GDT: Avalanche vs Oilers 4/5/25 @ 7:00 PM MNT ( Emerg..... Lazy GDT) Let's Refalanche our way to victory!

[MarkT]

Okay guys, here some perspective:

It's a well known fact that when you learn a new way of doing things, your output will go down at first. For example, let's say you have always types with just one finger on each hand, but you're able to type quite quickly. If you learn the classic touch method using all your fingers and the home keys, you words per minute are likely to drop significantly until you get used to the new method, at which point you may end up at a higher speed than you started with. The reason for this is rather than just using muscle memory, you know have to actively think before pressing each key.

So let's look at the skaters on the team and who is struggling lately: Sean Walker, Casey Mittlestadt. Duhaime and Trenin are also not contributing much offensively. This performance may simply be the result of them still learning Bednar's systems and the habits of their teammates. They are probably still having to think a lot out there rather than just acting with instinct. I've seen people commenting on Casey hesitating - can you name a surer sign that someone is thinking rather than just playing with instinct?

I expect these guys will all see improved performance once they get used to the system. I just hope that lines up nicely with the start of the playoffs. I honestly don't care much where we end up - we're going to wreck whoever we play (even if Georgie lets in 4 softies).

 

[The Abusement Park]

Speaking of that '22 team. I had this thought the other game and forgot to post it.

Who would you take right now?

'22 Burakovsky or '24 Drouin?

Bura was clutch and could score from anywhere. But he had long cold spells too and wasn't great in his own zone (although not terrible). It's a interesting comparison imo.

I think I'd go Bura barely.... This team desperately lacks someone who can shoot and score from anywhere outside of Mack and Mikko. Drouin is probably the better player at his best but I think Bura fills a way bigger need right now.

 

[chet1926]

I keep reading that Darcy was bad but not George bad.

I feel like that's a revisionist take on Darcy. If I recall Darcy through the regular season was like 2.50 GAA and like .920 save percentage. That's not bad at all. Pretty solid actually. Darcy didn't start to stink until after his eye was gauged by RyJo in the 1st round.

George on the other hand has been pure dog shit since practically day 1 this year. As of right now he sits at 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage. He actively has to play well over the last few games to avoid a save percentage in the 80s.

I honestly don't recall the Avs ever having a starting goalie play this bad over the course of a year. The only year that is even comparable was that shit ass year 2016 where we finished dead last. Pickard played a majority of the games that year and had similar stats to George this year. Pickard actually had a better save percentage. That team was trash this years team is significantly better and George is somehow worse than Pickard that year.

You just have to roll the dice with Annunen. George has had all year to figure it out and work through it and simply isn't and might be getting worse.

 

[AvsCOL]

The routine plays for a goalie are simply not being made. He made about 2-3 plays with the puck last night that almost resulted in goals, one did. Also that Kane shot that he couldn’t catch resulted in a goal as well. He’s done that a handful of times this year too where he can’t handle a perimeter shot.

I really thought Annunen should’ve came in for the third period last night if they were going to have any chance. Seems to me that Bednar knew the game was out of reach already at that point.

 

[RockLobster]

I keep reading that Darcy was bad but not George bad.

I feel like that's a revisionist take on Darcy. If I recall Darcy through the regular season was like 2.50 GAA and like .920 save percentage. That's not bad at all. Pretty solid actually. Darcy didn't start to stink until after his eye was gauged by RyJo in the 1st round.

George on the other hand has been pure dog shit since practically day 1 this year. As of right now he sits at 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage. He actively has to play well over the last few games to avoid a save percentage in the 80s.

I honestly don't recall the Avs ever having a starting goalie play this bad over the course of a year. The only year that is even comparable was that shit ass year 2016 where we finished dead last. Pickard played a majority of the games that year and had similar stats to George this year. Pickard actually had a better save percentage. That team was trash this years team is significantly better and George is somehow worse than Pickard that year.

You just have to roll the dice with Annunen. George has had all year to figure it out and work through it and simply isn't and might be getting worse.

Darcy had a very average (to downright bad) April through the end of the playoff. He locked it down when we absolutely needed it, but he wasn’t inspiring much confidence at the end and going in to the playoffs

 

[LOFIN]

You just have to roll the dice with Annunen. George has had all year to figure it out and work through it and simply isn't and might be getting worse.

You 1000% should go with Annunen against the Stars. But I'm worried of our play besides our goaltending. Especially if we are without Mikko.

 

[Ceremony]

Kuemper was good from ~January to March until he got injured, then when he came back before the playoffs he was terrible again.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

I think I'd go Bura barely.... This team desperately lacks someone who can shoot and score from anywhere outside of Mack and Mikko. Drouin is probably the better player at his best but I think Bura fills a way bigger need right now.

Drouin for sure over Bura. Much better overall imo.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Drouin for sure over Bura. Much better overall imo.

I just think there's a lack of finishers on the team right now. Drouins awesome, but there's a lot of guys who aren't goal scorers first and that could causes some chemistry issues in the top 6. I'd agree that Drouins better but I think Bura would be a better fit.

 

[chet1926]

Darcy had a very average (to downright bad) April through the end of the playoff. He locked it down when we absolutely needed it, but he wasn’t inspiring much confidence at the end and going in to the playoffs

That's fair but as a whole his regular season body of work was far better than anything George has done this year.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

I just think there's a lack of finishers on the team right now. Drouins awesome, but there's a lot of guys who aren't goal scorers first and that could causes some chemistry issues in the top 6. I'd agree that Drouins better but I think Bura would be a better fit.

It might not be ideal chemistry wise, but Drouin is way better. Dude has been our best forward for a couple weeks now and has been much more reliable all around than Bura was. I don’t think I it’s close, honestly.

 

[The Abusement Park]

It might not be ideal chemistry wise, but Drouin is way better. Dude has been our best forward for a couple weeks now and has been much more reliable all around than Bura was. I don’t think I it’s close, honestly.

I mean sometimes chemistry is more important than talent, and it's not like Bura isn't talented. Dude was a 25-35 guy here with an elite shot and transition game. Mitts and Bura would be perfect together on the 2nd line and we already know Nuke and Lehky are interchangeable next to Mack.

 

[RockLobster]

That's fair but as a whole his regular season body of work was far better than anything George has done this year.

While true, it’s not exactly a high bar to clear.

Kuemper had an…uneven start to the year, was locked in and very good from Decemberish - March, and then ended the year rather poorly.

In the end, it doesn’t matter because he stepped up when we needed him to.

Georgie…man I wish he could figure it out, but he just looks so uncomfortable right now. He’s fighting every puck, as evident by his terrible glove last night on easy saves

 

[Tralfamadore]

2-3-1 since the streak ended. Just what you want to see heading into the playoffs.

 

[NorthernAvsFan]

I mean sometimes chemistry is more important than talent, and it's not like Bura isn't talented. Dude was a 25-35 guy here with an elite shot and transition game. Mitts and Bura would be perfect together on the 2nd line and we already know Nuke and Lehky are interchangeable next to Mack.

Drouin can actually play on the top line though, Burakovsky can not.

It’s less about chemistry and more about Mittelstadt just playing more consistently. His line has looked good in the games that he’s played well.

Drouin is playing at such a high level. No way, I’d swap that for Bura.

 

[a mangy Meowth]

I just think there's a lack of finishers on the team right now. Drouins awesome, but there's a lot of guys who aren't goal scorers first and that could causes some chemistry issues in the top 6. I'd agree that Drouins better but I think Bura would be a better fit.

Man we're the highest scoring team in the league. How many finishers do you need? Bura absolutely not a better fit and a horribly flawed player who got healthy scratched on our cup run

 

[the_fan]

Man we're the highest scoring team in the league. How many finishers do you need?

Well, unless this is a trick question, we got Mikko, Lehky Justus and Kiviranta

 

[Vk1ing]

I dont buy the mittelstadt slander until we give him decent line mates for longer than a week. Give the guy some time to develop chemistry

 

[the_fan]

I don’t know if anyone else saw this, but there was a moment in this game where they showed the Avs bench and Nate was arguing with Bednar again. I wonder what the problem is between this two. Clearly Nate is not happy with some of the decisions Bednar makes during games

 

[Balthazar]

The underlying numbers paint a different story, though.

The analytics suggest this iteration of the Avs is not all that different from the 2022 team that won the Stanley Cup.

The difference is their goaltender is giving up BOTH stinkers and high danger goals. At the start of the year at least Georgiev was top five in high danger save percentage. Now amongst starters he is one of the worst.

Right now it feels like every chance given up on him goes in the net. We thought that was the case with Kuemper, but in actuality Kuemper was great during the regular season and locked things down (mostly) in the playoffs when he would give up a stinker.

Georgiev just ain't it. Idk what more Bednar needs to see, but I have to think he is leaning more towards Annunen full time. And that is terrifying knowing this team's aspirations.

You danced around the problem. Forget Georgiev for a minute. A team that was outshooting virtually all its opponents for years is now getting outshot every other game.

That’s very new.

 

[dahrougem2]

You danced around the problem. Forget Georgiev for a minute. A team that was outshooting virtually all its opponents for years is now getting outshot every other game.

That’s very new.

But they aren't getting outshot every other game. You can look up the statistics for yourself.

The team analytically is not that much different from the 22 team.

 

[Avs_19]

I wish I could go back and read the 2022 threads when Avs went 1-6 in the last 7 games in regular season. I just wanna see how much was the sky falling back then

Went from Bednar is playing guys too much to Bednar isn't playing guys enough so there's no chemistry, etc. That's the talk I recall. It was hilarious.

My only real concern is with the goaltending.

 

[dahrougem2]

You danced around the problem. Forget Georgiev for a minute. A team that was outshooting virtually all its opponents for years is now getting outshot every other game.

That’s very new.

Just to follow up, I looked it up. The Avs have been outshot in 25 of their 77 games, tied in 3 of them and outshot the opposition in 49 games.

Idk where you are getting this "every other game" stuff.

 

[jabubenice]

I don’t know if anyone else saw this, but there was a moment in this game where they showed the Avs bench and Nate was arguing with Bednar again. I wonder what the problem is between this two. Clearly Nate is not happy with some of the decisions Bednar makes during games

that has been happening for years

 

[the_fan]

that has been happening for years

I really wonder if it’s just Bednar, or it’s just Nate’s personality and he would argue with any coach behind that bench.