Author: Mark Kiszla [email protected]
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Mark Kiszla: The Avs have what the Nuggets don’t — a championship mentality
The Avs and Nuggets are neighbors who live under the same arena roof, but their definitions of success seem to have been discovered on different planets. For the hockey team, winning is all that matters. “It’s like Cup or bust, Cup or bust. Well, we’ve got one Cup. It’s hard to win, OK? But I…
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Can injury to Cale Makar derail Avalanche’s Stanley Cup run? | Friday Faceoff
Friday Faceoff: With the Avalanche advancing to the Western Conference final, can injury to Cale Makar derail their championship run? Mark Kiszla, sports columnist Answer: Yes Can Cale Makar hoist the Stanley Cup with one arm tied behind his back? There are only two things that can stop this Colorado bandwagon from rolling to the…
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Mark Kiszla: Big, bad Avalanche bullies send Wild a playoff message — Butt out!
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Those big, bad Avalanche bullies now have Minnesota’s arse in a sling – no ifs, ands or butt-endings about it. This 5-2 victory in the NHL playoffs was delivered with the force of a knockout blow. From the jump, the Avs came out swinging. Literally. And if you ask Avs defenseman…
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Mark Kiszla: Can Avs coach Jared Bednar end nasty habit of failure to put the hammer down in NHL playoffs?
MINNEAPOLIS — With the Avs at the playoff crossroads where they often take a really bad turn for the worse, is Jared Bednar the right coach to keep this team on the right track? Well, history tells us: Don’t count on it. “I’m unoffendable,” Bednar said Sunday. No offense. But here’s my truth: Teams coached…
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Mark Kiszla: Avs have goalie controversy at worst possible time after Scott Wedgewood benched in playoff loss
ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesota gave the Avalanche a Wedgie. I see London. I see France. On Saturday night, I watched the Wild give goalie Scott Wedgewood a swift kick in the pants. In a 5-1 rout of the Avs that proved the Wild are no joke, Wedgewood lost a grip on his stick on…
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Kickin’ It with Kiz: Trade Jamal Murray? That’s the last thing Nuggets should do.
If I’m running the Nuggets, I would start restructuring the roster by shipping Jamal Murray to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown. – Eric, Charleston, S.C. Kiz: Please allow me to be the voice of reason by shouting: Don’t trade Murray! What should the Nuggets do instead? Recognize that Murray isn’t a true point guard.…
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Mark Kiszla: ‘Joker Halo Effect’ trapped the Nuggets in luxury tax
The miracle of Nikola Jokic that brought Denver a long-sought championship also landed the Nuggets in the mess they’re stuck in now. Joker is too great for the team’s own good. While that might sound crazy, his generational talent fooled Stan and Josh Kroenke into believing they had a core worthy of being a perennial…
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Mark Kiszla: Avs are wagon rolling to the Stanley Cup with Gabe Landeskog in driver’s seat
Fuel up those fire trucks for the championship parade, because ain’t nobody stopping these Avs from hoisting the Stanley Cup. Hot take? Maybe. But I’ve got my reasons, and the No. 1 reason to believe this is the Avalanche’s year to win it all can be described in two words: Gabe Landeskog. He is this…
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Mark Kiszla: Avs, Wild channel the 1980s in a Game 1 goalapalooza
Dusting off their old fire wagons and rolling ‘em out of the barn, the Avalanche and Wild played classic 1980s hockey that got up and danced like Michael Jackson. The Avs won a Thriller. Their 9-6 victory was a Sunday night tribute to the greatness of Wayne Gretzky and a throwback to the sport’s golden…
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Kickin’ It with Kiz: Nuggets need to end era when team depends on Joker to do it all
This won’t happen, but the Nuggets’ best chance to win again just might be trading Nikola Jokic. I don’t want that to happen, but not a lot of options to move forward unless ownership pays heavy luxury tax, which it won’t do. – K&C, sees end of era Kiz: This team cries out for an…