AMIRIGHT??

So, if you recall, I said before the season started, that TJ Galiardi should be a top-line winger.  That notion was further reinforced with the re-injury of Peter Mueller.  It was looking good for Mules during the preseason and he played the team's first 3 games, albeit without getting on the scoresheet.  However, Mueller has mysteriously been absent ever since.  The Avs are of course being mum on his condition, but one can only surmise that the concussion symptoms that have been plaguing Mueller for the last year and a half have returned.  The contract the Avs gave Mueller appears to be a gamble lost.  Don't get me wrong, I like Mueller.  He was fantastic in the 15 games he played in 2010 before suffering the first concussion.  At this point however, the Avs cannot rely on him.  Period.  It's sad.  The guy is a former 8th overall pick and is only 23-years-old, and his career is in real jeopardy.  Another gamble the Avs appear to have lost is by not signing Tomas Fleischmann.  Mules and Flash have probably been Matt Duchene's favorite wingers ever, but the Avs opted not to sign Fleischmann after his bout with pulmonary emboli last season.  Flash is a good player, but I do feel the 4-year, $18 million contract he received in Florida was an overpay.  However, if the Avs would have signed him when he was still restricted, that would been a moot point.

Anyway, back to Gali and the current Avalanche players.  After 8 games as a bottom-liner and 2 as a healthy scratch, Gali finally got a shot at left wing on a top line and the Avs came away with their first home win of the season.  Was Gali instrumental in the win?  Not on the scoresheet, but I still feel that his presence creates balance amongst all four lines.  The Landy-O'Reilly-Winnik line was once again untouched and continues to thrive.  Landy recorded an assist and the line was solid as a whole.  I like Jones-Duchene-Lindstrom.  In David Jones, Duchene finally has a scoring winger who can take some of the pressure off of Duchene.  Duchene has been much maligned so far this season, but I still feel that his lack of production has been due to his lack of capable wingers.  When Duchene was centering McLeod and McClement, defensed could just shut down Duchene without having to worry about much of a scoring threat from either of the McCs.  With Jones, Duchene can make moves and defenses cannot cheat toward Duchene because Jones is a very dangerous scorer as well.  Not sure Lindstrom is the long-term answer on the other side, but for now, he's the best option.  The line of Galiardi-Stastny-Hejduk is a great line as well.  Gali, with his speed, grit, and new-found size, can be the power forward the top lines have been lacking.  If he uses all of his assets, he can create havoc down low in the crease and along the boards and free up great scoring chances for the talents of Stats and Hejy.  I hope Sacco keeps these lines together.  I also would not be opposed to swapping Gali for Lindy and seeing how that goes, but the core of Jones-Duchene and Stastny-Hejduk looks very promising.

If there have been studs and duds so far for the Avs this season, I think most people would agree that Semyon Varlamov has been the team's MVP.  His start out of the gate is reminiscent of Craig Anderson's two years ago.  Every game he's been in, he has given the Avs a chance to win.  In his 3 losses, the Avs have averaged under a goal a game.  The defense has also been much improved.  Quincey is having a renaissance year and Wilson has been hard-hitting and defensively solid.  While many people would point to Duchene and Stastny's numbers so far and call them duds.  I disagree.  Sure, it would be nice if they had a bit more in terms of points, but I think they've both been fine so far.  The lack of wingers, as I've addressed before, is the more concerning part.  My duds would include Chuck Kobasew, who has proven to be a good 4th liner, but not a top-line forward whatsoever.  With Duchene's public criticism, it felt very good to see him rip the game-winner past Jonathan Quick last night.  Duchene came in with speed, used Doughty as a screen, and shot it between his legs top shelf on Quick.  An absolute beauty of a shot!  Hopefully now that the Avs got the proverbial monkey off their backs, they can start to accumulate the wins at home!

The Next Ones?

Since John Elway and Patrick Roy called it a career, there has been a revolving door of Denver Broncos' quarterbacks and Colorado Avalanche goaltenders.  We've had teases of potential in Jake Plummer, Jose Theodore, Jay Cutler, and Craig Anderson.  With the latter two especially, there was talk that the Broncos/Avalanche had found their long-term solutions.  However, after their brief glimpses of brilliance, they quickly became maligned and shipped out of town.  With their immediate successors, Kyle Orton and Brian Elliott clearly not the long-term solutions, the Broncos and Avalanche both made bold offseason moves by acquiring Tim Tebow and Semyon Varlamov respectively.

Are these players the answers to the questions and controversies surrounding the quarterback and goaltender positions these two franchises have been dealing with for the better part of the last decade?  We shall see.  In Tebow's case, he instantly became the face of the franchise and the entire makeup of Denver sports.  A 2nd round pick in many experts' opinions, the Broncos traded up to take Tebow late in the 1st.  Although the coach and management who drafted Tebow are now gone, Tebow remains and has recently become the starting quarterback after usurping the position from Kyle Orton for the 2nd time in as many years.  While Tebow enjoyed a dramatic 4th quarter comeback win against the Dolphins last week, serious questions remain about his ability to become a legitimate NFL quarterback.  Tebow is a proven winner, dating back to his high school success and his Heisman and NCAA Championship days at the University of Florida, and certainly no one can question his heart and work ethic, but some Broncos fans and Tebow loyalists seem blind to his obvious weaknesses as a quarterback and NFL player.  Can his mechanics and NFL instincts develop to make him a complete quarterback?  That question is about as polarizing as who will win the 2012 presidential election.  To be honest, I'm still not sure how to feel about him.  Is he a legit NFL quarterback now?  Certainly not.  Can he be?  Who knows.  Love him or hate him, he certainly has made the Denver Broncos more relevant than they have been since #7 was tossing the rock.  Never have I seen a quarterback, let alone an athlete in any sport, gain the attention, notoriety, and drama with only 4 NFL starts under his belt.

On July 1, 2011, the Colorado Avalanche were rumored and expected to sign veteran goalie and former NHL all-star Tomas Vokoun, who was set to leave the Florida Panthers for free agency.  However, in a surprise move, the Avs acquired Semyon Varlamov from the Washington Capitals in exchange for their 2012 1st round pick and a conditional 2nd round pick.  Much like the drafting of Tebow, this trade was surrounded by controversy.  Critics of the trade argued that the Avs paid too steep of a price for a somewhat unproven goalie.  Varlamov, who was the 1st round pick of the Caps in 2006 and 23rd overall, boasted impressive stats in his 3 seasons with Washington, 2.39 GAA and .917 save % in the regular season and 2.49 and .915 in the playoffs.  However, Varly only accumulated 59 career regular season games during his 3 year tenure with the Caps due to injuries and goaltending controversies with Washington's other goalies.  The Avs could have signed Vokoun and given up nothing.  However, Vokoun, despite being a very good goalie, is 35, and approaching the twilight of his career.  While he certainly would have been a capable #1 goalie for the Avs this year and maybe for a couple more after that, he would not have been a long-term solution.  At only 23, Varlamov has the potential to be the Avs' #1 goalie for many years to come.  Ultimately, the trade will be validated on the 1st round draft pick the Caps will receive next summer.  If the Avs are a lottery team like they have been in 2 of the last 3 seasons, the Caps will have won.  If the Avs are a playoff team and the 1st round pick turns out to be a mid or late round one and Varly turns out to be the real deal, the Avs will have accomplished what they set out to do.

Right now, Tim Tebow is the biggest sports story in the country, let alone the city of Denver.  Every move he makes on and off the field is a front page headline.  Varlamov actually might benefit from this.  Since the spotlight is clearly on the Broncos' QB, Varly will get to enjoy flying under the radar a bit.  Granted, he's been nothing short of superb during his first 6 Avalanche starts.  He's 4-2 with 1 shutout and in his 2 losses, he can hardly be blamed as the Avs scored 1 combined goal in both those games.  In an 82-game season however, Varly is bound to have a bad game.  When he does, he will receive a lot less criticism from the media and the Colorado fans than when Tebow has 1 bad throw.  Varly certainly does not lack talent and skill.  This made him one of the highest drafted goalies in 2006.  However, a concern about Varlamov is his durability, both physically and mentally.  His injury problems in Washington are disconcerting to some and it was rumored that he was considering leaving the NHL and going back to his native Russia after failing to secure the Caps' starting job.  A move that, had it happened, may have cost him his life as the Russian team who had his rights was the tragic Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, who died in the terrible plane crash in September.  Needless to say, both Tebow and Varlamov will have to overcome adversity to prove that they are capable of becoming a #1 quarterback and #1 goalie respectively.

Tim Tebow
Pros
Athleticism
Work ethic
Ability to inspire others
Proven winner
Cons
Passer mechanics
Inability to read NFL defenses
Hype

Semyon Varlamov
Pros
Athleticism
Talent
Youth
Cons
Injury history
The draft picks given up for him

Avalanche Player Nicknames

1. Semyon Varlamov - Varly
3. Ryan O'Byrne - O-B, Obi-Wan, Burner, Big Sexy
5. Shane O'Brien - SOB, Donut
6. Erik Johnson - EJ, Edge, E-Jo
8. Jan Hejda - Playa (as in Playa Hejda)
9. Matt Duchene - Dutchy, Mighty Matt
12. Kevin Porter - Ports, Portsy
16. Jay McClement - J-Mac
17. Chuck Kobasew - Kobe, Chucky
18. Brandon Yip - Yips, Yippers, Yippie
22. Matt Hunwick - Huddy, Hunny
23. Milan Hejduk - Hejy, The Duke, Chaz
26. Paul Stastny - Stats, Money Bags, Pauly Walnuts
27. Kyle Quincey - Quince, Q, The General, Crash
28. Joakim Lindstrom - Lindy
34. Daniel Winnik - Winnie, Frank
35. Jean-Sebastien Giguere - Jiggy
37. Ryan O'Reilly - Snook, Rhino, Radar, Factor
39. TJ Galiardi - Gali, Big Sexy, Velveeta
40. Mark Olver - Molver, Olvertine
44. Ryan Wilson - Willy, Sauce
54. David Jones - Jonesy, Davy Jones, Bones
55. Cody McLeod - C-Mac, Highlander
88. Peter Mueller - Mules
92. Gabriel Landeskog - Landy, Lando, Ken Doll, Kog

Let me know if I'm missing any!

Road Warriors

After a disappointing loss on opening night to the Detroit Red Wings in which the Avs played well but just could not get a win or a goal, the Avs headed out on a 5-game road trip.  Honestly, I thought that if the Avs won 3 out of the 5 games and earned a winning % of over .500, it would have been a successful trip.  However, the Avs decided to just run the table and sweep all 5 of its opponents.  With all of the great teams the Avs have had over the years, this is the first time that an Avalanche team has won its first 5 road games to start the season.  The 2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche team is already in the history books. 

The first game of the trip was a Columbus Day matinee affair with the defending champion Boston Bruins.  Being the defending champs, the Bruins are the measuring stick for the other 29 teams in the league and the Avs were no exception.  They brought their best defensive and goaltending effort against the champs and skated to a tight 1-0 victory with Semyon Varlamov earning his first shutout in an Avs sweater and veteran Milan Hejduk netting the only goal in the 3rd.  Bruins goalie Tuuka Rask was good, but Varly was one save better.

The next game came against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who, as of this blog, are still seeking their first win of the season.  For most of the game, the Avs looked pretty flat.  Perhaps it was a bit of a hangover after a dramatic first win of the year.  TJ Galiardi scored his first of the season to give the Avs an early lead, but a turnover by Jay McClement gave Jackets captain Rick Nash a goal.  Columbus got another in the 3rd and just as it looked like Columbus was going to get in the win column, former Blue Jacket Jan Hejda took a slap shot from the point that hit a jumping Gabriel Landeskog and beat goalie Steve Mason.  A very timely goal for the Avs rookie!  He became the youngest player to score a goal in Avalanche history and the youngest Swedish-born player to score a goal in NHL history.  While Nash did score in the shootout, Varlamov stopped the other 2 Jackets shooters and Milan Hejduk and Matt Duchene both converted to give the Avs a shootout victory.


The next night, the Avs traveled north of the border to face the Ottawa Senators and former Avs goalie Craig Anderson.  I honestly thought Anderson was going to stand on his head against his former squad.  Former Avs player have been known to burn us in the past.  Also, going into that game, the Avs were only averaging 1 goal per game despite being 2-1-0.  That night however, the Avs offense came alive, shellacking Anderson for 7 goals and giving Jean-Sebastien Giguere his first Avalanche victory despite facing only 16 shots.  Landy had a goal and an assist as did Duchene. 

Continuing its Canadian swing on Saturday, the Avs took on the Montreal Canadiens.  Another former Avs goalie, Peter Budaj, now plays for the Habs, but Carey Price was in net against Semyon Varlamov.  Varly played well, but the defense had its worst game in front of him.  Fortunately, the offense continued their momentum from the Ottawa game, scoring another 5 goals.  Another late equalizer by Kyle Quincey gave the Avs the opportunity to turn a loss into a win, which they did with Hejy and Dutchy again converting shootout attempts and Varlamov turning aside both Montreal attempts.  The Avs shooters (Hejduk and Duchene) are a perfect combined 4 for 4 on the season and Varlamov has turned aside 4 out of 5 shots. 

The Avs ended the road swing last night against former defensemen and fan-favorite John-Michael Liles and the Toronto Maple Leafs.  Another close game that required more than 60 minutes to determine a winner as it was tied 2-2 after the 3rd.  However, quickly into OT, Kyle Quincey took a slap shot, which goalie James Reimer made the save, but was unable to control the rebound.  David Jones was at the right place and the right time, picked up the rebound and put it home to secure the Avs 5th win in as many road games.  J-S Giguere picked up his 2nd win of the year against his former team and the goalie who took his starting gig in Toronto last year.

My take on the Avs so far...the team looks good.  Anytime you win 5 out of 6 games, 5 of which coming on the road, you cannot complain about that start!  Varlamov has been solid in each of his 4 starts so far.  If he stays healthy throughout the year, he could certainly solidify himself as a legit #1 goalie in the NHL.  J-S Giguere is a reliable veteran backup.  He does not look as quick as he once did when he was winning Conn Smythes and Stanley Cups in Anaheim, but his positioning is solid and he is the best backup goalie the Avs have had in years, if not ever.  The Avs defense is certainly bigger, stronger, and meaner.  Thus far, the moves to retool the defense seem like good ones.  I like the additions of Jan Hejda and Shane O'Brien.  Hejda brings a veteran presence and solid defense.  O'Brien brings that grit that every team should have on the blue line.  While none of these guys have the leadership of Adam Foote (Edge could potentially grow into that role), the overall size and grit of the D-men is there.  I think Footer would be proud of the Avs new back 6.  The game against Montreal wasn't their best.  O'Brien took some bad penalties, although one was a very weak call and O'Byrne did not have a good game against his former club.  Hunwick has yet to see action this season, which I don't particularly mind, but what Sacco's and Sherman's intentions with him are remain a mystery.  I also can't help but wonder if the Avs will try to ship Ryan Wilson or Kyle Quincey out.  Both of whom have played very well so far, so their trade value will be high and believe both are in the final years of their contracts.  A move of either of these defensemen could pave the way for Stefan Elliott's and/or Tyson Barrie's NHL debuts.  I would like to see Quincey kept and re-signed.  He had probably the 2nd best offensive ability of any Avs defenseman behind Erik Johnson.  Wilson may be expenable.  I like Wilson, and I like the physicality he brings to the game.  Last year, especially when Foote was hurt, Wilson was the Avs most physical defensemen.  Ironically, with the Avs new revamped D, Willy is now the smallest.  And while he still brings his physical game, the Avs brass may determine that he can be moved with guys like O'Brien and Hejda on the blue line.  You never know.  I will stick by my theory that whether it's due to a trade or an injury, Elliott gets the call-up sooner rather than later.


The offense got off to tremendously slow start.  That is obvious by looking at the scores of the first few games.  The best forward line this season pound-for-pound has been the line of rookie Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan O'Reilly, and Daniel Winnik.  This line was put together in camp and played together every regular season to this point.  These three have really clicked and have produced much more than you would expect from a 3rd line, especially one where 2 of the players are not even old enough to drink!  This is good and bad for Landy.  While it's certainly good that he has gelled with O'Reilly and been able to produce, the fact that he has played so well with O'Reilly has virtually eliminated the possibility of him being moved to a top line with either Stastny or Duchene.  Being 18 and being a viable part of the Avs roster, I don't think he really minds.  David Jones was the Avs overtime hero last night and been the most prominent Avs forward through 6 games, leading the team in scoring with 4 goals and 5 points.  Under the radar, as he always seems to be, is Milan Hejduk, who also has 5 points.  Jonesy and Hejy have by far been the Avs' best wingers.  Peter Mueller played 3 games with 0 points and then missed the next 3 under enigmatic circumstances.  When Muells was out of the lineup, red flags of course arose as to whether or not his concussion problems had returned.  While the Avs are still hush hush about this, the good news is that he was listed as "available" and a healthy scratch in Toronto.  We may see his return on Thursday against Chicago.  In Mueller's absence, Joakim Lindstrom has been a bit of a pleasant surprise.  In his Avalanche debut, he scored 2 goals in his Avalanche debut against Ottawa.  Lindy led the Swedish Elite League in scoring last year before attempting to resurrect his NHL career with the Avs this year.  Chuck Kobasew has 1 goal in 6 games.  Stastny and Jones deserve a better 3rd winger.  Perhaps Lindstrom will be moved to the Stastny-Jones line when Mueller's back or, like I said before, Galiardi has top line potential and could be effective with Stats and Jones providing that grit on the top line.  Gali, who had a goal against Columbus, was scratched against Montreal, but reinserted into the lineup against Toronto, as Kevin Porter was ineffective in his 1 game played thus far.  Hopefully Mueller will regain his form soon, and the Avs could use a bit more depth at wing.  Duchene and Stastny have been good.  Sure, they may not be leading the team or the NHL in scoring, but they've both contributed positively thus far.  Duchene has been money in the shootouts and Stastny had a great steal from PK Subban and breakaway goal on Price.  Do they need to be better?  One could make the argument, but as long as the Avs are winning, I'm not one to complain.  If we win, it doesn't matter if Stats and Dutchy score 60, 80, or 100 points.  Last year, the Sedin twins scored 104 and 94 points respectively while Boston's two leading scorers (Krejci and Lucic) had 62 points respectively.  The Bruins won the Stanley Cup.  Who do you think was happier?

As promised, Joe Sacco has kept Paul Stastny and Milan Hejduk as alternate captains, while rotating the 3rd "A" between Erik Johnson, Cody McLeod, and Jay McClement.  I'm not going to get into this too much, as I've already addressed my thoughts on the captaincy.  Edge makes sense to be a 3rd alternate and even an eventual captain.  Actually, he seems like the most likely candidate.  If Hejduk or Stastny were going to be named captain, that would have happened during the off-season.  Sacco likely wants to name Johnson captain, but feels he should get some more games under his belt in an Avs sweater.  Pay his dues with the club, so to speak.  I don't mind McLeod as a third alternate.  He seems like a good leader and a vocal guy, but I would rather see someone like Duchene wear it, a player who is the future of the club.  McClement makes no sense to me.  Sure, he could be a good lockerroom guy and good leader as well.  Fans like you and me will never know what takes place behind closed doors, but McClement's stats speak for themselves.  0 points thus far and a handful of key turnovers.  To give credit where it's due, his penalty killing has been good over the past few games, but don't slap an "A" on a guy's sweater for killing a couple penalties well!  J-Mac's play indicate borderline scratch, not alternate captain.  But, that's just my opinion.  I'm not the coach, Joe Sacco is, and like I said, while the Avs are winning games, who am I to criticize?  Let's hope they can carry the momentum from that 5-game sweep back here to Pepsi on Thursday against old coach Joel Quenneville and his Chicago Blackhawks.  Should be a good one, they're just a little over a year from their Cup win and still have stars like Toews, Kane, Hossa, and up-and-coming netminder Corey Crawford.  With only 6 games in the books, no one's hoisting any banners for the Avs just yet.  But if Avs continue to play like they have, it's going to be a fun season!

Giggy vs. Andy

That's the goaltending matchup tonight.  We will see the regular season Avalanche debut of Jean-Sebatien Giguere, who will give the impressive Semyon Varlamov a night off.  Giggy and the Avs will take on Craig Anderson, who just last year, was thought to be the Avs goalie of the future.  This storyline alone will make tonight's game a good one.  The Avs came off a hard-fought win in Boston on Monday and looked flat for much of the game last night before rookie Gabriel Landeskog tied things up with 41 seconds left and sent the game into overtime.  Varly stopped 2 out of 3 in the shootout and Hejduk and Duchene iced Steve Mason to give the Avs the two points.  Hopefully last night's dramatic come-from-behind win last night will not give the Avs some complacency, but rather fuel them for tonight's game.  Anderson, who had a falling out with the Avs last year, will certainly be hungry to beat his former squad. 

I'm hoping to see a bit of a change up with the forward lines as the Avs, despite having two wins in three games, still have only recorded three goals in as many games.  The offense is still looking for that spark.  Hopefully Landy's late goal will help to propel that.  Like I've mentioned before, I'd like to see Landy up with Stastny and Jones and Gali moved to O'Reilly and Winnik's line.  Incidentally, both guys I'm calling for to get moved up, were the goal-scorers last night.  Sure, they were both opportunistic goals, but Gali and Landy were in the right place at the right time, especially Landeskog, whose goal came from the puck simply hitting his skate.  These guys will get down low though and create chances.  Kobasew especially has not shown me that much thus far. 

Cuts and Keepers

I'm actually not talking about the Avs or any NHL roster.  Sure, I could talk more about Elliott not making the opening night roster, but this is about the new fall TV shows!  Thus far, there have been three official cancellations; the NBC shows The Playboy Club and Free Agents and the CW reality show H8R.  None of which were on my lineup, so this does not impact me and my fans in the least.  I, myself have also cut three shows from my DVR Series List; Revenge, Whitney, and The Office.

First of all, Revenge isn't terrible.  It's watchable and Emily VanCamp is actually good in the lead role.  It is very soap opera-like with campy dialogue and plot lines.  Nonetheless, I decided to keep only one soap opera-like show on my roster and I chose to go with Ringer.  Whitney was underwhelming.  I think Whitney Cummings is funny, but she would do better on cable than being restricted by network TV.  When The Office first became a U.S. TV show, I was not too impressed.  The short, 6-episode 1st season mirrored its U.K. counterpart too much and was pretty unoriginal.  However, I was convinced to give it another shot and in the 2nd and 3rd seasons, the show really took off.  Michael Scott, Dwight Schrute, and Jim Halpert established themselves as top sitcom characters and they and the rest of the cast has great chemistry and humor.  However, around the 6th-7th season, the show started to decline.  It was announced the Steve Carell was leaving the show after the 7th season and many speculated that would be the end of The Office.  However, they decided to limp on and cast James Spader as the new CEO.  After 2 episodes with Spader, I have been unimpressed.  I like James Spader, but his character just didn't do it for me.  The other characters seem to have gotten stale too.  So, after 7 seasons and 2 episodes, The Office is now closed.

The big winners of the new TV season thus far are Homeland and Person of Interest.  Homeland is Showtime's newest original show and immediately follows Dexter, its most popular one.  It is produced by Howard Gordon, a former producer of 24.  Claire Danes makes her first starring TV appearance since the teen cult drama, My So Called Life of the 1990s.  She is very good as a CIA agent who may be paranoid and a little crazy or just ahead of everyone else.  Damian Lewis returns to TV as well.  He starred in the short-lived NBC police procedural, Life.  In Life and Homeland, Lewis plays a character who is imprisoned for several years.  The similarities end there.  In Life, Lewis was quirky, charming, and of course, a little out of touch.  In Homeland, he is much darker after being imprisoned by Al-Qaeda for eight years.  Carrie Mathison (Danes) suspects him of being "turned" by Al-Qaeda and working with their sleeper cells in secret.  Obviously, she has to tread lightly with her theory as Nicholas Brody (Lewis) is now regarded as a war hero from surviving 8 years of Al-Qaeda capture and torture.  The supporting cast is solid as well with Morena Baccarin (V) as Brody's wife and Mandy Patinkin as Saul Berenson, Mathison's mentor.  So far, Homeland has received universal acclaim.  Expect this to be green-lit for a 2nd season very soon.


The best new network show of the fall 2011 TV season is Person of Interest.  The new JJ Abrams vehicle is a winner.  Last year, Abrams made an attempt at a lighthearted espionage-themed show with Undercovers, but that did not succeed and was canceled after 11 episodes.  Person of Interest reunites Abrams with Lost breakout star Michael Emerson.  Emerson brings his same dark, mysterious, and creepy persona of Ben Linus to his new character, Harold Finch.  While Ben Linus was certainly a villain, who kind of became a good guy, but still did bad things until the end, Finch seems to be a hero, genuinely interested in helping others.  He recruits John Reece (Jim Caviezel), a former CIA agent who has fighting skills comparable to a James Bond or Jack Bauer.  Finch has developed a machine that allows him to see crimes before they happen and Reese is enlisted to stop them.  Kind of like Minority Report, but less futuristic and sci-fi.  Caviezel is good as the badass fighter and Emerson as the mysterious mastermind.  Expect PoI to succeed.

As previously mentioned, I like Ringer.  It's the one guilty pleasure on my DVR.  Sarah Michelle Gellar is very good in her dual role of twin sisters Bridget and Siobhan (still not quite sure how to pronounce that).  Bridget is being hunted by the mob and assumes the identity of her wealthy sister, whom she thinks has killed herself.  Ioan Gruffudd, best known as Mr. Fantastic in the Fantastic Four films, plays Siobhan's husband, and Nestor Carbonell of Lost and The Dark Knight plays an FBI agent who is searching for Bridget.  Like Revenge, Ringer is very soap opera-like, but I like the casting and the storylines are a bit more suspenseful than Revenge was.

This fall season has not really produced any great comedies so far.  Earlier this year, we got Happy Endings, which I say is the best network sitcom out right now and FX's Wilfred, the funniest show of the summer.  However, a couple of sitcoms have made it onto my roster that were not initially in the lineup.  The first is Up All Night.  It stars Christina Applegate and Will Arnett as parents of a young baby.  The couple tries to balance parenthood and Reagan (Applegate) returns to work as a TV producer and Chris (Arnett) becomes a stay-at-home dad.  Maya Rudolph also stars as Ava, the star of the Oprah-like show where Reagan works.  All three lead actors are comedy veterans and are good in UAN.  Already picked up for a full season, it is a good show, but not the funniest show out there.

The other show that was a late addition to my lineup is New Girl, starring Zooey Deschanel.  Its pilot episode was really good.  The problem was that the character, Coach, played by Damon Wayans, Jr. was the funniest part.  When Happy Endings was renewed (it's a much funnier show anyway), Wayans left New Girl to continue his role as Brad on Happy Endings.  They wrote the character Coach out of New Girl, and replaced him with a character named Winston who is not nearly as funny.  The 2nd episode of New Girl suffered from a major sophomore slump, but the 3rd episode was good.  So, I'll keep New Girl for now, but with a couple more bad showings, it could be in trouble. 

The final new sitcom is How to Be a Gentleman.  This show was created by, produced by, and stars David Hornsby, Rickety Cricket from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia.  In fact, Mac, Dennis, and Charlie are credited as "Creative Consultants" on Gentlemen.  Unfortunately, How to Be a Gentleman is no Sunny.  Hornsby plays Andrew Carlson, a magazine columnist who is determined to be a gentleman.  The best character of the show is Bert Lansing, played by Kevin Dillon, who becomes Andrew's personal trainer and roommate.  Lansing is essentially Johnny Drama as a trainer rather than a struggling actor.  So I guess if you're still depressed over Entourage ending, you can watch HTBAG (catchy acronym) to see a bit more Johnny Drama.  Rounding out the cast are Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24) and Rhys Darby (Flight of the Conchords) as Andrew's sister and brother-in-law respectively.  I'm still on the bubble with this one.  Although critical reception and ratings have been poor, so it might not be long before CBS pulls the plug and makes the decision for me. *Update* CBS has halted production after nine episodes and will effectively burn off the remaining seven episodes on Saturdays starting this week.  So, only seven more chances to watch it.  Perhaps Kevin Dillon will get a third gig playing Johnny Drama.  There are always Entourage reruns too.

Thoughts After 2

The 2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche officially have two games in the books.  They are a respectable 1-1-0 after facing two formidable opponents.  Last Saturday's game was a very emotional one with the retirement ceremony of Peter Forsberg, the tribute to the fallen Avalanche players, and of course playing against an old rival in Detroit.  Unfortunately, the Avs could not manage to get a win, let alone a goal on Saturday night, but there were still several positives to take away from the 3-0 loss.  First of all, Semyon Varlamov was strong.  He earned himself the 3rd star of the game and stopped 36 of 38 shots.  Both goals that beat him were rockets that resulted from defensive giveaways by McClement and Hejda respectively.  Certainly not soft goals on Varly's part.  The team skated well.  The Avs seemed to have the momentum early in the game, but were stymied by goalie Ty Conkin and then hampered by some trips to the penalty box.  To give credit where it's due, Conklin played a good game.  When the Avs go up against backup goalies getting a spot-start, they always seem to play well.  Whether it's the Conklins, Rasks, Clemmensons, or Schneiders, those guys always seem to bring their A-game against the Avs.  Another positive from Saturday's loss was the play of Gabriel Landeskog.  I'm sure there were nerves and butterflies before his first ever NHL game on the night his boyhood idol's number was retired, but judging by his play, it was not evident.  Landeskog looked strong, played hard, and was probably the most effective forward the Avs had all night.  He tied Paul Stastny with 5 shots on goal and leads the team through two games with 10.  He also had 3 hits against Detroit and tallied another 2 against Boston.  While he hasn't recorded a point yet, he no doubt will soon.  He has skated very well with linemates Ryan O'Reilly and Daniel Winnik.


Yesterday, Varlamov backstopped the Avs to a 1-0 shutout victory.  Varly stopped all 30 shots he faced including robbing Bruins players on several occasions.  The best one came with about 5 minutes left in the 3rd.  A well-played 2-1 gave Milan Lucic a seemingly open net, but Varly slid across and got his blocker on the shot.  Duchene later tweeted that it was the best save he's ever seen Varly make.  I agree.  Speaking of Duchene, he did his best to preserve Varlamov's shutout by sliding in and making a great block when Varly fumbled the puck behind the net.  Duchene really looks like he's maturing into a 2-way center and complete player.  Milan Hejduk got the game's lone goal with assists from newcomer Jan Hejda and Duchene.



The defense looks a lot bigger, stronger, and better than last year.  A year ago, Sacco and Sherman fell in love with undersized, puck-moving defensemen.  The top six included John-Michael Liles, Kyle Cumiskey, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Matt Hunwick.  Aside from Hunwick, who has been a healthy scratch for the first two games, those guys are all gone.  The Avs added size to the d-corps with the Erik Johnson trade last season and signing defensemen Jan Hejda and Shane O'Brien.  Ironically, the only puck-moving defensemen the Avs have now, were sent to Lake Erie during the preseason.  However, Elliott for sure and Barrie likely will get their shots this season.  Varly and Giggy should benefit from this revamped defensive corps more than Anderson, Budaj, and Elliott did last year. 

On the downside of course, the Avs have only scored one goal in two games.  This obviously has to change if the Avs are going to find success this year.  Varlamov cannot be relied upon as heavily as he has been the first couple of games.  He will need some offensive support to continue to thrive.  Like I mentioned, Landy has looked very strong and the 3rd line has played very well.  Both top centers have skated well too.  Matt Duchene and Paul Stastny have both hit posts and generated chances for themselves and their linemates.  Hejduk is his reliable self, but the other wingers need to step up and help their centers.  Peter Mueller is still trying to get his legs and timing back after missing all of last year.  It'll come.  David Jones and Chuck Kobasew have not provided Stastny with the offensive support you need from your top wingers.  The problem with the Avs top two lines is that there is just not enough strength.  While there is plenty of skill, none of the top six forwards are power forwards who will get down low and grind out the ugly goals.  The Mueller-Duchene-Hejduk line looked good in camp and preseason and will be very effective once Muells gets his timing back.  Stastny and Jones have developed chemistry in the past, but Kobasew doesn't add a whole lot here.  Put Landeskog with these guys because he can be that guy who will get down low and get rebound goals and screen goalies.  With his and Stastny's combined 19 shots through two games, we could see a spark. 

Unfortunately, the Avs game vs. Columbus is not on TV tomorrow night due to some lame Vs. contractual rule, so I'll just have to listen to Mose's call on the radio.  Jan Hejda will face his former team for the first time, but probably will not receive the same negative ovation that Adam Foote did for years.  Columbus is 0-3 so far, so they will be angry and hungry for a win.  Another good road test for the young Avalanche team.  On Thursday, the Avs will travel north of the border to Ottawa to face former netminder Craig Anderson and the Ottawa Senators.  After a brilliant 2009-10 season, Anderson was supposed to be the Avs' goalie of the future.  However, after a rough start to last year and failed contract negotiations, Anderson was shipped to the Sens and now the Avs are banking on Varly.  We could also see the regular season Colorado Avalanche debut of veteran goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere, as Sacco will likly give Varly a night off during the back-to-back set.