In the latest episode of the Avalanche Ink podcast, beat writer Corey Masisak talks with Joe Smith, who covers the Minnesota Wild and NHL at large for The Athletic. Among the topics discussed:

• His memories covering the other side of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final as a Lightning beat writer.
• What he learned from the Lightning’s mini-dynasty and what the Avalanche might have in store.
• What went wrong for the Wild this year, and is there hope for the Avs’ division rivals?
• What is Nikita Kucherov’s case for the Hart Trophy?
• Brock Faber vs. Connor Bedard in the other hotly contested NHL award race, the Calder Trophy.
• What it’s like to get blindfolded, spun around and throw darts.

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In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene following Denver’s win over Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a down-to-the-wire classic. Among the topics discussed:

• As expected, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama put on a show against Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets on Tuesday night. Are the Nuggets and the rest of the NBA just living on borrowed time? Could Wemby actually win eight defensive player of the year awards?
• Jamal Murray has now missed six straight games, and it’s not apparent when exactly he will return to the lineup. At what point does this start to become a concern?
• The Nuggets are locked in a three-way battle with Minnesota and Oklahoma City for the top seed in the Western Conference. What do they have to do to lock it down? Is it really worth expending extra energy to make it happen?
• Luka Doncic is making a late run at the MVP award. Does he have any chance of overtaking Nikola Jokic? Or is the Joker destined to take home his third trophy?
• Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and the trials and tribulations of the Nuggets bench.

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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In the latest episode of the Avalanche Ink podcast presented by Applewood Plumbing Heating & Electric, beat writer Corey Masisak checks in with The Athletic’s Peter Baugh, who used to cover the Avs and now writes about the New York Rangers. Among the topics discussed:

• Peter’s transition to covering the Rangers, with some Islanders and Devils mixed in, in the middle of the season.
• Are the Rangers actually one of the best teams in the league, or are there still reasons to doubt them in the postseason?
• How this Avalanche team looks different than it did before Peter went to New York
• How are the Avs going to handle the pending salary cap crunch with some many pending free agents having great seasons?

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz

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In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene following a 3-1 road trip for the defending NBA champions. Among the topics discussed:

• Do the Nuggets need to fear the Celtics or the Bucks more? Is there another team coming out of the Eastern Conference that should give Nuggets fans pause?
• The fellas catch up and rehash Kyrie Irving’s miraculous left-handed hook shot that took down the Nuggets in Dallas and why Anthony Edwards should be feared by anyone who encounters him.
• The gold standard for Nuggets fame is securely owned by Nikola Jokic, but when recently paired with fellow Serbian great Novak Djokovic in L.A., did Denver’s big man take a back seat? Bennett talks about his encounter with the tennis GOAT.
• Nuggets are roaring after the All-Star break sporting a 12-2 record. Is the playoff form or are they just warming up ahead of next month’s tournament?
• Matt learns about rizz, emojis and admits to not having seen Dune 2.

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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In a bonus edition of the Avalanche Ink podcast, beat writer Corey Masisak speaks with Ryan Lambert of Elite Prospects and Evan Rawal of Colorado Hockey Now to focus on the NCAA hockey tournament and the mystery man, Nikolai Kovalenko. Among the topics discussed:

• How does DU stack up against the other title contenders?
• What could be the Pios biggest weakness?
• What needs to happen for Colorado College to make the tournament?
• Is the Eastern Conference, beyond the Florida Panthers, just kind of meh?
• What are the strengths of Kovalenko’s game?
• Why is he different than most Russian prospects?
• Where could he fit for the Avs?
• What are the potential pitfalls for the Avs despite the recent hot streak?

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In the latest episode of the Avalanche Ink podcast, beat writer Corey Masisak chats with Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic for a debrief of what transpired at the NHL trade deadline. Among the topics discussed:

• Some thoughts on the instant classic in Edmonton between the Avs and Oilers
• How did Colorado fare at the trade deadline?
• Comparing the potential fits of Chris Tanev and Sean Walker with the Avs
• Did Vancouver and Dallas do enough to keep pace with the other powers who made more moves?
• Is Florida the class of the Eastern Conference?
• What will Nikolai Kovalenko’s arrival mean for the Avs?

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In an emergency edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando is joined by Celtics superfan and Denver Post reporter Sam Tabachnik in the wake of the Nuggets’ 115-109 win inside Ball Arena. Among the topics discussed:

• The Denver Nuggets swept the season series 2-0 against the Boston Celtics following Thursday night’s victory. What do the two wins say about where things stand in the race for the Larry O’Brien trophy?
• Celtics star Jayson Tatum disappeared in the clutch on Thursday night, while others shined. And Peyton Watson brought the energy to fire up plus minutes from the second unit.
• Joe Mazzulla vs Michael Malone: Who won the coaching battle?
• Do Nikola Jokic stoppers exist? Probably not.

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando is joined by USA Today national NBA reporter Jeff Zillgitt to talk about Denver and the NBA. Among the topics discussed:

• The Western Conference appears to be loaded. Where do things stand in the hierarchy around the Nuggets? Bennett and Jeff give their thoughts.
• Lebron James gave Jeff a special shout out at the All-Star Game. The two talk about that and LeBron reaching 40,000 career points against the Nuggets in a prime time showdown.
• The Suns took down the Nuggets in a thriller on Tuesday night. What can be gleaned from that result?

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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In the inaugural edition of Avs Ink, beat writer Corey Masisak talks with Chris Johnston of The Athletic, TSN and the Steve Dangle Podcast Network about where the Avs stand leading into the NHL trade deadline. Among the topics discussed:

• Colorado makes two big trades, adding Casey Mittelstadt and Sean Walker while subtracting Bo Byram and Ryan Johansen
• The market for Jake Guentzel, the No. 1 player on Johnston’s NHL trade board, and how that relates to the Avs
• The fascination with Sidney Crosby potentially joining forces with Nathan MacKinnon if he ever decides to pursue a championship outside of Pittsburgh
• Valeri Nichushkin’s pending return to the lineup
• Nikolai Kovalenko, the ultimate wild card

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In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, Denver Post beat writer Bennett Durando is joined by Oklahoman beat writer Joel Lorenzi to break down a tight MVP race and the remaining slate of games in the NBA season. Among the topics discussed:

• Nikola Jokic has come out of the All-Star break on a tear, but can Shai Gilgeous-Alexander get the West’s No. 1 seed and take home his first MVP?
• Where does Luka Doncic rank? All the stats are there, but do do the Mavs have enough wins for a solid case?
• Giannis Antetokounmpo is having a career year, but are Jokic and SGA too far ahead of the field?
• Jayson Tatum is the best player on the best team… does the math add up?
• Bennett and AAron talk about their All-Star weekend in Indy.

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Producer: AAron Ontiveroz
Music: “The Last Dragons” by Schama Noel

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