Second period

Now that I'm sufficiently caffeinated, we're ready for the second 20-minute period of this one. Ersberg and Budaj are still in their respective team's nets. I point this out because the goalies are likely to be treated much like NFL quarterbacks are during the preseason, so we'll see the backups at some point tonight. The Avs' power play is winding down without many chances, though L.A.'s Dustin Brown just got stopped on a shorthanded chance by Budaj.

Now, the Kings are set to go on the power play after a holding call on Adam Foote. The Kings just rang one off the crossbar behind Budaj, but didn't get it to go in the net. The Avalanche just dodged one there.

Is this seriously happening? We're in a TV timeout, and a local grocery chain is sponsoring "The Price is Right," where a lucky fan gets the chance to win a gift card for determining whether the correct price for a can of baked beans is higher or lower than the one given. Wow...

Nice heads-up play by Avs defenseman John-Michael Liles. Budaj went behind the net to play the puck, and his clearing attempt was picked off by an L.A. player along the far boards. Budaj rushed to get back to the net, but Liles was there to block the shot anyway.

This period has flown by. There's 5:03 left on the clock, and no goals. Budaj's been the key player in this period, as he's had to make some difficult saves. The Avs' offense isn't generating as many chances as it did in the first period, but they should be able to get some as the game continues. L.A. is playing its third game of the preseason, with the first two coming as a split squad. Half the team stayed home to beat the Phoenix Coyotes 6-4, while the others went to Kansas City, Mo., for a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues.

L.A. has broken through against Budaj. Jarret Stoll was the beneficiary when an Avalanche player tried to bank the puck off the end boards and it bounced off the side of the net. Not much Budaj could do on that one...it's 2-1, Colorado at 16:20 of the second period.

The Kings are starting to take it to Colorado a bit. That goal has given them some life, and the Avs are scrambling a bit in their own end.

Budaj just came up huge for the Avs. There was a flurry of four shots, all of them stopped by the Colorado netminder. Then, Anze Kopitar shot one off the right post, but not in. Paul Stastny was called for a cross-checking penalty, putting the Kings on the power play with 20 seconds to go in the period. Budaj made a couple more big saves as the period expired, leaving the Avs ahead 2-1 with 20 minutes left to go.