Colorado Avalanche vs St. Louis Blues, Metallica Style
“This is the end, we won’t take anymore.” Metallica’s “Seek and Destory”
The Colorado Avalanche are heading to the Scottrade Center to face the St. Louis Blues for their fifth and final meeting. The Colorado Avalanche’s record against the Blues this season is pretty even. They won one, lost one and tied two. St. Louis took both the overtime games, once in OT and once in the shootout.
Let’s look at some of the storylines from the game through a Metallica lens.
On a long and lonesome highway…
Technically, St. Louis is east of Omaha.
The Colorado Avalanche haven’t been home since January 10 — nine days ago. In that time they’ve faced four Eastern Conference teams, going 1-1-2. All the games were close, except for the Florida Panthers game, which the Avs took 4-2.
Road trips have a tendency to solidify team chemistry. Indeed, according the head coach Patrick Roy, the team is playing their best hockey of the season. However, nine days is quite a long time to be on a road trip in hockey. Some fatigue can be setting in.
The Blues, on the other hand, have been home for a stretch of five games.
So close, no matter how far…
The Colorado Avalanche are finally playing above .500 hockey. Just barely, but they have 48 points in 46 games.
And nothing else matters for the Avs but to make the playoffs. They keep leapfrogging with the Dallas Stars — whom the showtiming Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t beat today — but they’re statistically just three points away from a playoff berth. However, now the Stars and the reigning Stanley Cup champion L.A. Kings stand between them and that spot, not to mention the Calgary Flames, who hold it.
Doctors Imprisoning Me…
The Colorado Avalanche are the third most injured team, according to man games lost. They’ve lost 237 man games to injury. Only the Anaheim Ducks and Columbus Blue Jackets have lost more.
Those statistics include injuries by players who aren’t regulars, such as Ben Street‘s hand, Dennis Everberg‘s shoulder and Borna Rendulic‘s leg. However, the Avs did lose their #1 goalie for stretches of a time, and Semyon Varlamov played below his ability for awhile — likely due to injury.
Granted, that’s not quite the horror that the Detroit Red Wings last season. Nonetheless, the St. Louis Blues, bless their healthy hearts, are #25 on the list, having lost only 78 man games.
Pulled off course by the light of golden treasure…
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It’s not so much that
Paul Stastnyis still unforgiven as he’s forgotten. He didn’t play in the first meeting due to injury — sound familiar?
His first game against the Avalanche was in Pepsi Center, the place he called home for eight years until the lure of higher pay lured him to St. Louis. We booed him at first and then just forgot he was out there. He registered one shot, and was a minus 1 on the night. His next visit to Denver, no shots, minus 1.
When the Avs visited St. Louis a few days later, Stastny recorded two assists. It took him three games to get anything going against the Avs.
He’s just gone. Individual players such as Matt Duchene miss him, and a few diehard fans in Denver, perhaps. However, his stamp on the team itself was very light.
We are looking for you to start up a fight…
The game is going to be a tough, physical battle. Blues captain David Backes is sure to take a run at one of our young stars again — he’s already gone after both Nathan MacKinnon and Matt Duchene. Maybe we’ll luck out and he’ll have a go at Jarome Iginla, who’ll set him on his, ah, backes.
The Colorado Avalanche are the match of any team in the NHL when they play a full 60 minutes. They have phenomenal goal tending. They have grit. They have talent. They have the will to find ways to win.
Let’s hope the Avs players have an evil feeling in their brains, the one that will motivate them to play for a full 60 against the Blues.
Metallica songs, in order:
“Turn the Page”
“Nothing Else Matters”
“One”
“The Unforgiven III”
“Seek and Destroy”