Avs playoff push; too much pressure

It’s been an unexpectedly warm March on record for Denver, but on the ice it seems extra cold.

The Colorado Avalanche have lost 4 straight games, during the most inopportune time to go on a chilly streak. They’ve given away, surrendered, and just haven’t found a win to put the closing marks against teams that right there in the hunt with them.

The sharks (including San Jose) have now come and gone. And they have left the young, late-game resilient team to flounder around hoping for one last gasp.

With three games remain, two of which come at the Pepsi Center, the Avs sit just two points out of 7^th place. So they aren’t that far out of postseason play, and they have played as good as any team in the league during spurts this year, but it feels like they are a million miles away.

Every game is said be “the most important game of the year”, and then restated over and over again to no end.

You cannot expect a team to get-up for a game-7 type atmosphere night after night, and then say they have a do-over. (Even though us naïve sports fans would like to think they play with the same heart if Lord Stanley’s Cup were on the line.) It’s physically and mentally exhausting.

Colorado still has an opportunity to get 6 points and get into the mix. They will have to play better hockey to do so, and a little less pressure wouldn’t hurt.

Stanley Cup: Game 7

“Hockey fans rejoice!”

Okay, let’s hold up a second before that gap in your teeth becomes so pronounced you can no longer eat corn on the cob.

The Vancouver Canucks were the best team by far in the NHL during the regular season (117 total point, 10 better than Washington). They have the best man between the pipes in all of hockey (Roberto Luongo has 38 wins which ties for the best). And they should NOT be even close to winning their first ever Stanley Cup.

The Boston Bruins ought to be up 6-0 in the series. This series should be so over that the Bruins should now be getting over their champagne hangover. The B’s should be getting that grisly silver taste out of their mouths. The Chowder Chunkies should be lying on a beach somewhere with their country singing heart-throbs. Boston should have won already.

Tim Thomas has given up a total of 8 goals in the six NHL Finals games. And Boston has scored 19 against Thomas’ opposite number. Vancouver has won 3 games, by 3 goals all coming in the 3^rd period or in overtime.

Boston is clearly the best team in this series. Tim Thomas is clearly the best goalie in the WORLD right now. Boston should be Stanley Cup Champions in only a matter of hours.

But that’s the beauty of sports, the beauty of hockey. It doesn’t matter HOW you win, it’s IF you win that’s all that really matters.

GAME 7:              BOSTON @ VANCOUVER              6:00 PM

All-Star SCRAP

I hate All-Star games. Hate ‘em, don’t want anything to do with ‘em.

If you reluctantly turned on your television this weekend you could not escape the grasp of any and, perhaps, all the All-Star festivities.

The NHL, NFL and college football were all trying to make people watch, and care.

But they’re not fooling me. The NHL game had a combined 21 goals, and the NFL had 96 points… and not to mention DB DeAngelo Hall won the MVP. They are games where the league is trying to promote the skills of individuals, and yet they try to give the allusion of teamwork and camaraderie.

These guy are good, don’t get me wrong. They are the best of the best in their trades. And at time the skills challenges can be really entertaining, and a good showcase. But these games are absolutely garbage.

Time to take out the trash; scrap the idea and move on.