Avalanche @ Oilers - Game 2, Preview

(Getty Images)

And if Thursday's game was any indication, this one should be as exciting as they come. The Avs are coming hard under Tony Granato's new high-flying philosophy and the Oilers should respond with much of the same.

A great offense starts with a great defense

The high-flying style came with a cost on Thursday as the Avalanche gave up lot of odd-man rushes. Hopefully Granato has settled the team down and sorted out any confusion in their defensive zone. 

For all the hustle out there, the team looked a bit lost down low, often losing assignments and leaving far too much space for the Bruins to operate. If they leave that amount of space for speedy players like Andrew Cogliano and Sam Gagner, it's going to be another tough night for Peter Budaj.

Budaj looking for vindication

Budaj was tossed under the bus by a few members of the media and I'm sure he's anxious to vindicate himself after a self-professed sub-par performance. 

After posting stellar numbers in the postseason, Budaj has opened up the regular season with a .750 save percentage and a 5.08 GAA. Some will say that the loss hurts most of all but I think those numbers have an equal sting - or is it stink - to them? But I still believe. 

Avs look to build on positives

An article on the main web site yesterday indicated the team is looking to build on the positives from game on. Building on positives is always a good - if not cliched - way to go. Hopefully they don't forget to take care of those pesky negatives as well.

Footer hits 1000

Adam Foote will be playing in his 1000th game which is quite a feat. Too bad a couple of those a couple seasons worth of games had to be spent away from the Avalanche but he's back home now.

Game Time and Coverage

The game starts at 8:00pm ET, 6:00pm MT and, for myself, is live on Sportsnet. For fans not in Western Canada, it will be live on Altitude as they kick off their television coverage. Unfortunately, neither network will be providing the feed in hi-def. So sad.

Related Links

ColoradoAvalanche.com Preview

Avs look to build on positives

Game 1 leftover thoughts