Jerseys and Hockey Love

Final reminder for those of you in Denver I’m headed down to SoBo 151 tonight for he game, which starts at 8:30 tonight. Come on down, and ind the bald guy with the Weiman jersey.

Map - Website

Technorati Tags: Avalanche, Hockey, NHL

Talk about a good game to go to. The Avs came out with some jump and speed, put two goals in quickly, and dominated much of the game. The Oilers didn’t know what hit them.

I got my ticket outside the arena, and it was a pretty good seat, club level:

My view was a little obstructed, but it was easy to dodge the cameras in front of me:

A quick reminder:

Goals are fun!!!


Nice Zamboni:

Guess which one of these guys just won a hockey game?

The Avs got their backsides in gear for this one, and it while it was against the not-so-hot Oilers, it was something to build on. The worry-warts may be concerned with the third period showing by the Avs, but I think they were expecting the same Oilers team who played the first two periods to show back up, and that wasn’t the case. To the Oilers credit, they turned the speed and commitment dials to 11, and forechecked hard. It took a while for the Avs to respond, but still, the Oilers were kept to only four shots on goal in the 3rd. Overall shots were lopsided, with the Avs putting 43 on net compared to the Oilers 13. The event summary shows the Avs only blocking nine shots, while the Oilers blocked eighteen.

I had a great time at the game (winning helps), and can’t wait until the next time I get to go. It could be a while before I’m back at Le Can (February?).

Here’s your Colorado Avs Blog game recap. Enjoy.

Technorati Tags: Avalanche, Colorado, Hockey, NHL, Oilers

I’ll be at the game tonight, which should show the Avs kicking it in gear a little more. The last few games have been lackluster to say the least, so this should be a jumping off point.

Your matchup:

And if you are in Denver, come down to SoBo 151 for the game Friday night.

Technorati Tags: Avalanche, Hockey, NHL, Oilers

I’m back in Denver for a few days, and the only way I’m interested in taking in Friday’s Avs away game is at SoBo 151, with some Czechvar beer and Czech garlic dip. Awesome stuff.

I plan on being there around an hour before game time (at least), and staying through the whole thing. SoBo usually has drawings for prizes, such as game tickets (which I have won before), and sometimes fun stuff like bobbleheads (which I have also won before). They put games up on all the TVs with the Center Ice package (you can usually find Habs fans there during games), but it’s all Avs when the games starts.

Come down to a true hockey bar and say hi. MArvel at the jerseys and signed memorabilia on the walls. Drink stuff you can’t pronounce. I’ll be the bald guy wearing the Tyler Weiman jersey. Shouldn’t be too hard to pick out.

SoBo 151 is located at 151 South Broadway (get it?) in Denver.

Map - Website

Technorati Tags: Avalanche, Hockey, NHL

Meigray.com is having a sale called Black Friday Reverse sale. From their site:

Beginning now and lasting all Thanksgiving Weekend 2007, except for a few exceptions, EVERY MeiGray-owned Game-Worn Jersey in stock at www.meigray.com that DOES NOT HAVE THE WORD BLACK IN ITS DESCRIPTION is 25% OFF.

Exceptions: Game-issued jerseys, 2007-08 jerseys, and jerseys priced at $5,000 or higher, are not on sale.

And except for a few exceptions, every NHL-MGG owned Game-Worn Jersey in stock at www.nhlgameworn.com that DOES NOT HAVE THE WORD BLACK IN ITS DESCRIPTION is 50% OFF.

Exceptions: Game-issued jerseys, and jerseys priced at $5,000 or higher, are not on sale.

Sale ends tonight at 11:59 PM. Boogie over there.

If you don’t know about Meigray, they have a ton a game worn jerseys, and are officially licensed by the team they deal with. There are some good jerseys to be had, and you can find some deals for players who may not be scooped up so quickly.

Technorati Tags: Hockey, Jerseys

This is almost a week old, but I think it’s important reading for anyone who is thinking about buying a new RBK EDGE jersey.

Mike Chen buys a new jersey: RBK=CRP

Always remember, especially with the new cut, new materials, and new prices… Try before you buy.

Technorati Tags: Jerseys, NHL

Afternoon games are tricky things. People are at work, teams aren’t awake yet, what are you going to do? But when it’s the holidays, you can bet the fans are going to show up, you just can’t be sure about the players. And so it was that the Wild clashed with the Blue Jackets, and I got to be there.

First, let me say that the Xcel Energy Center is a very nice place to see a game. This was my seventh game there (third this season), and there isn’t really a bad seat in the house. But I have only been able to find one escalator to the upper level, and my friends, that just won’t do. But my birds eye view was nice, allowing me to see the entire ice surface.

To say the Wild had a slow start is to take away from their slow finish. The boys had no real jump throughout the game, and could only sustain bursts of energy for a few minutes. The fight between Derek Boogaard and Jody Shelley was pretty sad, with only a few punches thrown. And the march to the penalty box was sustained through all three periods. See?

The big story here is Pascal Leclaire pitching his team record sixth shutout of the season. He had quite a bit of help, some of which came from dog of the day Referee Tom Kowal, who blew the whistle for no apparent reason a slight moment before Bouchard snapped one in the net. I don’t like to bang on refs too much, but he seemed more concerned about faceoff positioning than anything else in the game.

Todd Fedoruk? How about four minutes in penalties. Way to help, Todd. Sean Hill? One shot and Minus one. Welcome back to the league, Sean (it was his second game back). There was nothing inspiring about the way the Wild played, and the fact that they took less penalties than the Jackets should surprise most people who watched the game. The power play didn’t click, the passing was off, and the energy was low.

Still, a live hockey game is a great way to spend the afternoon. I had a great time, even if the Wild faithful didn’t. And the score keeps the Avs in first place in the division, at least for a moment longer. Your final, from the Xcel Energy Center:

Sunday, if I get up in time, I will be taking in the Rockford Icehogs. See you there.

Technorati Tags: Blue Jackets, Hockey, NHL, Wild

Some nights, hockey is very disappointing. It rarely goes completely the way you want. Your team wins, but so does your hated rival. You pull out a single point in overtime from a sub .50 team, and you wonder why for the next day. A single play kills momentum, and so goes the rest of the game.

Today, for Thanksgiving, hockey went completely my way.

Sure, there were only four games, but each one worked out for me. Let’s recap:

I get that the Senators are kicking some serious ass, and there is some fun watching their run for the money, but I have a little (small, very small, almost miniscule, not Crosby related) affection for the Penguins. Mostly, my hope for anything positive stems from Pat, one of the prop people on the show (which means he is in the props department, not that he is a prop). Pat is from Pittsburgh, and it seems like every time he asks me how the Pens are doing, I am the barer of bad news. The Pens pulled it out in Ottawa, and I can’t wait to see how excited Pat is. The final shootout goal was a beauty. I’m sure shootout goal that Gerber put in with his elbow will be debated for weeks, and it surprises me that it counted, but such are the rules. Three point game, nobody really loses.

Blackhawks? Winning record? Wha? Ah, the power of youth. But more importantly, the Flames get nothing, and they will not like it. The Kipper only makes 12 saves? Are any Flames fans happy about that?

Is there anything better than the Wings losing? Actually, there is. How about Dominik Hasek looking like a complete tool? Yeah, that puts the whipped cream on the pumpkin pie. Yep, first he trips a guy and gets two for interference, not while stopping a puck, but while going to the bench for the extra attacker. Then, as he launches from his crease for a second time, he slams into a Predator and falls on his backside. He probably could have been called for diving on that one, but wasn’t there enough embarrassment by then? Oh, the spirit of the holidays.

And then, the last score, the final game ends, and oh, was it ever sweet. Sure, there were the downsides, but the two points on the road sure feel good. And they feel even sweeter as the Avs claim first in the Northwest again, after three road losses in a row. The game wasn’t perfect, but it was two points.

Some notes:

- Skrastins gets the first goal of the night. From the doghouse to the scoresheet. I’m sure he won’t get too far out of it, but for better or worse, the team needs him. That’s just the way it is, and if he isn’t going anywhere else, he might as well go to the net.

- The Oilers have the worst power play in the league, but who went 0-for-8 with eleven shots tonight? Not good enough in the long run. I’m sure that will be drilled home at the next practice.

- John-Michael Liles gets the second goal for the Avs. Another doghouse dweller. From a healthy scratch last game, he came in with some jump and stepped into the play all night. While he may not be happy with the offensive defenseman moniker, but that is exactly what he was tonight. Message received.

- Svatos gets the game winner from his foot to his stick. While some may think the goal was kicked in, it obviously changed direction off his stick. Nice goal.

- Can we talk about the broadcast for a moment? I saw the Pay Per View feed tonight and I have a few questions:

• Why are the broadcasts from Edmonton so dark? They look like ass. Is there not enough light? Does the paint under the ice look that bad in person?
• Are the PPV features like player interviews and extra content during TV timeouts worth it? It all looks like stuff you could put on a post game show. Is it worth the money?
• They were showing a lot of Ryan Smyth action in front of the net. Miss him much?

- Budaj had the save of the night. Slapping down a shot on the doorstep. Trust me, you had to see it.

- It looked like Whack-A-Ref out there. Mick MaGoo got knocked down over and over, and I wish I could say I was concerned. But there were stripes all over the ice tonight.

- The Avs seem to be thinking too much about what they are going to do with the puck. Not enough reaction is getting them in trouble, and taking the play out of their hands. They have to pick it up a little.

- I’m starting to worry about Joe Sakic. I could see the frustration on his face as the puck didn’t do what he wanted it to. I wonder if he has an injury he is playing though. His passes aren’t crisp, he is getting picked off too often, and he only has five goals in 20 games. Sure, he’s second in team points, but he doesn’t look like the Joe Sakic we are all used to. He rarely takes penalties, but his hooking penalty tonight was sloppy as hell. I’m just saying, I’m worried about him.

That about does it for tonight. Happy turkey day, everyone. Get home safe.

Technorati Tags: Avalanche, Hockey, NHL, Oilers