GDT: Game 30: Avs @ Capitals | Tuesday, December 12th, 5pm MT | No Sleep

[Tommy Shelby]

It's not a coincidence that Mack's production has taken a hit during this 7D nonsense.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I disagree with those saying Girard needs to be sent down. There's literally nothing else he can accomplish in the Q. The schedule and workflow isn't that far off pro level either so it's not like he can go down there and bulk up. Let him keep playing, increase and decrease his minutes as it seems suitable and get him to follow Mackinnon around Halifax for a few months next summer.

I'm actually impressed with Girard's defensive abilities. He has a real good stick. My biggest concern the last few games where that he's made bad decisions with the puck in the D zone which really isn't his thing. He'll figure it out. I love me some Sammy.

 

[Ceremony]

There was a guy in the crowd wearing an Avalanche jersey with Mitchell on the back. Does Johnny Malkin have family in the capital?

 

[Goulet17]

I had a chance to sleep on it and had some more thoughts on last night's game.

1) I am not really that upset, as I thought the Avs played reasonably well for most of the game, particularly considering that it was the second game of a back-to-back on the road against a team that has treated the Avs like a junior level team in the past.

2) The Avs PP seemed to be the difference with three consecutive opportunities against none for the Caps. They have to capitalize (no pun intended) on those opportunities. Once the third PP was expiring, it just seemed like a foregone conclusion that the Avs would lose. In my mind, it was similar to the Avs' game in Nashville where they had around 10 minutes of PP time in the first period with nothing to show for it. The most concerning aspect about the Avs PP lately is that they cannot even gain the zone and set up.

3) Some aspects of Landeskog's game since early in Florida make me somewhat concerned that he may be trying to secretly play through a head injury. This may be groundless, I don't know.

4) I am not sure what has happened to Barrie. His hockey IQ (both defensive and offensive) have seemed to declined a great deal. He has picked up points, but I am not seeing the creativity or confidence with the puck. In fact, he seems turnover prone with bad decisions and bad execution (poor passes and poor puck handling). I have more confidence with Girard and Z at the moment out on the ice than Barrrie, so something must be up. I do wonder if Bednar's system is afffecting Barrie negatively. The Avs have shown improved defensive play IMO, but if it comes at the cost of stifling the creativity and puck movement of the defensemen, then it could be an issue going forward. Organizationally, the Avs have invested a lot of their future on offensive, creative PMDs (Girard, Makar, Timmins). If Bednar's system is not in sync with their skills, it obviously will be an issue.

5) Varlamov continues to play okay, but I do not have the feeling that he is really in a position to steal a game for the Avs like in the past. I thought he was a little slow coming across on the Caps' third goal (not that he should have made the save in that situation in any event).

 

[henchman21]

I disagree with those saying Girard needs to be sent down. There's literally nothing else he can accomplish in the Q. The schedule and workflow isn't that far off pro level either so it's not like he can go down there and bulk up. Let him keep playing, increase and decrease his minutes as it seems suitable and get him to follow Mackinnon around Halifax for a few months next summer.

I'm actually impressed with Girard's defensive abilities. He has a real good stick. My biggest concern the last few games where that he's made bad decisions with the puck in the D zone which really isn't his thing. He'll figure it out. I love me some Sammy.

The best argument to send Girard down is the extra RFA year. That is over in ~9-10 games. If he doesn't get sent to the WJC, that takes him right into January. I'd prefer he showed something to keep him up to justify burning that year, and if Bednar is only going to feed him 10-12 minutes a night... I'd rather he go to the Q. If he went down and depending on the timing, he might have a very early end of the season and head to San Antonio to finish the year. Or he could get traded and run through the Q playoffs.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

The best argument to send Girard down is the extra RFA year. That is over in ~9-10 games. If he doesn't get sent to the WJC, that takes him right into January. I'd prefer he showed something to keep him up to justify burning that year, and if Bednar is only going to feed him 10-12 minutes a night... I'd rather he go to the Q. If he went down and depending on the timing, he might have a very early end of the season and head to San Antonio to finish the year. Or he could get traded and run through the Q playoffs.

Cant see Girard having an early finish to his season in the Q. Shawinigan will trade him immediately. Adding the best defenseman in the league does nothing to that team for a few short months. They'll get a load of futures for him.

 

[henchman21]

Cant see Girard having an early finish to his season in the Q. Shawinigan will trade him immediately. Adding the best defenseman in the league does nothing to that team for a few short months. They'll get a load of futures for him.

The Q deadline is in early January (I want to say the 5th, but not 100% on that). If Girard was loaned to Canada, that would give him enough time off the roster to extend past the deadline. But yeah, he'd probably be traded. Though I don't see a team that is head and shoulders above the rest of the league in the Q. There are 6-7 real good teams and I could see some upsets in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

The Q deadline is in early January (I want to say the 5th, but not 100% on that). If Girard was loaned to Canada, that would give him enough time off the roster to extend past the deadline. But yeah, he'd probably be traded. Though I don't see a team that is head and shoulders above the rest of the league in the Q. There are 6-7 real good teams and I could see some upsets in the 1st and 2nd rounds.

Yeah the deadline is early, but that would be well communicated between Colorado and Shawiningan. There's no way Colorado sends him back to play for the worst team in the league for two months.

 

[S E P H]

Yikes, you guys are nuts. Back to back games against a team that's really playing well and should beat us....we lose and people are jumping off a bridge.

Again Girard has nothing to gain from the LHJMQ, if you want to send him somewhere send him to the french region of the NLA. Jost doesn't need to be sent down either, he and Wilson have probably been the two best Avs forwards on this road trip (not counting MacKinnon).

 

[henchman21]

Yeah the deadline is early, but that would be well communicated between Colorado and Shawiningan. There's no way Colorado sends him back to play for the worst team in the league for two months.

My guess is that he would be traded, but the possibility remains he wouldn't be and if he was, that team would be out in the first round.

Yikes, you guys are nuts. Back to back games against a team that's really playing well and should beat us....we lose and people are jumping off a bridge.

Again Girard has nothing to gain from the LHJMQ, if you want to send him somewhere send him to the french region of the NLA. Jost doesn't need to be sent down either, he and Wilson have probably been the two best Avs forwards on this road trip (not counting MacKinnon).

I'd like that plan if he is getting sent down.

The gain would be solely for the Avs on getting an extra RFA year.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

The best argument to send Girard down is the extra RFA year. That is over in ~9-10 games. If he doesn't get sent to the WJC, that takes him right into January. I'd prefer he showed something to keep him up to justify burning that year, and if Bednar is only going to feed him 10-12 minutes a night... I'd rather he go to the Q. If he went down and depending on the timing, he might have a very early end of the season and head to San Antonio to finish the year. Or he could get traded and run through the Q playoffs.

At this point I'm a little worried about his confidence. The dude is use to scoring at will and now he gets little minutes and only has 2 points with us. I don't know the kid, so it might not matter, but I could see that having an affect.

 

[tigervixxxen]

You can't send CHL players to Europe, it didn't even work for the Russian Abramov, it certainly isn't going to work for a Canadian.

But there's no need to get rid of him, get rid of who really is causing the roster issue and 7D.

 

[the_fan]

If they do decide to move on with Karlsson, and players like Craig Anderson, Bobby Ryan, Dion Phanuef get a year older and a year worse then we'll be sitting pretty for the 19 draft.

Yeah, i actually wont mind if the Avs get the Sens pick in 2019. If they finish as a lottery team this year, Karlsson is already showing frustration, and wants out of Ottawa, i see them being even worse next year, maybe Avs will get a higher pick.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I had a chance to sleep on it and had some more thoughts on last night's game.

1)

4) I am not sure what has happened to Barrie. His hockey IQ (both defensive and offensive) have seemed to declined a great deal. He has picked up points, but I am not seeing the creativity or confidence with the puck. In fact, he seems turnover prone with bad decisions and bad execution (poor passes and poor puck handling). I have more confidence with Girard and Z at the moment out on the ice than Barrrie, so something must be up. I do wonder if Bednar's system is afffecting Barrie negatively. The Avs have shown improved defensive play IMO, but if it comes at the cost of stifling the creativity and puck movement of the defensemen, then it could be an issue going forward. Organizationally, the Avs have invested a lot of their future on offensive, creative PMDs (Girard, Makar, Timmins). If Bednar's system is not in sync with their skills, it obviously will be an issue.

I'm not sure its a Bednar thing because earlier in the year Barrie looked fantastic. He was moving well, he was shooting well and then he got injured. He's playing like a person who still might be injured or is afraid to get reinjured. Theres simply no excuse for him to softly try to clear that puck to John Carlson last night. Another play in the third where all he had to do was look up for a millisecond he would have seen there were 4 caps in the Avs zone and all he needed to do was pass it to Rantanen and instead he makes a panic clear to nobody again. I'm pretty sure Bednar is not telling Barrie to pass it to Mackinnons skates or to not rush the puck more often. Everyone has the green light to go so I see no reason why Barrie doesn't especially when you have Nemeth as your rock. The shitty play is more on Barrie than anyone else imo and it sickens me to say that as a Bednar Basher. I think he looks scared shitless on the PP not only because hes the only dman on it but how its configured. One mistake from him and its a 2 on 1 the other way. That's why when you see him on the PP he looks stiff, he telegraphs his passes and when he does pass its in a panic half the time. Maybe you can contribute that part to coaching. The other stuff I wouldn't.

 

[dahrougem2]

There's no reason to keep Girard here if he's only going to get 10-12 minutes. EJ and Barrie are clearly 1 and 2, and Bednar has a very clear liking for Barberio and Nemeth. Couple that with Zadorov NEEDING minutes, and you've got limited minutes for Girard. Where's the benefit in that?

 

[tigervixxxen]

When Nemeth goes down with his next injury you'll want Girard to take the minutes he had before.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

There's no reason to keep Girard here if he's only going to get 10-12 minutes. EJ and Barrie are clearly 1 and 2, and Bednar has a very clear liking for Barberio and Nemeth. Couple that with Zadorov NEEDING minutes, and you've got limited minutes for Girard. Where's the benefit in that?

I think 10-12 minutes in his remaining 52 NHL games are a lot more beneficial to Girard than 20-25 minutes a night for the remaining 35 games in the Q. Especially when you consider that those minutes will most likely be higher once the 7D thing dies. We also have guys like EJ and Nemeth on our back end who we can almost be promised an injury.

He has nothing left to learn in the Q.

 

[dahrougem2]

There's no guarantee. If they go back to 6 D, whose to say that Zadorov isn't paired with EJ and Barberio isn't paired with Barrie? Or vice versa?

I'm not opposed to him staying here if he's getting 15-17 minutes per night and getting consistent PP time. But 10-12 per night with very limited PP time and a constantly changing defensive partner? Not really sure that's ideal for a 19 year old in his first NHL season.

 

[tigervixxxen]

He plays PP2 and his consistent partner is EJ, he just shares EJ with Z. And yeah, if the crystal ball says it's going to be like this forever is one thing but things change.

 

[Freudian]

I don't think Girard is pushing the pace offensively. It's not like he's having all these passes leading to scoring chances. He's mostly moving the puck around when he gets it.

I don't think he's essential to have with the NHL at the moment. I don't particularly mind having him here either, but it's obvious his honeymoon phase with Bednar is over.

 

[henchman21]

So can we re-boot the 'Fire Bednar' wagon?

 

[Murzu]

So can we re-boot the 'Fire Bednar' wagon?

I'm on it. I even added it under my name earlier today. I'm done with that guy (not because of Girard tho).

 

[Alex Jones]

So can we re-boot the 'Fire Bednar' wagon?

Was it ever not a thing?

 

[henchman21]

Was it ever not a thing?

There was a new honeymoon for some earlier this season. Bednar is a horrific coach... completely incapable of adjusting.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I'd rather they fire Bednar at the end of the season.
Otherwise, they'll get some other inexperienced guy to do it for the rest of this year...and next year.