Colorado Avalanche Youngster Tyson Jost Busts His Slump

Colorado Avalanche forward Tyson Jost earned a goal, thus busting a slump that lasted too long — and we’re all happy for him.

Young Colorado Avalanche forward Tyson Jost has finally busted his goal-scoring slump. Tonight against the St. Louis Blues, Jost recorded his first goal since November 30.

It was a beautiful goal, too — a typical Jost goal, really. He was driving the net like he always does, so he was in a perfect spot to capitalize on Andre Burakovsky‘s rebound.

Let’s look at this beauty of a goal:

Now, you might notice the puck appears to touch Burakovsky’s skate as it goes it. Some fans have suggested the goal should be attributed to Burakovsky. I know that it’s technically the rule, but it’s also horse feathers. If the puck had gone in off a Blues player, you wouldn’t have attributed the goal to him.

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Besides, who cares? Jost is the one who did the hard work. He’s the one who deserves the credit. And you know what, besides the help he got from his linemates, he busted his slump all on his own.

He certainly didn’t get any help from the coaching staff. Despite playing exactly how he’s told every night, and being solid in all 200 feet of the ice, and scoring a goal tonight, he got only 7:17 of ice time. It’s criminal, really.

Look at how his teammates mob him after the goal. That kid is locker room glue. All his teammates love him — not just like him, but genuinely want to see him succeed.

Is this starting to sound like a PR release? Good. He needs it. You can’t mention Jost in any way without Avs “fans” piling on about what a bust he is. You know what, at 21 years old, that “bust” is in the top, say, 5% of his of his career field.

Who among you can say the same? I know I cannot. And I certainly wasn’t such a wizard at 21 years old.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, let’s hear from the man himself:

He admits that after that goal he feels “about 50 pounds lighter.”

I think that’s part of what bothers me and other player-centric fans. These are human beings out there. Yes, they’re public figures of a sort. However, they’re engaged in their livelihood in the most public of forums.

Anyway, Jost has had to focus on other aspects of his play. That 7:17 of ice time was a low for him. However, he’s been playing on the fourth line in a checking role. The majority of his faceoffs come in the defensive zone, and he’s often called off the ice when the offense gets going.

Almost sounds like someone has an axe to grind with the young man. Never fear, my rant will be legendary when he’s inevitably scratched.

In the meantime, as a Colorado Avalanche fan, I’m glad for Tyson Jost. No one, and I mean no one, deserves success more.