It was as close to a religious experience as hockey can be. Goals rained like manna from heaven during a 7-2 Avalanche playoff victory over Matt Duchene and the Nashville Pussycats. When not celebrating the lamp being lit, the congregation at Ball Arena enthusiastically sang “All the Small Things” by Blink-182 from the NHL hymnal and loudly told our old pal Dutchy how much he stunk nearly every time he touched the puck.
“Leaving here was one of the toughest things I ever had to do,” Duchene said Tuesday, when derisive chants from Colorado fans pounded his ears as relentlessly as 45 Avalanche shots pummeled the Nashville goal.