Division: Central GM: Joe Sakic Head Coach: Patrick Roy 2013-14: 52-22-8 (1st in Central) Playoffs: Lost in First Round Goals For: 245 (4th) Goals Against: 216 (T-14th) PP: 19.8% (5th) PK: 80.7% (24th) That Was Then: Starting anew with Patrick Roy behind their bench, the Avalanche got off to a torrid start to the 2013-14 season, earning wins in 12 in their first 13 games. Led by their young core of Matt Duchene, Gabriel Landeskog, Ryan OReilly and rookie Nathan MacKinnon, along with strong goaltending from Semyon Varlamov, the Avalanche quickly went from second-last in the league a year earlier to a team to be feared. The Avalanche cooled in December going 5-9, including a season-worst four-game losing streak, which left the team at 24-15 entering the new year. From there, the Avalanche rediscovered their form and entered the Olympic break at 37-21. The Avalanche finished their season on a 7-1-2 run, allowing the team to edge the St. Louis Blues by point for first place in the Central Division. Duchene, despite missing 11 games with injury, led the Avalanche 70 points. Landeskog was second with 65, while OReilly and Mackinnon finished third and fourth with 64 and 63 points, respectively. OReilly led the Avs in goals with 28 and veteran centre Paul Stastny finished third on the team with 25 goals. In total, five forwards cracked the 20-goal plateau. Varlamov finished the regular season with a 41-14-6 record, posting a .927 save percentage and a 2.41 goals against average. He finished second in the Vezina Trophy vote for the leagues top goaltender and fourth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the play judged most valuable to his team. The Avalanche drew the division-rival Minnesota Wild in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite starting the series without the services of Duchene, who suffered a late season knee injury, the Avalanche jumped out a 2-0 series lead on home ice. However, the Wild also held their ground at the Xcel Energy Center, sending the series back to Colorado tied 2-2. The Avalanche won Game 5, in overtime but a€“ despite Duchenes return a€“ the Avalanche lost Game 6 convincingly, 5-2. In Game 7, the Avalanche had four one-goal leads erased before losing 5-4 in overtime, ending their hopes of winning their first playoff series since 2008. Stastny led the Avalanche in playoff goals with five, he also tied MacKinnon for the lead in points with 10. Varlamov posted a .913 save percentage and a 2.78 GAA in the seven-game series. Scott Cullens Analytics Avalanche 2013-14 Stats by Quarter Games GPG GAA SH% SV% SAF% PTS% 1-20 2.95 2.05 9.6% .938 48.6% .750 21-41 2.52 2.67 8.0% .930 46.5% .619 42-62 3.05 2.81 9.2% .919 47.7% .690 63-82 2.75 2.55 8.5% .929 45.5% .675 NHL AVG 2.67 2.67 7.8 .922 50.0% .562 Key: GPG= goals per game, GAA= goals-against per game, SH%= even-strength shooting percentage, SV%= even-strength save percentage, SAF%= score-adjusted Fenwick percentage (differential of shot attempts faced vs. shot attempts, excluding blocked shots, adjusted for game score), PTS%= percentage of available points. Analysis: Games 1-20: Mediocre possession numbers were overwhelmed by great finishing offensively and superior goaltending. Games 21-41: Dodging bullets, with poor possession and declining scoring, yet pulled a favourable record. Games 42-62: Even with a slip in goaltending, the Avs scored at such a high rate that they offset their possession problems. Games 63-82: Above-average percentages carried the Avs to a strong finish, despite possession woes. Key 2014 Additions: RW Jarome Iginla, D Brad Stuart, C Daniel Briere, C Jesse Winchester Key 2014 Subtractions: RW PA Parenteau, C Paul Stastny This Is Now: The Avalanche lost Stastny in free agency to the division-rival Blues, who were the only team to beat the Avs more than once last season (they earned three wins in four contests). Despite losing Stastny, the Avalanche still boast one of the deepest centre groups in the league. MacKinnon, Duchene and OReilly can all take on top-six duties, while John Mitchell, Marc-Andre Cliche and off-season addition Daniel Briere fight for bottom-six roles. In all likelihood, the depth at centre forces the Avalanche to line up Ryan OReilly on the wing a€“ as he did for the majority of last season - of the teams second line and Briere to the wing of the third. In his second year, MacKinnon may be tasked with taking on the role of the first-line centre. However, with the territory comes playing alongside Landeskog and free-agent signee Jarome Iginla, who scored 30 goals with the Bruins last season. If MacKinnon can make a seamless transition after opening last season as the third-line centre (before moving to the second line) and Iginla can mimic his success from Boston, the Avalanche offence could be stronger in 2014-15 than the year before. On defence, Erik Johnson and Jan Hejda are expected to form the Avalanches top pairing. Johnson led the defence with 39 points last season, while Tyson Barrie was second with 38 points and figures to round out the top-four with free agent signee Brad Stuart. Nate Guenin likely drops to the third pairing to play beside Nick Holden, who earned a three-year $4.95 million extension in the off-season after playing 54 games with the Avs in 2013-14. At goaltender, Varlamov is the undisputed starter, with trade-deadline acquisition Reto Berra assuming the back-up role. DEPTH CHART Forwards Left Wing Centre Right Wing Gabriel Landeskog Matt Duchene Ryan OReilly Alex Tanguay Nathan MacKinnon Jarome Iginla Jamie McGinn John Mitchell Daniel Briere Cody McLeod Jesse Winchester Maxime Talbot Patrick Bordeleau Joey Hishon Marc-Andre Cliche Andrew Agozzino Ben Street Troy Bourke Defence Left Right Jan Hejda Erik Johnson Nick Holden Tyson Barrie Brad Stuart Nate Guenin Ryan Wilson Zach Redmond Chris Bigras Stefan Elliott Duncan Siemens Bruno Gervais Goaltenders Semyon Varlamov Reto Berra Sami Aittokallio Craigs List TSN Director of Scouting Craig Buttons Top Prospect: Conner Bleackley When it comes to Connor, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Hes productive in so many ways and that translates into having an influence in multiple areas of the game. Connor is smart and recognizes what is necessary at any given point and is capable of delivering. The styles of Duchene and MacKinnon differ from Ryan OReilly but in a group it makes the Avs very formidable. Connor will add strength in a similar manner. Fantasy - Cullens Player to Watch - Alex Tanguay Now 34-years-old, Tanguay was limited to just 16 games last season due to knee troubles, but he can still put up points and there is a good chance that hes still going to fit in a top-six role with Colorado. That alone offers up some intriguing possibilities, since the Avs have brilliant young forwards and a veteran winger, Jarome Iginla, with whom Tanguay has experienced some success in Calgary. Expectations have to be kept in check, given age and recent injury history, but Tanguay is a threat to put up 50-plus points if he can stay healthy. Air Max China Cheap . 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Cheap Air Max Free Shipping .Y. - Pittsburgh Penguins star Sidney Crosby captured his second career Art Ross trophy on Sunday after leading the NHL in scoring this season.CHICAGO - Turns out all Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints needed to solve their problems was to show up in Chicago.Nothing like playing the Bears to break a slump. Even better, the Saints jumped into first place.Brees threw for 375 yards and three touchdowns, and New Orleans beat Chicago 31-15 on Monday night to grab the NFC South lead.The Saints (6-8) moved into first place ahead of Carolina (5-8-1) and Atlanta (5-9) after losing four of their previous five games. They also rebounded from a 41-10 loss to the Panthers.I think weve shown a couple times we can handle adversity, Brees said. Lets make sure we can handle success, too.The Saints host the Falcons before finishing the season at Tampa Bay.The tendency after success is to relax, and its not time to relax, Brees said.Brees completed 29 of 36 passes and reached the 4,000-yard mark for the ninth straight year. He threw two touchdown passes to Josh Hill and another to Marques Colston.Pierre Thomas had five catches for 83 yards. David Hawthorne had three of New Orleans seven sacks and the Saints intercepted Jay Cutler three times to bring his NFL-leading turnover total to 24.We were not in unison tonight collectively on the offensive side of the ball and that starts with me, Chicago coach Marc Trestman said.For the Bears (5-9), the loss comes after a week in which they were again engulfed in controversy. Offensive co-ordinator Aaron Kromer acknowledged he was a source behind a critical report by the NFL Network about Cutler, owning up to it in public Friday after earlier asking players and coaches for forgiveness.Cutler completed 17 of 31 passes for 194 yards, and the Bears couldnt get anything going. They managed only 278 yards against one of the leagues worst defences on a soggy night in which thousands of seats went unused.There were 10,749 no-shows, and that might not have been a bad thing for the Bears, the way they played.The Saints went ahead in the second quarter after wasting several opportunities in the opening period. Bears cornerback Kyle Fuller was called for a 17-yard pass-interference penalty trying to defend Jimmy Graham, setting up New Orleans with aa first down at the 8.ddddddddddddBrees then rolled to his right on the first play of the second quarter and found an open Hill, who lunged across the goal line.The first half was so bad for Chicago that its best play might have been Patrick ODonnells 56-yard punt that went out of bounds at the New Orleans 5 with about four minutes left in the second. But the Saints responded with a 10-play, 95-yard drive.Brees threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Colston with 38 seconds left, giving the Saints a 14-0 lead. Cutlers pass was then picked off by Pierre Warren on the final play in the half.Brees and Hill connected for a 7-yard TD on their first possession in the third on a similar play as their first score, making it 21-0. It was 24-0 early in the fourth when Cutler hit Marquess Wilson with a 1-yard touchdown pass, denying New Orleans its first shutout since 2012.The Saints wasted a big scoring opportunity in the early going.New Orleans took over at the Chicago 24 after Patrick Robinson intercepted a pass that went off Martellus Bennetts hands on the games third play from scrimmage. Rather than grab the lead, the Saints quickly gave the ball back.Nick Toon got stripped by Brock Vereen after a 10-yard reception and Jared Allen made the recovery at the 3.The Saints came away empty-handed on their next possession when Shayne Grahams 51-yard field-goal attempt fell short. But the Saints eventually found their stride.I think theres a sense of urgency that we need to create each week, and we need to be mindful of how important that edge is to play well, coach Sean Payton said. Its something we made a point of emphasis with everyone.NOTES: Bears kicker Robbie Gould was inactive with a right quadriceps injury, leaving the kicking duties to Jay Feely for the second straight week. Safety Chris Conte and offensive lineman Michael Ola missed the game because of back injuries. ... Saints LT Terron Armstead (neck) started and LB Junior Galette (knee) played after they were listed as questionable. ... Singer Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy performed the National Anthem.___AP NFL websites: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP_NFLWholesale HoodiesNFL Shirts OutletJerseys NFL WholesaleCheap NFL Jerseys Free ShippingWholesale Jerseys CheapCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaWholesale JerseysWholesale NFL JerseysCheap NFL Jerseys ChinaCheap NFL Jerseys ' ' '