GDT: COL @ PIT | Oct-16-2019 | 5 PM MDT

[ikyan]

Z rides pine, an injured Penguins team throws a million hits.

This is not coincidence. If you don't have Z in the lineup, there's no scare factor.

Pens fan doing a little lurking on both boards. Did just want to point out Pens went into today's game leading the league in hits/game. They also led the league last year if I recall right. A million hits was to be expected.

 

[katfude]

Pens fan doing a little lurking on both boards. Did just want to point out Pens went into today's game leading the league in hits/game. They also led the league last year if I recall right. A million hits was to be expected.

I get it, but big Z answering the bell and laying out players puts less pressure on a smaller, younger Avs core to match.

 

[Balthazar]

I just want them to play a good game next. Win or lose I want good puck possession, more shots than the other team, more hits and the team fully involved for 60 minutes.

Show us that you are a contender, I've yet to see it.

 

[Chileiceman]

That was one of the worst games of Landeskog's career even before he scored on his own net to lose the game. Complete no show by the captain, which is odd. Hopefully he's not hurt.

 

[chet1926]

That was one of the worst games of Landeskog's career even before he scored on his own net to lose the game. Complete no show by the captain, which is odd. Hopefully he's not hurt.

I've seen him play some disengaged games before, but he was complete ass tonight. He better get going quick because personally I think he has started the season poorly in general. Doesn't seem very lively to me, kinda floating around too much. Get your ass to the front of the net, park it there, and do what you do best deflect pucks and cause havoc. Then get physical game going, hit someone, piss some people off. That's his game. He's not doing that at all right now.

He was easily the worst player tonight, which is truly bad because MacK played on one leg and was significantly more useful.

But honestly the whole first line needs to bring it up a notch. They are better than what they are showing right now.

 

[Tike Myson]

Landy looked straight up like Mr. Bean on ice tonite.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Just hope this game is a wake up call for the boys that not everything is going to come easy and going through the motions won’t cut it. I get the feeling the 5-0 start got them a little too confident.

 

[kchan9]

Avs being too cute and over confident is a rinse and repeat over the past few years. They're at the best when they're doubted and or have their backs against the wall. If you wanna be looked at as contenders, they better play with more energy and killer instinct (which this team lacks big time).

 

[klozge]

I don't know if the stats are 100% accurate but close if not, wish we would stop scoring on ourselves

Not a chance. You can't contain Colorado's offense, no matter the zone they're in.



Speaking about the game in general I was okay with it considering the lineup. A meh game had to happen at some point and we still stole a point in Pittsburgh.
Can we replace Wilson with Kamenev and Barberio with Z now, please? Although Barberio has become quite good.

 

[Asinine]

Pittsburgh would have watched the tapes on the last game vs Washington and knew all they had to do was throw the body around. Bone-headed move to not see it coming and keep Zadorov out.

Rants looks pissed in the post game interview. Like he lost a playoff game.

 

[MacBradley]

Why was Z out? Didn't he just score a goal last game? I'm not sure why Barberio would be in over him.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Why was Z out? Didn't he just score a goal last game? I'm not sure why Barberio would be in over him.

Because Bednar likes his d-men to not be nhl quality

 

[Vaslof]

With how dangerous the Pens power play seemed, Zads taking penalties might have played a part in him being benched.

 

[Richard88]

Maybe Z was scratched because there's a pending trade... like Jost + Zadorov for Hall or something. With Cole back already and NJ starting the season poorly the timeline for both teams to consider a move like that has been moved up a bit

 

[EscapedGoat]

Wishing a player's recovery wasn't two months ahead of schedule isn't the same thing as wishing an injury on a player, right?

So I can't get in trouble for saying I wish Cole was still rehabbing right now instead of playing?

 

[Foppa2118]

Landy didn't have a good game, and definitely had some tough moments, but that OT goal was a bit of bad luck too.

The puck rebounded off Grubauer's pads and right off Landy's blade. Then when he went to backhand it out, the puck was spinning and hoping (like it was all night) and he got handcuffed by the post, and actually caught a piece of the post with his blade before hitting the puck. That's why he ended up taking more of a horizontal swipe at the puck, instead of straight back.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Disappointing.
First game I've been able to watch, and they play like that.
They beat themselves the whole game, and capped it off with an own-net-OT-GWG (or GLG...)

 

[ThatAvsGamer]

He was bad all night.

What’s your point? People were ripping him apart because a puck bounced off him when all he did was rush back to get in the play and covered the man sitting alone in front of the net.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Barberio had a decent game (for him).
Hopefully someone saw it, needs a D, and wants to trade for him.

 

[Grigowski]

Losing in OT, through an "own-goal" while on PP...Yikes, that hurts.

On the other hand: It was a bad performance after all. So 1 point is better than nothing.

 

[Ceremony]

If we can't play Zadorov on defence, can we get rid of Jost and play him up front instead? You'd still get pointless penalties and no offensive effectiveness, but you'd get a hit and a smile every now and then, so it would still be a net positive.

 

[Avs71]

And yet when Zadorov was playing against the Capitals, the Caps had zero problems playing edgy hockey as soon as they fell down 4-0. Ovechkin was so scared he didn't run over Girard behind the net...wait.

Zadorov's cult-like following is weird. So many very possibly unrelated events -- such as how the opposition supposedly anecdotally plays when he is or isn't in the lineup -- are all attributed to him. I think playing Barberio was a stupid decision, mainly because he's incompetent, and I don't like the Cole-love at all, but Z isn't what some of ya'll make him out to be. I get that he's a huge loveable Russian tank who smashes opponents, but there's so much more to hockey than that. I'd rather they keep Z over Cole (because I really do think it comes down to one or the other, they fill similiar roles), but he's a decent player with a decent impact. Nothing more.

I wouldn’t go as far as to say any of the events last night would have been different if Zadorov was in the lineup, because you just can’t speculate like that. For all we know Hornqvist probably throws that hit, and Z jumps him and gets a 2-5-10 and Pens score on the power play. Game is over in the 1st.

TMV did say he was talking to the opposing teams scratches against Arizona and they mentioned having to always be aware of Z.

It is not that he is some Robocop out there who ensures justice, and destroys all wrong doers. If the Avs have 6 defencemen better than him, great. Sit him, trade him, waive him, whatever. But they don’t. Barberio, Graves, and Cole to a lesser extent are not good, and commit the same constant icings and penalties. There is just no reason to have all 3 in the lineup.

All that said, Bednar knows way more than anyone here. Until this scratching or Barberio love fest becomes a trend, I’ll believe this will pay off in the long run.

 

[klozge]

With how dangerous the Pens power play seemed, Zads taking penalties might have played a part in him being benched.

Good thing Cole was playing then.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Good thing Cole was playing then.

Right?
Is his ass gonna be scratched for his penalties?

 

[Goulet17]

Good thing Cole was playing then.

I don't know if it was a mistake or not to scratch Zadorov, but it certainly does seem like the standards that apply to him do not necessarily apply to some of the other players in the lineup. I am talking about bad penalties, ill-advised decision making and turnovers. Zadorov is not alone in that regard.

It is unusual for most NHL coaches to change lineups when you are on a winning streak. Bednar has followed this same philosophy as well. I think there are some issues behind the scenes at this point, that would almost have to be the case.