What Rivalry? This Rivalry – Notes From Saturday

I was at Pepsi Center on Saturday to witness the Colorado Avalanche take on the Detroit Red Wings for the second time this season. While the rivalry on the ice may have cooled, it’s still going on strong in the stands.

Some things I noticed:

The crowd:

• As usual, there were an incredible amount of Red Wings fans in the crowd. The joke that is always hear is that “nobody wants to live in Detroit anyway” but I have to think it has more to do with their recent success. The Steelers are another example of this phenomenon.
• Now that I’ve seen last year’s Red Wings Winter Classic jersey up close, I have to say they’re very sharp. Well done, Detroit.
• The Denver Zombie Crawl was that afternoon, and some of the 3000 zombies that trudged down 16th street made their way to the Pepsi Center (and went nuts when “Zombie Nation” started playing).
• Red Wings fans, there is nothing more classless than cheering for your team during the national anthem. Please, be quiet and let the rest of us honor the country without your selfish, poorly timed chanting.
• Hey buddy, when throwing an octopus onto the ice, it’s best to make sure you’re not sitting directly behind the goal. That netting doesn’t just keep pucks out of the crowd; it works the other way too.
• If you need one more way to mix your drinking with your hockey, consider the Puck Koozie, which was heavily advertised during the game. It’s four hockey pucks stacked up and hollowed out to hold your beer. The makers recommend you freeze your koozie before use, just like they do with game pucks. Genius.
• Bernie the St. Bernard is not only one hell of a shot with a t-shirt cannon, he’s actually an effective mascot. After seeing him in action, I approve. In fact, the whole arena entertainment experience is 1000 times better than last year.

The game:

• The Avs really need to work on protecting Anderson. It seems like every game he gets run at more and more. Last night there was another close call. This problem needs to be nipped in the bud before we’re stuck with Budaj for a stretch.
• How many more pucks is Adam Foote going to block with his face before he dons a visor?
• While Todd Bertuzzi didn’t seem affected by the boos he received from the crowd, the Avs players took this as a signal to beat the crap out of him all night. Wilson, who wears the same number as Bertuzzi (44), seemed to be the most enthusiastic about it.
• Chris Stewart’s goal not only made the case for him to stay in the NHL, but it solidifies that favorite cliche of every coach: just shoot the damn puck. You never know which one is going to beat the goalie.
• Jimmy Howard has some of the ugliest pads I have ever seen. Yes, even more than the golden monstrosities belonging to Turco.

The Wayward Octopus - Photo courtesy of Justin from The Avalanche Guild (http://www.theavalancheguild.com)

Zombie Avs Fans!