Post-Game Talk: Avalanche @ Lightning 1/25/2014 7PM EST: Battle of Young Sami VS. Old Sami.

[JWK]

 

[calvin0416*]

IMHO, it's time to trade either/or: Stastny, Tanguay, Parenteau, and in return get a solid defenseman and another solid 3rd/4th liner. This allows the formation of a definitive top 6 forward (2 lines) where Roy can give them more ice-time.

I'd prefer our top 6 forwards to be Duchene, MacKinnon, Landeskog, O'Reilly, McGinn, ad PAP.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

IMHO, it's time to trade either/or: Stastny, Tanguay, Parenteau, and in return get a solid defenseman and another solid 3rd/4th liner. This allows the formation of a definitive top 6 forward (2 lines) where Roy can give them more ice-time.

I'd prefer our top 6 forwards to be Duchene, MacKinnon, Landeskog, O'Reilly, McGinn, ad PAP.

See: San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins

For: Successful teams which use 3-scoring lines to win games

 

[Freudian]

You can play at a higher pace and get less wear and tear/injuries playing 16-17 minutes a game compared to playing 20+ minutes a game.

 

[henchman21]

I don't think this horse is quite dead yet.

 

[Freudian]

That will be two minutes for high sticking, sir.

 

[Avs44]

See: San Jose Sharks, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins

For: Successful teams which use 3-scoring lines to win games

I agree with that, but long term MacKinnon has to be in our top 6 and he has to be at center in my opinion. I love Stastny but I'm not sure how he fits in this teams plans going forward. If Stastny is traded within the next month I won't be surprised. In fact, I'm kind of expecting it. This team needs massive upgrades on defense and I think Roy prefers a more traditional bottom 6.

 

[Nihiliste]

Meh a slight let down trip was due. Not stoked that Sami didn't have a good game though, was hoping he'd be able to impress.

On to the next one

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I agree with that, but long term MacKinnon has to be in our top 6 and he has to be at center in my opinion. I love Stastny but I'm not sure how he fits in this teams plans going forward. If Stastny is traded within the next month I won't be surprised. In fact, I'm kind of expecting it. This team needs massive upgrades on defense and I think Roy prefers a more traditional bottom 6.

Sure, long term. But in 3-4 years Stastny could be the veteran center we need to win a Stanley Cup.

Center depth is not a bad thing, I have no idea why some people feel we need to get rid of it. I guarantee the moment we lose one of ROR or Stastny people are going to be complaining about how they miss the center depth.

I feel like the one thing Roy needs to do is learn to stack his lines towards the end of a period when we're trying to comeback. There's no reason he can't roll out a Landy-Staz-MacK line in the final minutes of a period to try and score.

Otherwise, there's plenty of minutes to go around.

 

[Gaks*]

Sure, long term. But in 3-4 years Stastny could be the veteran center we need to win a Stanley Cup.

Center depth is not a bad thing, I have no idea why some people feel we need to get rid of it. I guarantee the moment we lose one of ROR or Stastny people are going to be complaining about how they miss the center depth.

I feel like the one thing Roy needs to do is learn to stack his lines towards the end of a period when we're trying to comeback. There's no reason he can't roll out a Landy-Staz-MacK line in the final minutes of a period to try and score.

Otherwise, there's plenty of minutes to go around.

Move Staz to wing when Mac improves on D and at FO. It's not that difficult. We have the cap to make that happen.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Meh a slight let down trip was due. Not stoked that Sami didn't have a good game though, was hoping he'd be able to impress.

On to the next one

Sami hasn't played that great all year. Didn't want to burst anyone's bubble but it was pretty much expected.

As far as the rest of the discussion, there isn't much to logically discuss when the argument stems from jealousy over another team's rookie.

 

[DanglesFromDuchene]

I love Roy and what he's done for the Avs this year, but I guess after seeing Johnson get a hat trick tonight and playing 22 minutes, it just made me so pissed that the Avs don't use their top players and rookie like this too. Coach Cooper is doing a great job letting his best players fly and have the ice-time to get hot and confident. It just made me so jealous and angry that the Avs don't do that same!

Also, some of you think that having 3 scoring lines is a good thing. It's not. You know why? Because again, there's not enough ice-time to spread around. A team needs to be built with "parts". You can't have a great car with 3 engines but no tires. If we have 3 scoring lines, that means we have some good assets to trade away to get back some good rubber or chasis for our car. Once again, teams like Bos/Pit/Chi/La don't have 3 top scoring lines. They have 2, and then an amazing checking line/shut down line, and energy line.....it's about PARTS and ROLE PLAYERS. You can't just have an allstar team of 3 or 4 scoring lines and think that's a good thing to have....you need to have your grinders, checkers, shutdown men, energy players, enforcers etc......and then let the top 6 scorers on the top lines get more ice-time to do what they are supposed to do, score. You can't score if you're only playing 16 to 17 minutes a night as a top line.

The 3 scoring lines aren't just all-star offense only forwards. Landeskog, McGinn, and Talbot bring the physical play on each line. O'Reilly, Landeskog, Stastny, and Talbot are all really good in the d-zone. Our 3 "scoring lines" are really well balanced and honestly if cutting Duchene's time down by a couple minutes a night means Talbot-MacKinnon-Parenteau playing a couple more minutes against a traditional 3rd line, then I'm all for it. Our team is 13-1 when our 3 scoring lines are all healthy. Saying that it doesn't work at this point in time is foolish.

 

[klozge]

I obviously don't like it when the Avs lose but I don't really care that they did so last night. It was such a fun game.

 

[Nzap]

Got the feeling that Roy wanted to play Varly, but Allaire told to let Sami start.

I mean, he let in that 2nd goal which he should've had, but the 1st should've been cleared by the D, and the 3rd came from a fabulous save which then caromed off a skate and in.

How do you justify changing goalies then? Aittokallio must be so down now. His confidence would've been fine if he'd stay in, but having been substituted I don't know. Have really never seen a goaltending change after your team scores 2 goals to get back into the game.

Roy is getting the same tendencies that Sacco had the 1st year, in overplaying your no1, and having no confidence in your other goalie(s). Hopefully he'll learn.

 

[AvsRobin]

Got the feeling that Roy wanted to play Varly, but Allaire told to let Sami start.

I mean, he let in that 2nd goal which he should've had, but the 1st should've been cleared by the D, and the 3rd came from a fabulous save which then caromed off a skate and in.

How do you justify changing goalies then? Aittokallio must be so down now. His confidence would've been fine if he'd stay in, but having been substituted I don't know. Have really never seen a goaltending change after your team scores 2 goals to get back into the game.

Roy is getting the same tendencies that Sacco had the 1st year, in overplaying your no1, and having no confidence in your other goalie(s). Hopefully he'll learn.

I think Roy wanted to win the game and felt Varly had a better chance than Sami to shut the door in the 3rd when were a goal behind.

 

[JLo217]

Got the feeling that Roy wanted to play Varly, but Allaire told to let Sami start.

I mean, he let in that 2nd goal which he should've had, but the 1st should've been cleared by the D, and the 3rd came from a fabulous save which then caromed off a skate and in.

How do you justify changing goalies then? Aittokallio must be so down now. His confidence would've been fine if he'd stay in, but having been substituted I don't know. Have really never seen a goaltending change after your team scores 2 goals to get back into the game.

Roy is getting the same tendencies that Sacco had the 1st year, in overplaying your no1, and having no confidence in your other goalie(s). Hopefully he'll learn.

Can't blame him. Giggy has looked AWFUL.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I think Roy wanted to win the game and felt Varly had a better chance than Sami to shut the door in the 3rd when were a goal behind.

And he made some pretty great saves. So can't blame our goalies on that loss, even though Aitto wasn't spectacular the defense was atrocious.

 

[AvsRobin]

Can't blame him. Giggy has looked AWFUL.

Giggy has looked great longer than he has looked awful this season. 7-0 at the start of the season is bigger than his 0-4 lately.

 

[More 2004]

Lightning fan coming in peace.. MacKinnon is the real deal. Last night is the first game where I really watched him and wow. The kid has the hands speed and hockey IQ to be one of the best. I really hope Drouin can follow suit next season.

 

[JLo217]

Lightning fan coming in peace.. MacKinnon is the real deal. Last night is the first game where I really watched him and wow. The kid has the hands speed and hockey IQ to be one of the best. I really hope Drouin can follow suit next season.

Thanks! Your rookies are equally as impressive. Can't believe you guys still have Drouin to join the team in the future.

Now please keep beating teams in the West!

 

[Hans Landaskog]

Lightning fan coming in peace.. MacKinnon is the real deal. Last night is the first game where I really watched him and wow. The kid has the hands speed and hockey IQ to be one of the best. I really hope Drouin can follow suit next season.

That's really nice of you because last night wasn't one of MacK's best games.

 

[AslanRH]

I agree with that, but long term MacKinnon has to be in our top 6 and he has to be at center in my opinion. I love Stastny but I'm not sure how he fits in this teams plans going forward. If Stastny is traded within the next month I won't be surprised. In fact, I'm kind of expecting it. This team needs massive upgrades on defense and I think Roy prefers a more traditional bottom 6.

If that were true, Mitchell would have been on the 3rd line and MacK moved up to the 2nd last night.

I do not think Roy has ever hinted at wanting a traditional top 6-bottom 6. He seemed genuinely excited about 3 scoring lines to begin the year, and I honestly think the Avs could make a move for a Hemsky, Kulemin, Seto type player to add depth to the top 9 and let Talbot slide to the 4th line. If Grabner were to be available he would be perfect as a guy to build a pairing for MacK going forward.
ROR-Dutch-PAP
Landy-Staz-Tanguay
McGinn-MacK-Grabner

A 4th line of McLeod-Cliche-Talbot is a playoff caliber 4th line. All play PK and Talbot can move up to the 3rd if needed.

 

[cgf]

I agree with that, but long term MacKinnon has to be in our top 6 and he has to be at center in my opinion. I love Stastny but I'm not sure how he fits in this teams plans going forward. If Stastny is traded within the next month I won't be surprised. In fact, I'm kind of expecting it. This team needs massive upgrades on defense and I think Roy prefers a more traditional bottom 6.

Why? Why not just run 3 top lines for as long as we're able to keep it together? We can keep this group together and get the upgrade we need on D, it's not massive upgrades we need it's one more top 4 guy who can play with barrie, and those guys can be had for a guy like Parenteau.

 

[CobraAcesS]

If that were true, Mitchell would have been on the 3rd line and MacK moved up to the 2nd last night.

I do not think Roy has ever hinted at wanting a traditional top 6-bottom 6. He seemed genuinely excited about 3 scoring lines to begin the year, and I honestly think the Avs could make a move for a Hemsky, Kulemin, Seto type player to add depth to the top 9 and let Talbot slide to the 4th line. If Grabner were to be available he would be perfect as a guy to build a pairing for MacK going forward.
ROR-Dutch-PAP
Landy-Staz-Tanguay
McGinn-MacK-Grabner

A 4th line of McLeod-Cliche-Talbot is a playoff caliber 4th line. All play PK and Talbot can move up to the 3rd if needed.

O'Reilly - Duchene - _______

Landeskog - Stastny - Tanguay

McGinn - MacKinnon - Parenteau

That's the spot that needs to be filled to be honest. We need at least another 'McGinn' type player or better, and at best it would be someone like Callahan who can bring a physical presence to that line.

The easiest thing to do would be to pick up someone like Kulemin, and let McGinn play up there. Grabner is just another one dimensional forward who skates fast but does not do much else. Hemsky is a lesser version of Tanguay, and Seto is another offense only one dimensional player who doesn't show up every game.

Each line needs a physical presence IMO.

 

[Avs44]

Why? Why not just run 3 top lines for as long as we're able to keep it together? We can keep this group together and get the upgrade we need on D, it's not massive upgrades we need it's one more top 4 guy who can play with barrie, and those guys can be had for a guy like Parenteau.

And lets say you move Parenteau for a defender...then you're left with a top nine that is not ideally suited to run three scoring lines.

O'Reilly-Duchene-McGinn
Landeskog-Stastny-Tanguay
XXX-MacKinnon-XXX

And suddenly MacKinnon is playing with Talbot/Mitchell/McLeod. This team absolutely needs one good top four defender, ideally two. If the Avs want to run three scoring lines then we cannot afford to move any of our top forwards for a defensman, which means the only way we'll improve our defense is by drastically overpaying a guy like MacDonald in free agency or hoping to find a team willing to move a defender for futures. I don't like either of those options. I'd love to keep Stastny and keep running three scoring lines, but to do that we need to keep all of our other forwards as well and potentially add another one to play alongside MacKinnon if you don't want Mitchell/Talbot in our top 9 nine long term. I just don't feel that's an overly realistic option if we want to improve our defense and give both Stastny and MacKinnon good linemates.