GDT: Game 42: Hawks @ Avs - 9PM EST (NBCSN)

[RockLobster]

I for one am numb with anticipation of Jeremy Smith's first NHL game.

Spencer Martin

 

[dahrougem2]

Spencer Martin

God help him

 

[JoemAvs]

God help him

Can he play defense? Otherwise I am not sure that even God can save this defense from hell...

 

[tigervixxxen]

He was playing in front of the echl level defense in SA, he'll be fine.

 

[henchman21]

He was playing in front of the echl level defense in SA, he'll be fine.

I know you're naturally pessimistic, but this isn't an ECHL level defense:



I see a top pairing level AHL guy, 2-3 top 4 guys and 2 bottom pairing AHL guys. One is who I'd call an ECHL defender and he isn't 100% terrible, just limited.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Was, as in a month ago.

 

[henchman21]

Was, as in a month ago.

In the AHL, all goalies go through that from time to time. Since Bigras has been back, the defense down there isn't terrible. Not on the high end, but not bottom 5 either.

 

[tigervixxxen]

My point is he will be fine, is that incorrect?

 

[henchman21]

My point is he will be fine, is that incorrect?

You're not... Martin will be fine. The point could have been made without the hyperbole though.

 

[tigervixxxen]

You're not... Martin will be fine. The point could have been made without the hyperbole though.

This is half an echl team. I'm sorry I used the word defense and not team. I'm sure someone was going to chime in and say the Avs are ECHL level defense. He was playing in front of a bad AHL team. I didn't know that was a hyperbolic statement to make. Let's just keep splitting hairs though.

 

[henchman21]

This is half an echl team. I'm sorry I used the word defense and not team. I'm sure someone was going to chime in and say the Avs are ECHL level defense. He was playing in front of a bad AHL team. I didn't know that was a hyperbolic statement to make. Let's just keep splitting hairs though.

Jardine is the clear ECHL defender. Corbett and Geertsen are limited and fringe. All AHL teams go through injuries and have bad teams in front of them for stretches of games. It is just a part of being in that league. That doesn't mean he has played behind crap all year.

 

[JoemAvs]

That was mean.

I thought Bigras had gotten hurt again after seeing that lineup...

But yeah that defense does look marginally worse than the current Avs D


Problem is that the NHL forwards are also quite a bit better than their AHL comparables.


But there is no harm in giving him a few games..

They should force him to watch a few Avs games beforehand, though.

He has to know what he is in for and he should accept that there is a good chance that he will get exposed no matter how good or bad he plays...

 

[The Kingslayer]

Ferraro was just on TSN 1260 with Jason Gregor for an encore performance from last nights Avs bashing. It sucks that hes right about everything but I still dont like the worm.

Few notes:

- The Avs need a clear and concise direction above all else.
- The Avs got into this mess by drafting bad
- Someone in Denver media refers to the Avs as Edmonton South
- Iginla looks every bit his age. The only thing Iginla is good for perhaps is the PP. He fell short of saying Iginla is absolute garbage.
- Jason Gregor chimed in to say the Oilers never had a Barrie or Johnson during the 10 years of darkness.
- We are similiar to the Oilers in that we draft offensive players only
- Then went onto say Duchene and Mackinnon looked great and Landy had his moments.
- Its a colossal drop off in talent after the big three.
- The bottom 6 is absolutely atrocious. Could not have an answer for the Hawks.

It really seemed like he held back what he wanted to really say. If they were at a bar he would have gone all in on the Avs. Anywyas hard to really disagree with that ****.

 

[tigervixxxen]

They should force him to watch a few Avs games beforehand, though.

He's had a front row seat to a few

I listened to Ferarro on Dater's podcast. He was mostly right there too. Him calling us barely ahead of an expansion team really stuck with me.

 

[AslanRH]

He's had a front row seat to a few

I listened to Ferarro on Dater's podcast. He was mostly right there too. Him calling us barely ahead of an expansion team really stuck with me.

Me too

Considering the new rules, remove the big 5 of MacK, Landy, Dutch, EJ, and Barrie and Vegas will likely have a better or at least an equal team in the other 18 spots if you count their pick this season as comparable to Rantanen.

 

[PAZ]

I can only imagine the frustration that Duchene, Mack, etc. feels.

It's nowhere near comparable, but I often fill in for one of my friends team, and it's such a **** off when half the team literally just stands in position. No hustle, no pressure, no effort. And I got frustrated after one game, I can only imagine how it feels to have to deal with that the entire season.

My friend also keeps making jokes that a waiver pick (Nieto) is going to be our 3rd/4th best forward soon. The funny thing is it's true if we end up trading Duchene/Landy.

 

[AvsGuy]

What's the story on Rantanen lately? That radio bit mentioned that there's a big talent dropoff after "the big 3".. how's he been looking? I think he can do better than 6 goals in 37 games but I was under the impression his play was looking good.

 

[dahrougem2]

What's the story on Rantanen lately? That radio bit mentioned that there's a big talent dropoff after "the big 3".. how's he been looking? I think he can do better than 6 goals in 37 games but I was under the impression his play was looking good.

I think we'll find out after the season that he's been playing banged up. The game against Toronto in Toronto he seemed to hurt his shoulder pretty badly but continued playing, and he hasn't looked the same since.

 

[The Kingslayer]

What's the story on Rantanen lately? That radio bit mentioned that there's a big talent dropoff after "the big 3".. how's he been looking? I think he can do better than 6 goals in 37 games but I was under the impression his play was looking good.

Hes been fine. Ferraro just happened to be watching a game where he wasn't great and Mack and Duchene both were good. If Rant had a bit of puck luck earlier in the season he would have had 4-5 extra goals by now. The hockey gods just hate us this year.

 

[dahrougem2]

The one thing I find, not funny but a bit odd given they're pretty prominent in the media, is how much Oilers' media members (Gregor/Stauffer/Rishaug/etc) gush about EJ/Barrie.

Thankfully I don't listen to local radio much anymore since switching to XM, but every time the Avs come up on local radio they just rave about EJ/Barrie, especially EJ, though Bob Stauffer's personal man-crush is on Tyson Barrie.

I really wonder what the options could have been had we decided to try and move EJ to the Oilers in the summer prior to them acquiring Larsson.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I think we'll find out after the season that he's been playing banged up. The game against Toronto in Toronto he seemed to hurt his shoulder pretty badly but continued playing, and he hasn't looked the same since.

I hope that isn't the case. I don't want him playing through an injury when its not necessary.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The one thing I find, not funny but a bit odd given they're pretty prominent in the media, is how much Oilers' media members (Gregor/Stauffer/Rishaug/etc) gush about EJ/Barrie.

Thankfully I don't listen to local radio much anymore since switching to XM, but every time the Avs come up on local radio they just rave about EJ/Barrie, especially EJ, though Bob Stauffer's personal man-crush is on Tyson Barrie.

I really wonder what the options could have been had we decided to try and move EJ to the Oilers in the summer prior to them acquiring Larsson.

Yah they really seem to love those two but they can hardly contain their hate for the Avs. They talk about the Avs quite a bit for a team that's not even in their division. The other day they had a call in thing. Name the Avs current coach and get your name into a draw. I cant remember whose show it was on 1260 but they were like "Do the Avs have a coach this year?" and chuckled. Little **** like that. The things that bugged me where when they use to call us a cheap team because we didn't pay ROR even though we were and I think still are damn near the cap.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yah they really seem to love those two but they can hardly contain their hate for the Avs. They talk about the Avs quite a bit for a team that's not even in their division. The other day they had a call in thing. Name the Avs current coach and get your name into a draw. I cant remember whose show it was on 1260 but they were like "Do the Avs have a coach this year?" and chuckled. Little **** like that. The things that bugged me where when they use to call us a cheap team because we didn't pay ROR even though we were and I think still are damn near the cap.

The Edmonton media has always been stupid and living in their own little bubble. I jokingly called in a few years ago to ask whether ROR for Yakupov would be something Oilers fans would be interested in, and those buffoons in the morning Nielsen and Fraser laughed and said it'd have to be more than O'Reilly

I distinctly remember the game in Edmonton in the 14-15 season, the game where Tanguay played lights out but ROR dominated. After the game, Jason Strudwick and Jason Gregor were talking about how good ROR is and how they never realized how much of a beast he was, and how the Oilers would kill for a player like that Funny what happens when you actually watch a team play

 

[DanishAvsfan]

Same here. If they have accepted that they will be a bottom-feeder this season it seems odd that they are playing him through an injury. It leads me to think he is not injured.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Same here. If they have accepted that they will be a bottom-feeder this season it seems odd that they are playing him through an injury. It leads me to think he is not injured.

We all thought something was wrong with Duchene in the Nashville game and then he shows his amazing speed against Chicago and I guess hes not so old/injured/knees look fine .When it comes to injuries with the Avs who really knows anyway. They don't even know.