2012-2013 Colorado Ava...Lake Erie Monsters Thread Part III

[Alex Jones]

I hope Bordeleau beats up Stortini. Actually, pretty much anyone could.

 

[Freudian]

The difference between good LEM and bad LEM is huge. When they play well they skate hard, have a great forecheck, throw a lot of pucks on the net and keep the other team to the outside in their own zone. When they are bad they are pointlessly cycling and lose their defensive coverage all the time.

 

[Alex Jones]

Bordeleau gets kicked out, Stortini is suddenly a tough guy as he's being escorted off the ice.

 

[Alex Jones]

Connelly goes with Gallagher. Decent fight for a couple skill players.

 

[Zandar]

If I am correct, Elliott has been on the ice for all 4 goals. Now that he has had a better partner, it seems that he has not been on the ice too often when the other team scores but a heck of a lot more when LE does.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

If I am correct, Elliott has been on the ice for all 4 goals. Now that he has had a better partner, it seems that he has not been on the ice too often when the other team scores but a heck of a lot more when LE does.

Who did they partner him with?

 

[Zandar]

Who did they partner him with?

He's played a lot with Pock and seen more time on the PP lately. Big improvement over Sullivan, Goers and Stollery as partners.

 

[member 116861]

I didn't get to watch the game today but did we really outshoot them 47-17? Also it was nice to see Elliott get 2 goals.

 

[Joe Sakic]

Hey guys I've only been able to catch 2 Monster's games this year...poor college student and all (haha) but for those of you that have seen more how has Olver looked this season?

According to his contract he is set to have a 1-way deal next year, so if all goes as planned he would be with the Avs next year.

Does it look like he's ready for the next step?

 

[Zandar]

Hey guys I've only been able to catch 2 Monster's games this year...poor college student and all (haha) but for those of you that have seen more how has Olver looked this season?

According to his contract he is set to have a 1-way deal next year, so if all goes as planned he would be with the Avs next year.

Does it look like he's ready for the next step?

Yes but that depends on what your expectations are for him. He could be a good energy guy in the bottom 6 and fill in on a scoring line from time to time in the NHL. While he quietly leads the Monster's forwards in assists, his goal scoring from his first pro season (and college) is noticeably down. His style of play is still very similar to pre-concussion so he doesn't seem to be struggling from that.

 

[Avs71]

I love the fearlessness Heard appears to show. Did pretty well considering the size mismatch.

 

[Ivan13]

Heard did pretty well, Tinordi is slowly becoming a really good fighter, hopefully he'll end up being as good as his dad was.

Connolly got in some shots at the beggining of the fight and it seems like Gallager got the better of him at the end.

All in all two nice fights.

PS

It's nice to see Stef producing once again, I can't believe he had to play with such sieve's early on in the season, it's like the coaches are pulling defensive pairings out of a hat, at least that's the only explanation for playing LEM's most creative defenseman with a bunch of scrubs IMO.

 

[Alex Jones]

Hey guys I've only been able to catch 2 Monster's games this year...poor college student and all (haha) but for those of you that have seen more how has Olver looked this season?

According to his contract he is set to have a 1-way deal next year, so if all goes as planned he would be with the Avs next year.

Does it look like he's ready for the next step?

I think he is. Its a bit hard to tell, he's turned it down a little bit this year. Not that I think he's dogging it, but he's not out there hitting and getting in peoples faces the way he was at the NHL level.

 

[Freudian]

I like Barrie as a PP quarterback. He has good puck handling, good passing, good vision and he is amazing at moving along the blue line with the puck looking for passing/shooting lanes. He has opened up a PK box with diagonal passes right through it this year many times. I think he'll be a real asset for Avs in the future.

 

[Ivan13]

I like Barrie as a PP quarterback. He has good puck handling, good passing, good vision and he is amazing at moving along the blue line with the puck looking for passing/shooting lanes. He has opened up a PK box with diagonal passes right through it this year many times. I think he'll be a real asset for Avs in the future.

Both he and Stef will be real assets in the future for Colorado, it's really nice having two such dynamic defensemen in our system. With those two, Sgarbossa, Gaunce, Malone, Heard and the rest of our youngsters playing there and Siemens playing in the dub our future does look bright.

 

[Mr Brownstone]

Was at yesterday's game. Few thoughts:

Bordeleau is an embarrassment. He and Stortini were jawing at each other for a good 3-4 clock minutes before they got on the ice together. Then, they line up next to each other, with both players going back and forth. Bordeleau backs away. After a quick whistle, they line up again and the crowd starts to buzz. Bordeleau again chooses not to drop with Stortini and winds up fighting Hagel about 20 seconds later. He has three inches and 30 pounds on Hagel. Pretty bush league move. I hope Stortini lights him up next Saturday in Hamilton. Stortini definitely more his size and he refused to fight him.

Anyway, to the real hockey players:

Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie were outstanding last night. The shot discrepancy was due, in large part, to a lot of quality PP chances in the first two periods. The Monsters had 22 shots and four powerplays in the first IIRC. Barrie did what he wanted carrying the puck and Elliott looked like a much different player than he has in most of the games I've seen this season. Barrie has separated himself from Elliott as the better player this season, but it's good to see Elliott when he's playing with confidence.

Desjardins got no help at all from the team in front of him, though he was a rebound machine. That also accounts for some of the high shot total.

Brad Malone's a real glue guy for this team. He reminds me of a more talented, younger Matt Ford, who the Monsters had last season. High energy guy, relentless forechecker, with some skill mixed in. Pretty decent skater too. Could be a 4th line asset if the NHL ever resumes. Terrific little pass on the second Elliott goal.

I trolled the forum a little bit and saw you guys were interested in Beaupre being called up. Last night, he looked overmatched. Physically, he had some difficulty and he still appears to be adjusting to the speed of the game. You can see some promise and his hockey IQ seems to be pretty sound. He's clearly still transitioning to the better level of play.

Heard has some maturing to do. I've seen him throw a dangerous hit from behind in nearly every game he's played this season. Kid needs to learn to lay off when a player has his back to him. He got a boarding minor that could've been more. Kudos to him for fighting Tinordi, though. He held his own in that scrap despite the size disadvantage.

Not a whole lot to say about Pickard. He wasn't tested a whole lot. Made a couple of good stops when it was a 1-0 game. Made another real good save shortly after we made it 2-0. Other than that, Monsters were clearly the better team and played well in their own zone.

One of the better efforts I've seen. They're doing the same thing that they did last year. Very streaky team.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Was at yesterday's game. Few thoughts:

Bordeleau is an embarrassment. He and Stortini were jawing at each other for a good 3-4 clock minutes before they got on the ice together. Then, they line up next to each other, with both players going back and forth. Bordeleau backs away. After a quick whistle, they line up again and the crowd starts to buzz. Bordeleau again chooses not to drop with Stortini and winds up fighting Hagel about 20 seconds later. He has three inches and 30 pounds on Hagel. Pretty bush league move. I hope Stortini lights him up next Saturday in Hamilton. Stortini definitely more his size and he refused to fight him.

Anyway, to the real hockey players:

Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie were outstanding last night. The shot discrepancy was due, in large part, to a lot of quality PP chances in the first two periods. The Monsters had 22 shots and four powerplays in the first IIRC. Barrie did what he wanted carrying the puck and Elliott looked like a much different player than he has in most of the games I've seen this season. Barrie has separated himself from Elliott as the better player this season, but it's good to see Elliott when he's playing with confidence.

Desjardins got no help at all from the team in front of him, though he was a rebound machine. That also accounts for some of the high shot total.

Brad Malone's a real glue guy for this team. He reminds me of a more talented, younger Matt Ford, who the Monsters had last season. High energy guy, relentless forechecker, with some skill mixed in. Pretty decent skater too. Could be a 4th line asset if the NHL ever resumes. Terrific little pass on the second Elliott goal.

I trolled the forum a little bit and saw you guys were interested in Beaupre being called up. Last night, he looked overmatched. Physically, he had some difficulty and he still appears to be adjusting to the speed of the game. You can see some promise and his hockey IQ seems to be pretty sound. He's clearly still transitioning to the better level of play.

Heard has some maturing to do. I've seen him throw a dangerous hit from behind in nearly every game he's played this season. Kid needs to learn to lay off when a player has his back to him. He got a boarding minor that could've been more. Kudos to him for fighting Tinordi, though. He held his own in that scrap despite the size disadvantage.

Not a whole lot to say about Pickard. He wasn't tested a whole lot. Made a couple of good stops when it was a 1-0 game. Made another real good save shortly after we made it 2-0. Other than that, Monsters were clearly the better team and played well in their own zone.

One of the better efforts I've seen. They're doing the same thing that they did last year. Very streaky team.

Thanks for the input, disappointing to hear about Heard and those types of hits. Hopefully it's just the speed of the game and him trying to make an impact, and not him being a dirty player.

 

[Ivan13]

Was at yesterday's game. Few thoughts:

Bordeleau is an embarrassment. He and Stortini were jawing at each other for a good 3-4 clock minutes before they got on the ice together. Then, they line up next to each other, with both players going back and forth. Bordeleau backs away. After a quick whistle, they line up again and the crowd starts to buzz. Bordeleau again chooses not to drop with Stortini and winds up fighting Hagel about 20 seconds later. He has three inches and 30 pounds on Hagel. Pretty bush league move. I hope Stortini lights him up next Saturday in Hamilton. Stortini definitely more his size and he refused to fight him.

Anyway, to the real hockey players:

Stefan Elliott and Tyson Barrie were outstanding last night. The shot discrepancy was due, in large part, to a lot of quality PP chances in the first two periods. The Monsters had 22 shots and four powerplays in the first IIRC. Barrie did what he wanted carrying the puck and Elliott looked like a much different player than he has in most of the games I've seen this season. Barrie has separated himself from Elliott as the better player this season, but it's good to see Elliott when he's playing with confidence.

Desjardins got no help at all from the team in front of him, though he was a rebound machine. That also accounts for some of the high shot total.

Brad Malone's a real glue guy for this team. He reminds me of a more talented, younger Matt Ford, who the Monsters had last season. High energy guy, relentless forechecker, with some skill mixed in. Pretty decent skater too. Could be a 4th line asset if the NHL ever resumes. Terrific little pass on the second Elliott goal.

I trolled the forum a little bit and saw you guys were interested in Beaupre being called up. Last night, he looked overmatched. Physically, he had some difficulty and he still appears to be adjusting to the speed of the game. You can see some promise and his hockey IQ seems to be pretty sound. He's clearly still transitioning to the better level of play.

Heard has some maturing to do. I've seen him throw a dangerous hit from behind in nearly every game he's played this season. Kid needs to learn to lay off when a player has his back to him. He got a boarding minor that could've been more. Kudos to him for fighting Tinordi, though. He held his own in that scrap despite the size disadvantage.

Not a whole lot to say about Pickard. He wasn't tested a whole lot. Made a couple of good stops when it was a 1-0 game. Made another real good save shortly after we made it 2-0. Other than that, Monsters were clearly the better team and played well in their own zone.

One of the better efforts I've seen. They're doing the same thing that they did last year. Very streaky team.

Great post.

And Soundwave I don't think Heard is a dirty player, he's just a rookie trying to find his game in a league where everything moves a lot quicker than in the OHL and I'm sure the coaches are on him about finishing his checks which causes him to overcommit at times and leads to bad hits.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Great post.

And Soundwave I don't think Heard is a dirty player, he's just a rookie trying to find his game in a league where everything moves a lot quicker than in the OHL and I'm sure the coaches are on him about finishing his checks which causes him to overcommit at times and leads to bad hits.

That's what I figured, usually if you are a dirty player you have that reputation early, and nothing like that seemed to arise after he was drafted. It just sounds like he is a step or two behind the play and is really trying to prove his worth.

 

[Mr Brownstone]

That's what I figured, usually if you are a dirty player you have that reputation early, and nothing like that seemed to arise after he was drafted. It just sounds like he is a step or two behind the play and is really trying to prove his worth.

The one he got suspended for a couple weeks back was a very dirty play, resulting in an injury to a Houston defenseman. Last night's was clearly from behind, against a prone player. The player needs to protect himself better, but Heard wasn't exactly innocent. Where experienced guys body up and more or less pin the opponent up against the boards, Heard just comes in and hits them.

I like his tenacity and toughness on a team that doesn't play with a lot of physicality, but he definitely needs to get smarter about it.

 

[Ceremony]

The other thing about Heard is that he could simply be trying a bit too hard. He's a bottom six player and to be successful he has to be physical and energetic, and that means he can go over the top a bit sometimes. He'll tone it down eventually, and he doesn't seem to shy away from fights after stuff like that which is helpful too. He stays accountable.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Elliot...man, this kid scares me. It seems like so many are pretty high on him and I just don't get it. The stats show he was awesome but what I've seen (a few NHL games) leaves me VERY underwhelmed by him. His stats in the AHL are also not anything to write home about. I hear second hand reports that he looks good at certain games and the stats for certain games back that up...but...

When we are sitting on team with a lot of defensive talent in the pipeline I'm not sure where he should be rated. It sure seems like Barrie has taken him over as the small-gifted offensive d-man. Although I know folks will say it takes longer for D-men to mature at the NHL level. It also looks like like Duncan has regressed since signing with the AVs. I almost believe the AVs have a curse and can't draft/sign a great d-man...regardless of size or role. Maybe it is the team's lot to always fill those top-slots with trades.

I'm too lazy to start a thread and keep tabs on it, but at this point where do y'all think is the pecking order for the AVs d-men. I'm now more inclined to think Wilson is a keeper and I'm not disappointed by the resigning of O'Brien either. O'Brien ,I hope, will get better with the stupid penalties over time and Wilson has shown good chemistry with Big J.

I'm just not sold as I used to be on the fact that we have a bunch of kids ready for NHL jobs as I was a year or two ago. But then again, I do remember hating on the coaching staff for not saving a spot for Johny B for many years and then feeling terrible watching him become a big part of the Bruin's d unit.

 

[member 116861]

Elliot...man, this kid scares me. It seems like so many are pretty high on him and I just don't get it. The stats show he was awesome but what I've seen (a few NHL games) leaves me VERY underwhelmed by him. His stats in the AHL are also not anything to write home about. I hear second hand reports that he looks good at certain games and the stats for certain games back that up...but...

When we are sitting on team with a lot of defensive talent in the pipeline I'm not sure where he should be rated. It sure seems like Barrie has taken him over as the small-gifted offensive d-man. Although I know folks will say it takes longer for D-men to mature at the NHL level. It also looks like like Duncan has regressed since signing with the AVs. I almost believe the AVs have a curse and can't draft/sign a great d-man...regardless of size or role. Maybe it is the team's lot to always fill those top-slots with trades.

I'm too lazy to start a thread and keep tabs on it, but at this point where do y'all think is the pecking order for the AVs d-men. I'm now more inclined to think Wilson is a keeper and I'm not disappointed by the resigning of O'Brien either. O'Brien ,I hope, will get better with the stupid penalties over time and Wilson has shown good chemistry with Big J.

I'm just not sold as I used to be on the fact that we have a bunch of kids ready for NHL jobs as I was a year or two ago. But then again, I do remember hating on the coaching staff for not saving a spot for Johny B for many years and then feeling terrible watching him become a big part of the Bruin's d unit.

Elliott has been fine and he will be fine when he gets to the NHL. He hasn't been as good as Barrie but he has been playing fine.

I'm too lazy to start a thread and keep tabs on it, but at this point where do y'all think is the pecking order for the AVs d-men. I'm now more inclined to think Wilson is a keeper and I'm not disappointed by the resigning of O'Brien either. O'Brien ,I hope, will get better with the stupid penalties over time and Wilson has shown good chemistry with Big J.

For this part, do you mean for this year or for the future?

 

[Avs_19]

I don't blame Bordeleau for not wanting to fight Stortini. Seriously, who likes to be hugged by another grown man?

 

[Tommy Shelby]

It won't come as a surprise if we traded one of Barrie or Elliott in a package deal for an upgrade on D.

I won't be too disappointed to see Elliott traded, Barrie is my guy going forward.