Pre-Game Talk: Week to Vanish (WAS, @NSH, @DET)

[expatriatedtexan]

Hell I remember a time when you could rent computer games lol.

Yep...for $0.25, they'd give you three lives.

Do they have arcades at all anymore? I stumbled across Space Invaders at a pizza place a couple of weeks ago and begged my wife to go through her purse for a quarter. I set a new high score. *LOL*

 

[forsbergavs32]

Yep...for $0.25, they'd give you three lives.

Do they have arcades at all anymore? I stumbled across Space Invaders at a pizza place a couple of weeks ago and begged my wife to go through her purse for a quarter. I set a new high score. *LOL*

Where I'm at there are a few arcades, though they're starting to get a bit run down.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

The "Penny Arcade" in town here is a quarter now (minimum). It actually used to be a penny a play.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yep...for $0.25, they'd give you three lives.

Do they have arcades at all anymore? I stumbled across Space Invaders at a pizza place a couple of weeks ago and begged my wife to go through her purse for a quarter. I set a new high score. *LOL*

Do they not have Dave & Busters in AK? It's a adult arcade that sells alcohol. No good arcade is cheap anymore though unless it is one of those novelty penny arcades.

These days they'll charge you a dollar just to play for five minutes. I haven't came away from an arcade and not been pissed off in a long while.

 

[Avs_19]

I love what I've seen from MacKinnon after the slow start but the next area he needs to improve now is faceoffs. I didn't know it was this bad until I actually went and looked at the stats. He's currently sitting at 38%, which is third worst in the NHL among players who have taken 100+ faceoffs. He improved to 50% last season so maybe he's currently having an issue with the new rules that prevent them from cheating as much. Regardless, now it's even more important for him to get back to that level with Duchene gone. Compher is the only one who is competent on faceoffs right now.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I love what I've seen from MacKinnon after the slow start but the next area he needs to improve now is faceoffs. I didn't know it was this bad until I actually went and looked at the stats. He's currently sitting at 38%, which is third worst in the NHL among players who have taken 100+ faceoffs. He improved to 50% last season so maybe he's currently having an issue with the new rules that prevent them from cheating as much. Regardless, now it's even more important for him to get back to that level with Duchene gone. Compher is the only one who is competent on faceoffs right now.

Something to consider, too, would be how many times is he taking the faceoff after another Av has been tossed. Obviously, he won't try as hard in that situation, to avoid a stupid penalty.

 

[Pokecheque]

Avs are 31st in faceoffs. That's gotta change, I don't care how much the analytics crowd says they're overrated.

Y'know the Avalanche have for years just been plain lousy at the dot, and I'm not sure why either. And when they try to bring in help it doesn't work out. Both Brett McLean (actually ended up being serviceable as a role player but never made a dent in draws) and Jesse Winchester (never played due to a concussion and is now out of hockey) were faceoff specialists that also failed to help the Avs get better at winning key draws.

 

[Avs_19]

Something to consider, too, would be how many times is he taking the faceoff after another Av has been tossed. Obviously, he won't try as hard in that situation, to avoid a stupid penalty.

Can't imagine that happens too often since he's usually the one being asked to take the faceoff in the first place. Only exception is when they sometimes have Rantanen take it on his strong side.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Avs are 31st in faceoffs. That's gotta change, I don't care how much the analytics crowd says they're overrated.

Y'know the Avalanche have for years just been plain lousy at the dot, and I'm not sure why either. And when they try to bring in help it doesn't work out. Both Brett McLean (actually ended up being serviceable as a role player but never made a dent in draws) and Jesse Winchester (never played due to a concussion and is now out of hockey) were faceoff specialists that also failed to help the Avs get better at winning key draws.

Duchene, Stastny, ROR, all were pretty good at face offs. It's actually been a strength in the past. They do need to get better, but I don't know how you can look back at our centers and say they were lousy.

That was one thing that was obvious when Duchene was going to get moved. If you looked at all of our young centers no one was really shining when it came to face offs. I figure that's due to inexperience, but I don't think it is going to be a strength in the future like it was in the past.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Avs are 31st in faceoffs. That's gotta change, I don't care how much the analytics crowd says they're overrated.

Y'know the Avalanche have for years just been plain lousy at the dot, and I'm not sure why either. And when they try to bring in help it doesn't work out. Both Brett McLean (actually ended up being serviceable as a role player but never made a dent in draws) and Jesse Winchester (never played due to a concussion and is now out of hockey) were faceoff specialists that also failed to help the Avs get better at winning key draws.

They were the 2nd best team in the league last year, behind only Anaheim. Over the last 3 years, they're 9th in the league.

 

[the_fan]

Can't say I feel good about any of this 3 games. 1st one is vs Caps after a 4 day break, that's a loss because this team forgets how to play hockey after long breaks, and against a team like the Caps? That's an L. Then in Nashville where I don't even know if Avs ever win a game, and Detroit 2nd of the back to back, that's not gonna go well since the Avs also can't win those 2nd games of the back to back. I'm afraid they gonna go 0-3.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Can't say I feel good about any of this 3 games. 1st one is vs Caps after a 4 day break, that's a loss because this team forgets how to play hockey after long breaks, and against a team like the Caps? That's an L. Then in Nashville where I don't even know if Avs ever win a game, and Detroit 2nd of the back to back, that's not gonna go well since the Avs also can't win those 2nd games of the back to back. I'm afraid they gonna go 0-3.

Gonna help the tank a lot though. Our pick right now is already 9th overall, a 1-2 or 0-3 week this week would put us solidly back in the Top 5.

 

[Pokecheque]

At least do some research before you go spouting nonsense.


They were the 2nd best team in the league last year, behind only Anaheim. Over the last 3 years, they're 9th in the league.

Hmmm...didn't know that. In my defense I can't believe they were elite in ANY category last year, but facts are facts.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Greer and Grimaldi back to SA. Discuss.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Hmmm...didn't know that. In my defense I can't believe they were elite in ANY category last year, but facts are facts.

Yep. They were elite in the Face-Off dot last year.


Even in the 3 years prior they were never below average really. They were 18th(49.9%), 14th(50.4%), and 18th(49.5) over the 3 years before last year.


That said I completely agree with your point. 31st this year is terrible and what's even worse is how far away from the mean they are. Before the two games against Ottawa they were at just 44%, and after the games against Ottawa they'll be even further down.


It's something that has to be fixed.

 

[Avs_19]

Greer and Grimaldi back to SA. Discuss.

No surprise. I think it's best for Greer to go to the AHL and actually play.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

Duchene, Stastny, ROR, all were pretty good at face offs. It's actually been a strength in the past. They do need to get better, but I don't know how you can look back at our centers and say they were lousy.

That was one thing that was obvious when Duchene was going to get moved. If you looked at all of our young centers no one was really shining when it came to face offs. I figure that's due to inexperience, but I don't think it is going to be a strength in the future like it was in the past.

Jost, at 60%, was one of the best his freshman year in college. Sounds like Kamenev is very good as well. There is still some hope.

 

[Foppberg]

I don't find it that surprising we were good in FOs for years considering the centermen we've had.

ROR, Stastny, Duchene. All great at face-offs.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

Greer and Grimaldi back to SA. Discuss.

Good. Greer hasn't played since the 5th.

 

[Pokecheque]

Works for me. Greer is more than a 4th line guy, and seemed very uncomfortable there. Give him playing time.

 

[Goulet17]

No Bourque?

No news that Kamenev has been called up?

 

[CobraAcesS]

Jost, at 60%, was one of the best his freshman year in college. Sounds like Kamenev is very good as well. There is still some hope.

Yeah there was actually an article I believe on how much video scouting they did in order to achieve that as well. Why am I not surprised it's not happening here.

I don't remember Compher being bad either, but it seems there is a steep learning curve for the NHL. Now we don't have anyone to teach the younger guys either.

MacK should be better by now as well, but maybe that just isn't ever going to be a strength with him.

 

[Foppberg]

Some guys just aren't good at it, Malkin is still horrible at face-offs.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Do they not have Dave & Busters in AK? It's a adult arcade that sells alcohol. No good arcade is cheap anymore though unless it is one of those novelty penny arcades.

These days they'll charge you a dollar just to play for five minutes. I haven't came away from an arcade and not been pissed off in a long while.

Went to dave and busters once, never again. It was around $1 to $1.25 for a game and the food was mediocre at best.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

Yeah there was actually an article I believe on how much video scouting they did in order to achieve that as well. Why am I not surprised it's not happening here.

I don't remember Compher being bad either, but it seems there is a steep learning curve for the NHL. Now we don't have anyone to teach the younger guys either.

MacK should be better by now as well, but maybe that just isn't ever going to be a strength with him.

Compher finished at 44%, 44%, and 47% his three years in college.