Chicago Versus Colorado

Vs.

Welcome to the Post-Game Report. Watching this game has been slightly more entertaining than others. On one hand, you have Colorado goalie Jose Theodore, who is 12-12 so far overall but entered play on a nice 10-game winning streak.

Colorado was holding on to the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference while Chicago trailed as a few spots out. This was a big game for both teams, and it started with Chicago pressing early in the first. The first 5 minutes of the game Chicago would be clearly the decisively better team. 

The question is with all the injuries Colorado has suffered to the likes of Joe Sakic and Paul Stastny, does the Avalanche have what it takes to make the playoffs? I believe so after Theodore's playing effort in the past 10 games, a stretch in which he has only allowed five power-play goals. 

Ryan Smyth will return to play in a month, Statsny within a week, and Sakic will return sometime in between.  The question remains, will Theodore stay on his game long enough for Colorado to hold on to a playoff-contending spot until its star forwards can return to contribute?

Joseph Clark had a nice wrap around attempt which I thought might slip by Nikolai Khabibulin, but the Blackhawks goaltender smothered it as if it where a fire in the forest. At 5:49 into the first, the shots on goal didn't reflect chances and opportunities between missed shots and errant passes. 

At 9:13 in the first, the first blood was taken by Colorado. On a nicely-executed give-and-go between T.J.  Hensick and Milan Hejduk, Hejduk came in from behind to score on a wrister.

And just like that it turned 2-0 on a play that seemed harmless. Marek Svatos brought it in and dodged a check to make a nice pass to Tyler Arnason, who chipped it to Wojtek Wolski who chipped it in as a deflection past Khabibulin to make it 2-0 at 11:30 of the 1st period as Chicago's netminder seemed to be breaking down sooner than you can spell his name.

As the first dragged on it seemed that Chicago was breaking down slowly. Colorado had constant control of the puck at the 6:00 mark. Near the end of the first period, Colorado's Brad Richardson received credit for a goal.

After only 20 minutes of play, Chicago found itself down by three after Khabibulin let in three-out-of 12 shots. At the end of the period, the shots on goal reflected the effort of each team; Chicago 5, Colorado 12. Score 3-0 in favor of the heavy-hitting, hard-trying Avalanche.  

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