The Avalanche just hit a whole new level...

It could not be going better for the Colorado Avalanche as they are one of the hottest teams in the NHL blowing out their first two opponents and the vibes are high right now with the Colorado Avalanche heading into the rest of this long, long season. We've got so much more hockey left to play and I am excited to get a roll on it. If you already don't know and if you're new here, welcome into Avalanche Digest, everybody. If you love the best team in hockey right now, this is the place to be. It's free to do so, so don't forget to hit that subscribe button. And I just want to get a temperature check. How are we loving this season so far? Do we have a favorite player that we're just like, that's my guy? What are we most excited for so far? And I wanted to do something fun today. I wanted to start with the segment that we might make a regular thing. We're going to play guess the team here. We're not going to do standings check. We're not going to call anyone out by name because at the 10 game segment, I would say then we're going to look at the standings, but I want you to do your best to guess who this team is with these subtle hints. They have not won a cup in this millennium. They lost their first two games to absolute bum teams and they are and have always been a massively overrated team heading into every single season and they're getting exposed for it right now. If you can guess this team, put it down in the comments down below, but let's getting on to something completely unrelated and that's don't forget to follow the ABS digest Twitter account. We're always on there. We're always chatting. We're mostly talking shiitake mushrooms on there. And just to say, you know, beating St. Louis seems to be pretty hard. It's not for everybody. I invested in the tweet. It was amazing. It worked out made on October 2nd, but let's just talk about this St. Louis game, which was belt to you know, what with a 6-1 win over the St. Louis blues here, everybody's showing up. Once again, you've got the top guys eating. You've got the depth also eating as well, getting some quality goals from the French God, Nick walk. I love that guy, but just to take a look at the analytical chart here, just to give you a better idea of how each player did pretty much top to bottom. You don't have a problem with anybody. You'll see some guys in the negative here. And even though it sucks, because even though the charts will say that they didn't have the best game, a lot of them were playing very well. I mean, TJ Hughes, I thought was distributing the park pretty well. I was impressed with his game. I think the decor as a whole was really solid, did not give up any real high danger chances at all. Blackwood's job was made incredibly easy. So just talk to bottom. I got to say it was hats off to everybody, but as you can see, the top line was absolutely insane in this game. Just buzzing every shift felt like they had a high danger chance. You had the depth showing up as always. And all together, I mean, this team is just rolling right now when it's all when it's your night, it's your night. So just to break down how this game went, you had a beautiful tic-tac-toe play and McHale McCarr getting his first of the season. And then Marty net just soon after that getting his first of the season on an absolute rocket of a shot. And then Josh Manson getting his like screened, gritty depth goal. First of the season, classic Josh Manson right there. You had archery lecking it, embarrassing Jordan Bennington, batting a puck down out of midair and just scoring. And I'm supposed to believe that's the goalie that would have stemmed the tide for the 2022 ABS series versus the blues. That's your boy, that guy right there. All right. Yeah, if you say so. And then Nick Waugh soon after getting a beautiful goal. I mean, all together, this second period was amazing. It just straight up ended the game right there. And very soon after that, right after Nick Waugh scored a fun in tight goal, just quick hands. Marty net just got delivered a gift by Jordan Bennington, just a pizza. Thank you. Delivered courtesy of Domino's right up the ice and the worst backhander ever he could have possibly put on it. And it still went in because that's how far out Bennington was from his own net. And then just to ruin the McKenzie Blackwood's poor shutout. Dvorsky got a goal here. Good by Dvorsky, honestly, is a hot prospect heading into the NHL. I'm glad he's actually having a good start to his season, but this is an app show. We're not here to talk about the blues. And because this is an app show, let's talk about the resurgent guy who had a bounce back performance in McKenzie Blackwood. Now, I don't think he had an amazing performance. I don't think it was a Vesna caliber game right there. Legacy game by McKenzie Blackwood, but he did well. He made all of the saves he was asked to make. He did exactly what the Avalanche asked their goaltenders to do, which is, hey, just don't let in soft ones. That's it. We have the momentum. We'll have the puck for the majority of the game. We're going to be pushing the other team. Please do not let them score on a low percentage shot from the point and immediately ruin all the momentum we have. That's all we ask of our goaltenders. And McKenzie Blackwood delivered right here, coming out with a 962 save percentage, had a good game altogether. I wouldn't call it crazy. I mean, he wasn't having to make insane high danger chance saves, not like he had to make a lot last game against the LA Kings. But the difference between what he did this time and in the LA Kings, he just didn't give up soft goals. He was sharp. He knew what he was doing. And for that, his job was made pretty easy, and he's walking out with a 960 save percentage. So hats off to McKenzie Blackwood. Did everything he was asked to do, and you've got to love him for it. And altogether, the Avs have been rolling so far on their start to the season. I mean, they're 14-5 in their first two games. How can you not be excited about this? Of course, you've got so much of this season left to play. We're not going to take any huge generalizations from these first two games. We start pretty much doing that after the first 10-game segment. And even then, there's always the stories of, oh, do you remember those first 10 games? It looked like last season, Landis Cogg was just not great at all. And look how that's just changed now. So we always want to be cautious with the first 10 games. We want to make big, sweeping generalizations after those first 10 games. I would even say after the first 30. But for right now, we're not going to look at the standings because it's just too early to do that. But for right now, how can you not be loving the start to the season for the Colorado Avalanche? I mean, if you love hockey, this is the place to be, man. This is the fun team. This is the funnest team in the league right now. And the one blemish you could put on this game, because we always got to look for at least something wrong, I guess, is the power play. The power play went 0-4. However, I didn't hate the power plays process. They weren't stagnant. They didn't give up any shorthanded goals, which is a plus. Woohoo, amazing. But at the same time, you've got to look at it and say, no goals were scored. As good as the process can be, you've got to put it in the back of the net. It doesn't matter as much when you score six goals on the opposing team. But I like this quote from Megan Angley. She included some things that Jared Bednar said. And he included that having the right guys on the ice, the high skill players, top end players, it doesn't give you a good power play automatically, period. It's more than that. And I really like this mindset from Jared Bednar just going in to say, hey, they can't get stagnant. They've got to move their feet. They've got to be thinking quality chances. They can't just be standing still, hoping that they can just sauce pucks over guys' sticks. It's just not going to work. And I really love another thing that Jared Bednar was saying earlier, too, in that, hey, we've got a quality second unit that we can use now. I really like the idea of having that punishment, I guess, for lack of a better word, for that first unit if they're not playing well. If they're bleeding shorthanded opportunities, pull them off the ice. Put the second unit on there. And I will say, for this second unit, I was pretty impressed by how good they actually were in this game. They don't end up getting a goal, but they're a viable option when the first unit just can't get anything going. I liked a lot of what they do. And to even bring up some players that I thought didn't get credited, I want to bring up TJ Hughes and Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz got robbed on an amazing save by Jordan Binnington in the beginning of the game. And if he's able to score that, yes, he would have a goal, but TJ Hughes would also have an assist there. And later on in the game, TJ Hughes, great zone entry, little pass to Jaden Schwartz. Schwartz with a gorgeous saucer pass through two Blues players over to Sam Malinsky. And if Sam Malinsky is able to finish, everyone would have points on that line and Malinsky would have his first goal of the season. So unfortunately, the goals that don't get scored don't end up as points. But I did want to say that those guys were also out there buzzing. They're showing well. They're getting chances. And it's why I'm so excited for LaRue and O'Connor to get back, or at least one of those guys to get back, because boy, do I want to see Nick Waugh with Jaden Schwartz. I think those two guys are going to be monsters. Nick Waugh is already looking amazing as a quality depth piece. Put those guys together. I think you're going to have an amazing third line. And I would even say I want to see TJ Hughes on that third line as well with him. I think that third line can be fantastic. Although it does suck because Svechkov would be the odd man out. And I've liked Svechkov's game quite a lot in this stretch here so far because I think he does a lot of flashy things with the puck. I like his decisions in the offensive zone. So you know what? I would even say that, hey, I'm fine keeping Svechkov there too. These are the ultimate champagne problems to have when you've got too many players to fit on the line, but everyone fits so well. I like where the Avalanche are sitting so far. And I did just want to bring up, you know, for just a little quick update on the Colorado Eagles. Ilya Nabokov in his North American debut posted a 32 save shutout for the Eagles first game. So what a wonderful introduction to North American hockey for Ilya Nabokov. The Avs top goaltending prospect is looking pretty good over in Loveland. So quick update for you guys up in the mountains. But what a fun start to the season for the Colorado Avalanche. You couldn't ask for a better start to the season. I understand we're in early days, but you know what? Why not get hyped? Hockey is back. I'm so happy to have that. I'm so happy to have you all here as well. I cannot wait to take you all through the rest of the season. Myself, Copeland Jones, and Dominic, all happy to have you here as always. We will see you in the next one, and go Avs!