Originally Posted by fonzz41
(Post 15296440)
Well, well, well... here we are. Final thoughts on the Avs and then I will happily discuss your teams for the rest of the playoffs.
I've said it all season as the team did well: The Avs - to become a true contender - need to fall a bit. They need to experience adversity and feel that sting, and then grow from it. I was scared to death of when and how that adversity would come about, but here it is. If the Avs face this the correct way - and I believe they will, considering their solid team management - they will stay the course and continue to get better by doing what they've been doing. Not by going out and signing a bunch of vets to get "playoff experience" or something like that, but by continuing to nurture their core. And a helluva core it is. They are set at goalie, defense, and on their top-2 and bottom-2 lines. Great pieces at every position, just need to continue to nurture.
After seeing what the Avs have accomplished in the span of just one season, I refuse to get too down because of what happened last night. Yes, I know regular season stats don't matter if you can't win in the playoffs, but let's look at what this team has done when they weren't even supposed to MAKE the playoffs:
- Went from 29th overall to first in arguably the toughest division in the league
- 5 players with 60+ points, all of those with 20+ goals.
- 3 defensemen with 30+ points
- Produced Vezina, Adams, Calder, [and Byng, FWIW] candidates
- 5th ranked PP
And that's just stuff you see on paper. Doesn't even mention growth by guys like Erik Johnson as a bona fide #1 d-man, Varly as a starting goalie, and The Gabe as a captain.
Again, playoffs is where it counts, but I think I'm safe in being tremendously proud of my Avs this year.
For those who want to call the Avs "chokers" or whatever, don't forget that only a handful of players on the team have even PLAYED a playoff game, much less won a Cup (only 4 on the roster). This was a hard learning experience, but probably a necessary one for this green team who, until this point, had really only skinned their knees on the NHL playground.
Proud of these boys :thumbsup
|
