With apologies to the Phoenix Coyotes, the Colorado Avalanche were the most impressive story in the NHL last year. They were picked by many people—myself included—to finish dead last in the league. They had a dearth of talent, and that which they did have was young and completely unproven.
Behind the fantastic play of rookie centers Matt Duchene and Ryan O’Reilly, the emergence of goalie Craig Anderson and an amazing coaching job by Joe Sacco, however, the team found its way into the playoffs.
Once the Avalanche made the playoffs, they won two of the first three rounds and gave the Sharks a real scare. It’s impossible to know in advance if a resurgence like that is lasting, or if it’s just a Cleveland Browns-esque flash in the pan, but this team seems to be moving in the right direction.
Colorado Avalanche Offseason Moves
The team pulled off the surprise last year despite losing Joe Sakic and getting much younger players. They liked how it turned out so much that they got even younger this year. Veterans like Darcy Tucker, Marek Svatos, Stephane Yelle and Ruslan Salei are gone, and are ...
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Article written by Doc Moseman
Colorado Avalanche 2010-11: NHL Predictions and Odds
October 11th, 2010 by Doc Moseman Leave a reply »
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