The Avs / Bednar are a one trick pony. Bednar is simply unable to adjust to different teams / strategies / circumstance.
Power Play - For crying out loud, stop standing in one place. All teams have significant digital capabilities. They see that the Avs do not move, then plan accordingly with stick in the perfect lanes.
PK - Again, teams have video, and realize that they can cycle the puck all day, because the Avs play in a tight box. They also see that Bednar's model almost always allows a man in the crease to be uncovered.
Jumping in by defense - Bednar has stated in public that he does not want the team finishing checks as that might lead to injury. The national broadcasters even had a discussion about how finished checks add up by the end of the game. Opponents have figured out that when our DMen pinch in ( and not even pinch. WTF is JMFJ doing behind the offensive net?) and they try to crush them down low, thus making them late for the rush the other way. 3 times in the past 2 games, the Avs give up a goal, and Manson - following an unsuccessful trip down the ice, isn't even back to the blue line when the puck hits the net. But Toews and JMFJ do the same thing over and over. So we have wings, with shorter sticks, trying to play defense. Other teams see this and take advantage.
I long ago got fed up with Bednar's 'system.' The only reason the 'system' works is an other-worldly Mac, and a usually other-worldly Makar. If Dallas / Vegas / Winnepeg decide to park the bus, Bednar has zero answers. The Avs seem to have a good video team as well. Does Bednar EVER look at video? It sure does not look like it to me. My wife is able to pick out the strategic misses, saying "They always do that to us." If my wife can figure out how teams defend the Avs, Bednar damn well should as well.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Bednar has won championships at several levels. Thing is, at those lower levels, if you can put together the minor league equivalent of 9296, then you do not need the bottom 9 to do much but not shit the bed. That does not work in the NHL. Toronto and Edmonton prove this. In the NHL, the coach needs to play a significant role, minute to minute. Bednar does not do that, and it is a significant reason the Avs look like they will lose in the first round again. I'm not sure that Bednar even has the locker room anymore. They always start periods slow, especially the first period. Leading the league in comeback wins is no badge of honor, because that means the team is frequently...behind.
I've watched every minute of every game this season. I cannot think of a single time Bednar made a strategic change mid-game. For that matter, what changes are being made in practice? The Avs have consistently sucked at face-offs for years. They have sucked at clearing the puck for years. For a short period last year, it looked like Bednar had found a new D-zone exit strategy, but they stopped doing that this year. If the Avs lose in the first round, Pratt and Bennet absolutely have to go, and I would love to hear a cogent argument ( not that he has won minor-league titles) why Bednar should stay.
