Better Know a Contender?

Let's take a minute to feel bad for the good city of Quebec... City.  Sure it's filled with a bunch of high and mighty Habs who have forgotten how far way Paris actually is and how long ago the French language mattered, but still.  In 1994, the Nordiques had the most explosive offense in hockey and were primed for a Stanley Cup run.  After years of poor performance, whispers of relocation, and a lack of local support, the Nords were on their way...

And then the Lockout happened.

And then the move to Colorado happened.

And then a Stanley Cup happened... Immediately.

And since the move to the Rockies, the Nords turned 'Lanche have been a playoff staple.  Sure, for the last 5 years they have been mediocre at best, but from 1995-2005, the Avalanche have been annual contenders in the West.  Sadly, for 'Lanche fans (not Nords' fans), the team has fallen on hard times as of late.  That is until the 2009-2010 season, of course.  For the Aves have stormed out of the gate.  Combined with some solid penalty killing, spectacular goaltending, and some unexpected scoring, Colorado is currently tied with San Jose for the most points in the Western Conference.

But before we continue, did you know that defenseman Adam Foote is the only remaining player on the Avalanche whom also played for the Nordiques?  Sure, he wasted away in Columbus for a few years, but how he is back with his original team... Sort of.  However, this tale of resurgence is not about relics from the past.  Instead, a youth movement is taking place in Colorado which has the team playing with a re-newed sense of confidence.

The Avalanche currently start two 18 year olds.  TWO of them!  And one of them is really fucking good.  This season, Ontario's Ryan O'Reilly has already tallied 14 points while leading the second line.  Matt Duchene (the other 18 year old, who was also drafted before O'Reilly) has also pitched in with 7 pointas of his own.  Combined with the consistent production of stud Paul Statsny, (who, while only 23, is a dinosaur next to Duchene and O'Reilly), the Avalanche are hell bent on improving their offensive production after less year's pathetic 2.32 G/G average.

And it hasn't simply been the offense that has shot Colorado to the top of the Conference, for unlike last year, the defense is holding up their end of the bargain, at least if we're talking strictly in terms of goaltending.  For while the Avalanche are allowing over 32 shots per game on net (!), workhorse goalie Craig Anderson has been keeping his team in it for 17 of the 18 games played this season.  In 2008, the Avalanche were one of the worst defensive teams in the league.  And while they did go out and sign the offensive-minded Kyle Quincey, the early signs suggest that aside from some brilliant goaltending, Colorado's defense still needs plenty of work.

The biggest questions facing this Colarado team are as follows; Can Chris Anderson maintain this punishment and still be as reliable?  He's faced more shots than any goalie in the league up to this point and while he has been brilliant, the odds do not look for him finishing the season as strong as he started.  And also, if/when the going does get tough, how will these younger players fare?  Sure, their careers are off to a great start, but once the temperature drops and they start getting hungry for their families back in Ontario, will they start to eat one another as if they were a Uruguayan rugby team trapped in the Andes?  Just in the Rockies, of course.

Players to Watch:

Milan Hejduk: The durable and productive veteran adds a welcomed maturity to this team that is desperately required for their future success.  He's been on the Avalanche for his entire career, and much like his loyalty, his consistency is rock solid, playing in an average of over 76 games per season, as 60+ points year in and year out.  The Avalanche may be good one season and bad the next, but Hejduk remains the same.

Wojtek Wolski: Since Wolski was 19, he has been a solid contributor for Colorado putting in somewhere between 15-20 goals along with about 30 assists per season.  However, now in his 5th NHL season, Wolski will need to contribute even moreso.  If early numbers are any indication (7 goals, 8 assists, 18 games), he has every intention of making a bigger impact this season.


Paul Statsny: The star of this Colorado team ironically hails from Quebec, but since he was only 10 when the Nordiques skipped town, he doesn't seem to see a problem with the arrangement.  In his first two seasons in the NHL, Statsny posted 78 and 72 points, respectively.  Before getting injured and missing half of the 2008-09 season, he was prepped to to do even better.  However, this season Statsny is healthy and ready to launch himself into NHL stardom.  And while he is a phenomenal playmaker, Colorado will need this young man to bury the puck a bit more if they want to maintain their current trajectory.