Rinkside with Aarif Deen

The Avalanche stretched their winning streak to six games following a 2-1 shootout victory in Edmonton. Aarif and J.J. break down the Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid battle and Darcy Kuemper stealing the show. They discuss the crazy sequence in overtime and the goaltending battle thanks to a sharp performance from Mikko Koskinen. The guys then have a longer chat about Kuemper's readiness for t...

The Avalanche recalled Bowen Byram for the upcoming road trip. Aarif and J.J. chat about where he fits in the lineup and how much he'll be used when he first returns. They also break down the Avs' recent 8-1-1 stretch, including a current three-game winning streak. The guys then discuss the team's resiliency against the Pittsburgh Penguins in an epic matchup at Ball Arena over the weekend. The sho...

The Avalanche defeated the Calgary Flames 2-1 on Tuesday. In this special edition episode, Aarif is riding solo to chat about the statement victory. He touches on Valeri Nichushkin's ability to step into Gabriel Landeskog's role in front of the net as well as the Avs' new-look top six following the injury to Nathan MacKinnon. He also chats about MacKinnon's status and if his injury might not be as...

The Avalanche fell 3-2 in overtime against Tyson Jost and the Minnesota Wild. Following the loss, Aarif and J.J. break down the game in its entirety. They touch on Cam Talbot's performance for Minnesota, Nathan MacKinnon dropping the gloves and Nazem Kadri stepping up offensively once again. They then look at Kadri's fight against Philadelphia on Friday and discuss if the stars should be fighting...

The trade deadline has come and gone for the Avalanche and the rest of the NHL. Aarif and J.J. are at Ball Arena following Joe Sakic's press conference. They share their thoughts on the acquisitions of Artturi Lehkonen from Montreal and Andrew Cogliano from San Jose. The guys then chat about Sakic's media availability and his comments on the players they acquired as well as other deals around the...

The Avalanche traded Tyson Jost to Minnesota on Tuesday. But first, Aarif and J.J. kick off the show with a quick conversation on Claude Giroux's 1000th game with Philadelphia. They then break down the acquisition of Nico Sturm, the role he'll play and the salary cap implications of the deal. They then discuss Jost's tenure with the Avs and how it should be remembered. The guys then chat about Col...

The Avalanche got a head start ahead of the trade deadline in acquiring defenseman Josh Manson from the Anaheim Ducks. Aarif and J.J. share their initial thoughts of the deal, what Joe Sakic gave up and where Manson could fit in the lineup. The guys then chat about the salary cap implications of the deal and how Gabriel Landeskog's probable LTIR placement could give them the freedom to acquire a c...

Gabriel Landeskog is scheduled to have knee surgery on Monday. On this special live radio edition of the podcast, Aarif and J.J. react to breaking news that Landeskog is out for the foreseeable future and Samuel Girard will miss four weeks. The guys also discuss the post-game comments from Landeskog on Thursday and his calculated approach in sticking up for teammate Nazem Kadri. The show ends with...

The Avalanche blew a three-goal lead against the New Jersey Devils. Aarif and J.J. kick off the show by discussing the team's suddenly bad habit of being unable to hold a lead. They also chat about the ending to the game against the Islanders on Monday, where Colorado held on to win 5-4 despite having a 5-1 lead in the third period. They then have a long chat about Darcy Kuemper and trust in the g...

The Avalanche are coming off consecutive losses for the first time since November. Aarif and J.J. start the show with Jared Bednar's comments about preparing for the playoffs and how the Calgary game was a step in that direction. They also break down parts of the match including Pavel Francouz's relief performance, Cale Makar's end-to-end play, Nathan MacKinnon's goal-scoring and the Kurtis MacDer...

The Avalanche recorded their 40th win of the season in just 54 games. Aarif and J.J. break down how it all happened against the New York Islanders at Ball Arena. They also chat about Jack Johnson's 1000th ceremony and the team's appreciation for him. The guys then talk Nathan MacKinnon's recent run, Darcy Kuemper's play and specifics from Tuesday's victory, including the overturned New York goal....

UPDATED EPISODE AUDIO. The Avalanche are in the midst of a three-game winning stream capped off with an impressive victory in Vegas. Aarif and J.J. break down the progressive coaching and experimenting from Jared Bednar in preparation for the playoffs. The guys discuss his willingness to try different line combinations, scratch a number of players and give Nathan MacKinnon a precautionary day off...

The Avalanche are set to close out their four-game road trip at Little Caesars Arena with a matchup against the Detroit Red Wings. Recording from Detroit, Aarif and J.J. break down the trip so far, including a 5-1 loss at the hands of the Boston Bruins. They then look at Colorado's worst performances this season before recapping the Avs' victory over Buffalo on Saturday. The guys also chat about t...

The Avalanche defeated the Golden Knights and spoiled Jack Eichel's Vegas debut. Aarif and J.J. kick off the show with Jared Bednar's comments on Darcy Kuemper's performance. The guys touch on Kuemper's calmness and composure in recording his second consecutive shutout, both of which have come on the road. They then also chat about the loss to Dallas at Ball Arena that ended a number of different...

The Avalanche capped off a two-game week with a 4-0 shutout in Dallas on Sunday. Aarif and J.J. breakdown the road victory and look back at the impressive 3-2 triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning earlier in the week. The guys argue if the Tampa Bay game was a true litmus test or if the Avs are the new standard and should be expected to win those big games. They also chat about the rise of Darcy Ku...

Joe Sakic held a media press conference on Thursday before a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Aarif and J.J. recap the presser in its entirety. They touch on Sakic's comments regarding Bowen Byram's personal leave, the trade deadline and some of the Avs' impending unrestricted free agents. They also break down his comments pertaining to a potential Nathan MacKinnon contract extension, Val...

The Avalanche are back from the All-Star break and ready for a matchup against the defending Stanley Cup champs. Aarif and J.J. share updates from practice, including an injury report on Nathan MacKinnon and others. They also chat about Pavel Francouz's quote about his free-agent status and Valeri Nichushkin relishing an opportunity. The guys then preview the Tampa Bay game on Thursday, look back...

All-Star weekend in Vegas is upon us. Aarif and J.J. discuss the buzz around the event which seems a little more than years past. They break down Nazem Kadri and Cale Makar's participation in Friday's skills competition and the event as a whole. The guys also start the show with a recap of the shootout loss to Arizona heading into the break and why the team has been yearning for this time off. The...

Coming off a historic 15-0-1 January, the Avalanche are sitting comfortably atop the Central Division. Aarif and J.J. highlight some of the key stats both from the team and individual players from the past 16 games. They then get into a lengthy discussion about the goaltending and Jared Bednar doubling down that Darcy Kuemper is the team's starter. The guys then shift the conversation toward Nazem...

Jared Bednar called the Avalanche's 4-3 overtime victory over Boston the best win of the season. Aarif and J.J. break down his comments about the buy-in and belief from his players. They also discuss the Avs' strong third period, extending the home winning streak to 17 games and the overtime game-winner from Cale Makar. The guys then have a lengthy discussion about the Taylor Hall hit that knocked...

Following an overtime victory over the Montreal Canadiens, Gabriel Landeskog and the Avalanche are not pleased with their recent play. Aarif and J.J. break down the new mindset shift from the team — how mediocrity is no longer acceptable within the room despite their winning streak. The guys also chat about overtime success and how Jared Bednar has adjusted his approach in the extra frame. The sho...

Nazem Kadri is going to the NHL All-Star game and Aarif and J.J. are here to break it all down. The guys discuss their thoughts on the last man in voting, the fact that every team must have a representative and the skills competition. They then look at the updated February calendar where the seven postponed games will be played before ending the show with an update on Darcy Kuemper. All that and m...

The Avalanche defeated the Minnesota Wild in an epic matchup but the story of the day is Darcy Kuemper's injury. Aarif and J.J. break down the 4-3 shootout victory and the collision that led to Kuemper being pulled by the concussion spotter. They also chat about the team's success and ability to win in different ways. The guys then share their thoughts on Pavel Francouz's streak since the new year...

The Avalanche were frustrated following an overtime loss in Nashville. Aarif and J.J. share their thoughts on the postgame comments after a questionable penalty call and the Avs squeaking out a point in a game they mostly trailed. They also look back at Monday's victory over Seattle, Philipp Grubauer's return and Pavel Francouz's performance in his first scheduled start. Also, a conversation about...

The Avalanche completed a nearly insurmountable comeback, a 5-4 overtime victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. Aarif and J.J. break down how it all went down, from Pavel Francouz's performance to Nathan MacKinnon's shooting spree and the deafening Ball Arena crowd. They also discuss the line matchups and how Jared Bednar was able to take advantage of a shortened Avalanche bench. The gu...