Hockey season has officially started. Sadly, our dear Avalanche won’t be playing until Saturday in their home opener versus the Dallas Stars, and is the latest start for the team in the Nordiques/Avalanche franchise. The Avalanche went undefeated in the preseason and has me rearing to go for Saturday, and here’s why:
5. There is finally another (or two) Bourques on the roster.
The Avalanche signed both Rene and Gabriel Bourque (unrelated to each other, as well as Ray Bourque) to one-year deals. Gabriel, age 26, and drafted in 2009 by Nashville will likely be adding a little offensive depth to the team. The forward, and Quebec native, will be sporting #57.
Rene, at age 34, has spent 12 seasons in the NHL and was originally drafted by Chicago in 2004. The Right Winger had four points in preseason. If anything, I look forward to the countless times this dyslexic writer will confuse the two. I can already hear the conversation.
Anyone: “Who scored for the Avs tonight?”
Me: “Bourque!”
Anyone: “Which one?”
Me: “Ray (pause) Gabriel. I mean Rene. Wait. Gabriel?”
It doesn’t help me that the younger one will be wearing #57, and the older one #24. And yes, those are the right numbers; I’ve already had to double check them multiple times.
4. Nathan MacKinnon’s fourth-year.
MacKinnon first laced up for the Avalanche three years ago, and will be making this his fourth NHL Season. In his inaugural year, he scored 24 goals and had 63 points, and last season he had 21 goals and 52 points. His youth and speed initially impressed everyone, but like everything, age is fleeting. First round draft pick, Auston Matthews scored four goals in his NHL debut on Wednesday. There is always someone younger, faster and better behind you.
However, and since we are on the cliché train, all things mature with age. It is Nathan’s year to show the league what type of player he truly is. He will either demonstrate his superior skill, or will become another pretty good forward. Let’s hope it is the former, since we have signed him for the next seven seasons.
Gotta be excited to see more goals like this from MacKinnon.
3. Head Coach Jared Bednar
It has taken me sometime to reflect and adjust to a season without Patrick behind our bench. However, it is time to move on and deal with what we have. Maybe we have an inexperienced NHL coach, but after an undefeated preseason, I am beginning to think that he might be the right fit. (Not that preseason counts for all that much.)
Bednar enters this season as the Avalanche’s fifth head coach. When Bob Hartley took over for Marc Crawford in 1998, the Avs went 44-28-10, compared to 39-26-17 the previous year under Crawford.
Joe Sacco even had a better first season than under the previous coaching’s of Granato. That is about the only positive thing I can say about Sacco. How is it even possible that he was the coach for four seasons, the longest in Avalanche history?
Obviously, I don’t need to mention Roy’s first season, but it does strengthen the point that the coaching shake-up does help statistically speaking. Whether the former AHL coach will do the same, is yet to be seen.
2. Proving ESPN wrong.
This week ESPN released their Power Rankings, and the Avalanche came in at 27. It would appear that ESPN, perhaps like former Coach Roy, does not believe that the team will be any better than last. In fact, ESPN is projecting that we will be worse. The Avalanche finished 21st last season.
I’m not saying the Avs are going to blow the league away this season, but I would find it hard to believe that we would so bad as to finish 27th. With that I am looking forward to proving ESPN, as well as any other naysayers (Roy anyone?), that the Avs are not lost, but in fact a strong contender.
1. It’s a new season.
Duh. It is the number one reason to be excited for any team, in any sport, that did not win a championship the season before. We can forget about last season’s blunders, start fresh with a new coach, and all be hopeless optimists that this year will be different. And it will be. Let’s GO AVS!