me predicts winning the Stanley Cup, the realist sees something more like a close sixth or seventh place finish with a first round exit unless the stars align. I wouldn't put it past this team to be an eighth seed upset like the Canadians last season or the Oilers from a few years back. 99 points will bring them in and Stastny will lead in points. Duchene will lead in goals. The Burgundy Brigade will be the next big thing for fans. John-Michael Liles won't be fourth on the team with 46 points and Stoa won't be worth keeping track of. Erik Johnson will lead defense in points unless Elliott plays, then it will be Elliott by a mile. Penalty minutes will to go to either Cody McLeod or Shane O'Brien.  Whatever happens, beating the finish from last year should be easy and it will certainly be a fun year of our favorite sport.

Mike Verminski, Put It On Ice: The they will finish with 83 points, but still miss the playoffs. I think Stastny will get his mojo back and lead the team in scoring next season. Jonson should be the top scoring defenseman and McLeod will definitely lead the team in penalty minutes!

Nic Zamora, Avaholics Anonymous: The Avs will finish with 95 points which will be good enough for 8th spot in the playoffs. There will be no sweep but the team will not go down without a fight and take it to 6 games in the 1st round but will not make it farther than that. I'll say Matt Duchene takes that next step and leads the team in scoring with 85 points while Cody McLeod leads in PIMs with 180.

AJ Haefele, Mile High Hockey: I'm seeing the Avalanche finishing the season with 90 points because injuries WILL happen and at the end of the day, this still is not a deep enough team to overcome long-term injuries to key players. With a 90 point season, I don't see the Avalanche making the playoffs. I think Matt Duchene will be lead the team in scoring (77 points) and Erik Johnson will be the top-scoring defenseman (46 points). The top PIMs getter will be Cody McLeod with 112.

Cheryl Bradley, Mile High Hockey & Avalanche Breakaway: How many points will the Avalanche finish with? 92 How deep will they go in the playoffs? They won't make it, falling just short of a playoff berth in 9th or 10th place in the West. Who will lead the team in scoring? Matt Duchene (80 pts) Who will be the top-scoring defenseman? Erik Johnson (50 pts) And who will top the team in penalty minutes? Cody McLeod (130 PIM)

Sean Payton, Anyone But Detroit: Points: 97 points - finish 7th in the Western Conf, Playoffs: Lose in first round, Scoring leader: Duchene, Defenseman scoring leader: Johnson, Penalty mins leader: McLeod

Angélique Murray, Colorado Avalanche Prospects, Mile High Hockey & Chicks Who Give A Puck: I think this team has the potential of making the playoffs. Certainly things have to go right, namely a healthy Peter Mueller in post Phoenix and pre Rob Blake hit form. Erik Johnson needs to come into his own, especially considering this is a contract year. Semyon Varlamov has to perform and quickly considering the high price the Avalanche paid.

With that being said, it took 97 points to make the playoffs in the Western Conference last year and that would involve a 29 point improvement from the Avalanche this year to reach that mark. Better goaltending and a bigger and more rugged defense will certainly help. I'll put Colorado at 94 points. Depending on how things work out, it could be enough for them to slide into the top eight.

Even if they manage to get in, I'm expecting they'll be one and done. Matt Duchene will get his first 80 plus point season and lead the team offensively. A nod to Erik Johnson as the top scoring defenseman with at least 40 points and Cody McLeod will lead the team in penalty minutes (shoot for 200 Highlander).

Jaye Horbay, Mile High Sticking: Final Points - 98 pts, Playoffs - second round loss, Scoring Leader - Duchene 85 pts, Top Scoring D man - Quincey 50 pts (please please please), Top Penalty Mins - Shane O'brien/Kyle Cumiskey tied, each one of them being stupid and costing us at least one game.

David from Slovakia, Eurolanche: Points: 96, Playoffs: As a die-hard fan = Stanley Cup, as a realistic person = 2nd round. Scoring: Duchene, D-man: Johnson. PIM: Winnik.

Pavol from Slovakia, Eurolanche: Points: 74; No play-off next year; Top scorer: Duchene; Top-scoring defender: Johnson; Top in penalty minutes: O'Byrne.