Kiszla vs. Chambers: Could high-scoring Avalanche and Pioneers both bring championships home to Denver? – The Denver Post

Kiz: We’ve got straight fire on the ice. Don’t know if the best hockey in North America is played right here, in our dusty old cowtown. But I’m certain: If you want to see the lamp lit, Denver is the place to be. Goooals! Galore! The Avs are the highest-scoring team in the NHL. Ditto for the DU Pioneers, averaging a jaw-dropping 4.65 goals per game, at the college level. I’ve tested positive for championship fever. Maybe both our local hockey teams could win big trophies this season, eh?

Chambers: I’m thinking a scrimmage, for fun — after both teams win their championships. The Frozen Four is just two months away, April 7-9 in Boston. The Avs (32-8-4) could hoist the Cup in late June. What about some July 4 fireworks at Magness Arena for charity? The Burgundy and Blue vs. the Crimson and Gold. Or maybe we do a draft to split up the talent. DU (20-5-1) has 12 draft picks, tied for third-most among NCAA programs, so there’s a lot of big-league talent there, plus a couple of fifth-year seniors who can grow playoff beards.

Kiz: OK, let’s dial up the heat index in this lively debate. I’ve got a beef with you, my friend. You know darn well that I can be found in the stands of DU’s barn on many Friday nights. So why haven’t you dropped by to share a refreshing, ice-cold beverage with me, Mikey? Heck, I’ll even buy. We can toast the next goal by my man Carter Savoie, the Canadian sophomore with some serious sniper skills, or the nifty stick-work by Massimo Rizzo, who just might have the coolest name in college sports.

Chambers: You know my mother is 100% Italian, therefore, I’ve already identified Massimo Rizzo as the coolest name in hockey. But I was there, Kiz, on Friday in one of the most entertaining hockey games I have ever seen. With the Avs in the NHL All-Star break, I covered the Pios’ series opener against St. Cloud State. I saw DU put up eight goals on Friday — all coming in the second and third period — against a really good Huskies team. I was sold after that 8-5 triumph. Went to Magness Arena as a fan on Saturday, where the Pios won differently — a tight 2-0 game. Avs are off on Friday. Let’s say we enjoy that ice-cold beverage at Magness Arena, where the Pios begin another big series against Duluth?

Kiz: There’s no doubt the Avalanche and Pioneers can wow you. But can they bump and grind and win ugly in the playoffs? Both have the firepower to beat any foe. Whether the Avs raise the Stanley Cup or DU wins its ninth national championship will come down to the dudes at the blue line and between the pipes. Do these teams have enough lockdown defense to win it all?

Chambers: I’m betting the Avs go out and get a depth-forward grinder (or two) ahead of the March 21 NHL trade deadline. They need more nasty of the Pat Maroon mold, particularly because Kurtis MacDermid might not play regularly in the playoffs. Joe Sakic is Cup-or-bust and will get what he needs. I think he’s confident with his goaltending. Maybe a depth D? His shopping list will depend on the health of his current guys leading up to March 21. As for DU, junior goalie Magnus Chrona is 19-4-1 with shutouts in four of his last seven games. And freshman Sean Behrens, the Avs’ 2021 second-round draft pick, is part of a stellar blue-line corps that pushes the puck like the local NHLers. Hockey in Denver is flat-out awesome this season.

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