Avs and Nuggets May Provide Colorado Sports Fans With Needed Winter Relief

TMJ Bet:  Avs Will Capture Stanley Cup; Silence Naysayers Over Playoff Jitters

Trevor Phipps

Now that football season is officially over, sports fans across the state will now have to switch gears.

The Broncos’ season has been done for weeks, (no, more like months), but luckily Denver has other sports teams that are off to winning strides on the Ice and Court.

And yes, Super Bowl 56 put the finishing touch on the wild 2021 season. We had some great playoff action, but the pigskin party is over.

Now that football Sundays are over, many find themselves lost without anything to look forward to over the weekend. However, even though football watching is over, basketball and hockey are now in full swing.

All of the local sports bars in the area will now be switching their focus to providing hockey and basketball games just about every day of the week. People can now watch the Nuggets or the Avalanche play on the big screens while enjoying a cold one without having to worry about missing a Broncos game.

Colorado Avalanche Eyeing the Stanley Cup

 

According to some local personalities, the Avalanche could be the only Colorado sports team with a chance at winning the big game. The Avs have been very competitive the last few years and they just missing a spot in the West Division’s semi-final round of the playoffs last year.  Alright, let’s not sugar coat this any longer. They choked after winning the first couple of games against Vegas.  The  Avs have been in the playoffs 26 out of their 41-year history; yet only hold two Stanley Cup trophies

 2022 is a different story.

This year, the Avalanche seems to be back on track as they are looking stellar so far. Many fans seem to think that this year could be the season where they earn the honor of bringing home the Stanley Cup trophy.

Colorado is currently the best team in the NHL, and no other team is even close to having their record. The team is now in first place in their Central Division and the Western Conference with a 33-8 record.

The Nashville Predators sit in second place in the Central Division with a 28-15 record. In the Pacific Division, the 28-17 Las Vegas Golden Knights and the 25-13 Calgary Flames have the two top spots.

The Avalanche has been on a roll since mid-January as they put up an eight game winning streak. Their stellar streak ended on Feb. 1 when they fell to the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 in overtime.

The Avs started winning again last Thursday when they beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. If the Avs can keep winning from now until their last regular season match on April 29, they could find themselves in a nice spot for the postseason.

Avalanche Center Nazem Kadri is currently leading the team in points with 19 goals and 42 assists. Right Wing Mikko Rantanen is also having a good season with 24 goals and 31 assists so far.

The team’s starting goalie Darcy Kuemper has been holding the team down this year and currently has a 22-5 record. Kuemper has had a total of 905 shots against him with only 76 goals made against him.

The team’s backup goalie, Pavel Francouz, has come in clutch and has racked up a 7-1 record in the eight games he has guarded the net. Francouz has only had 17 goals scored against him and he has earned 216 saves.

The Avalanche will be back on the ice to play three games this week. They take on the 24-18-2 Dallas Stars on Tuesday at home and then the 28-17 Las Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday on the road. The team will play their third game of the week on Saturday at home versus the 14-24 Buffalo Sabres on the road.

St. Stanley, here we come. Message to NHL officials: Start polishing the trophy and put the Avs’ name on it. This is the year. That is the official TMJ prediction.

Denver Nuggets Proving to Emerge as Top Team to Watch

 

Even though the Nuggets are not looking quite as top-notch as last year, they are still currently sporting a winning season. The Nuggets have also seen above average teams the last few years, but it seems as if they always find a way to miss out on the finals.

This year, things are not looking great as far as the Nuggets’ chances to win the NBA Finals goes. But they are still staying above .500 with their 30-24 record.

Currently the Nuggets are sitting in sixth place in their Western Conference. They are 14.5 games behind the number one, 45-10 Phoenix Suns, and two games behind the number five 33-23 Dallas Mavericks.

In the beginning of February, the Nuggets hit a rough patch when they lost three in a row. But then last week, they won two games in a row to end the streak.

One thing that hasn’t changed with the team the last couple of years is the fact that Nikola “The Joker” Jokic is the team’s top baller. Jokic so far this season has scored 1,240 points and has earned a 57.8 field goal percentage.

Jokic has also been key when defending the ball. This year he has already racked up 527 defensive rebounds, 68 steals, and 34 blocks.

The Nuggets get back on the courts this week before they take an eight-day break. On Monday, they take on the 13-43 Orlando Magic at home and then they play the 41-15 Golden State Warriors on the road on Wednesday.