Comment on Pat Valaika’s spring revival has him pushing for a Rockies roster spot, but could force Colorado to make some tough decisions

Lazarus of Bethany’s got nuttin’ on Alexandar Georgiev of Bulgaria. Tough times don’t last. Tough goalies do. “I think in Game 1, we didn’t give him a lot of chances to make quality saves,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson told me before Colorado and Georgie wiped out the Whiteoot in Winnipeg with a 6-3 victory late Tuesday.

The Denver Broncos caught Kris Abrams-Draine by surprise on Day 3 of the NFL draft last Saturday. The Missouri cornerback had only a couple of meetings with Denver during the pre-draft process, but that didn’t stop the organization from selecting him in the fifth round. While Abrams-Draine’s conversations with Denver were limited, his game tape was enough to sell general manager George Paton and head coach Sean Payton on the idea he could be a valuable asset in Denver’s secondary. A wide receiver-turned-cornerback, Abrams-Draine has solid ball skills and versatility to play inside and out.

In the latest edition of the Nuggets Ink podcast, beat writer Bennett Durando and sports editor Matt Schubert reconvene after Jamal Murray hit yet another game-winner to eliminate the Los Angeles Lakers. Among the topics discussed: Jamal Murray’s postseason credentials continue to grow after the Nuggets guard hit his second game-winner in eight days.

Denver Post sports writer Patrick Saunders with the latest installment of his Rockies Mailbag. Pose a Rockies- or MLB-related question for the Rockies Mailbag. At what point does Bud Black’s job security come into question? I know he doesn’t have the most talented roster to work with. Still, it seems like they also keep shooting themselves in the foot with coaching mistakes like baserunning errors and mismanaged lineups (Kris Bryant is batting third or fourth, and Ezequiel Tovar is starting the year batting seventh).

After three seasons with the Colorado women’s basketball team, Tameiya Sadler is moving on. The senior guard has elected to put her name in the NCAA transfer portal with the intent of playing her bonus year, granted to all players from the 2020-21 season because of the COVID-19 pandemic, elsewhere. A 5-foot-8 guard from Vallejo, Calif., Sadler played in 94 games, with 26 starts, during her three seasons with the Buffs.

The extra season of eligibility granted by the NCAA for the 2020-21 COVID season has unleashed a number of previously unforeseen opportunities upon the game of college basketball. Trevor Baskin’s story certainly is one of them. A gangly and overlooked recruit out of Pomona High School in Arvada four years ago, Baskin gradually played his way into one of the top players in the Division II Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference through his first three seasons at Colorado Mesa. Going into his senior season last fall, Baskin outlined a plan.