Game 3 tonight.
Controversy in Avs Nation. Coach Q has decided to start his starter tonight instead of his backup, and Avs Nation is livid. Apparently, because Theodore had a couple inconsistent seasons due to a lack of confidence, that means that a bad two games due to a severe flu are proof positive that his confidence is shot and he's experiencing a meltdown. The Chicken Little mindset of Avs Nation has never ceased to entertain me. The thing is, they always cling to the wrong reasons for screaming that the sky is falling.
Look, Theodore was sick. You could make a very strong case that Idiot shouldn't have started him, but that's on Idiot, not JoeTed. That being the case and assuming he has recovered, there is no logical reason to believe or assume anything other than that he will play as he did from January 1st through the end of the Minnesota series.
For tonight's game, Forsberg is a "maybe," Smyth is out, and Hannan may or may not play. Hannan is a non-issue. Smyth is going to hurt, but we've got the depth to make up for that. The real story here is whether or not Forsberg has the nuts to gut it out and put it on the line for his team against his team's biggest rival. If Forsberg doesn't play tonight, there is no reason why the Avs should even consider re-upping with him this offseason.
Forsberg is a great player when he's healthy. The best of his generation, and still one of the best at this stage in his career. But he's never healthy, and that kills chemistry when the team relies on him so much. This team isn't motivated by Sakic at all, they NEED Forsberg in the lineup or they go into the game assuming they have already lost.
Regardless, should be an interesting game tonight. After the first period of Game 1, I expected the Avs to come out looking like a different team, and they did. Damn near won that game. I fully expect the Avs to look like a different team tonight.
If they don't, they are toast and the Wings can wait and see whether it's going to be Dallas or San Jose who sends them golfing.
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2 comments:
Thank God I hadn't access to a television - had to watch the score change real-time on NHL.com.
Quenneville has lost it. Not his mind, he's simply lost all of any ability he once had in the realm of coaching professional hockey. I wouldn't trust him with a house squirt team at this point.
I'm a big advocate of 'it ain't over 'til it's over,' however, it is all about the best tee time at this point. Let's build on this and make it better next season. God I hate waiting through the summer...
If the Avs aren't going to win the series, I'd rather they lost in 4 than to drag it out. They played pretty well tonight in spurts, so it wouldn't surprise me if they won the next one. But I'd rather move on than drag this out if we're not going to see the Avs make history here.
Quenneville has to go. There's no way the Avs should allow him to stick around.
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