Confirmed with Link: COL/WSH Grubauer, Orpik for Avs 2018 2nd round pick

[klozge]

I think people around here were hesitant to admit that the D was still a major issue considering the great start the group had. There had to be a target for complaints and it fell on Varly.

People have come around recently and have realized the D is still pretty ****.

I disagree. The D played well at the beginning of the season and strictly looking at the personal it shouldn't be the currently maybe worst defense (defensively, offensively it's not looking too bad although I don't know what the stats say) in the league.
Right now the defense plays like trash which makes the goalies's job extremely difficult but in the first part of the season the opposite was the case.

I am one of the people who've criticized Grubauer even in the games the Avs won with him. And I admit I'm probably a bit more harsh when it comes to him than when I'm talking about Varly. There are two reasons therefor: 1. Varly has done a lot to earn my trust. Grubauer has done nothing because he wasn't on the team before this season. 2. Grubauer has almost never really played well in an Avs jersey. His rebound control is terrible even compared to Varly, his tracking leaves a lot to desire and once he allows a bad goal there's a good chance he gets thrown off his game by it. He has made terrible and sometimes ridiculous mistakes even in games the team won.
So why would I want him on this team? What has he done to earn trust? Play well in one season for the Stanley Cup champion although his weaknesses became obvious again in the playoffs of the very same season? Stats never tell the whole story and this is especially true when it comes to goaltending. Grubauer is not good enough.

Varly isn't the answer either. Francouz seems to be a bit slow moving laterally (I need to watch much more of him before I know what to think about him), so he may not be the answer as well. The situation is problematic. Blaming everything on the D will lead to a rude awakening.
At the same time the D needs to play much better and smarter defensively.

 

[Foppa2118]

I really don't see why discuss who gets more hate. Both are vilified when they play poorly. Hell, people whined about Grubauer even after those 40 save performances because "he didn't look right".

I think you're thinking of another game. I just searched each page of the GDT's for the word "gru" (didn't take that long) and all I saw were compliments and a few negative comments in the Vegas thread about past games from Grubauer.

GDT: - Game 38: Avs @ Golden Knights | 8 PM MT | December 27, 2018 | Operation: Knightfall

GDT: - This one might have more flair ;) Hurricanes vs Avalanche 11AM MST

I agree both are vilified though, sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly, and it was silly to compare them in that regard.

 

[Ivan13]

I think you're thinking of another game. I just searched each page of the GDT's for the word "gru" (didn't take that long) and all I saw were compliments and a few negative comments in the Vegas thread about past games from Grubauer.

GDT: - Game 38: Avs @ Golden Knights | 8 PM MT | December 27, 2018 | Operation: Knightfall

GDT: - This one might have more flair ;) Hurricanes vs Avalanche 11AM MST

I agree both are vilified though, sometimes rightly, sometimes wrongly, and it was silly to compare them in that regard.

I gotta hand it to you Foppa, even though we might not be on the same page sometimes you are one dedicated guy. Really appreciate the effort you put into explaining your position.

 

[Foppa2118]

I gotta hand it to you Foppa, even though we might not be on the same page sometimes you are one dedicated guy. Really appreciate the effort you put into explaining your position.

I'm just a big hockey fan. It's the only thing I spend time talking online about, and only about the Avs.

 

[Avs_19]

A bit of a weird road getting there but things worked out in the end. Grubauer carried the team on his back down the stretch.

 

[AvsFan29]

Slap my ass, and call me Suzie. The . Motherf***er did it!

He also lost his starting job after 2 games last year, and watched his team win the cup.

I'm betting he's hungry to not lose that job again.

 

[McMetal]

Slap my ass, and call me Suzie. The . Mother****er did it!

He also lost his starting job after 2 games last year, and watched his team win the cup.

I'm betting he's hungry to not lose that job again.

With Varly's record in Western Canada, we'd better hope he can keep this up.

 

[AvsFan29]

With Varly's record in Western Canada, we'd better hope he can keep this up.

Imagine playing lights-out, and getting your team into the playoffs, only to be sat for the rest of the playoffs.

I'm going to assume he doesn't want to see that happen again.

 

[Mac Attack]

I was excited when they made this trade. Thought it was a good bet. Than I was like Grubauer sucks never play him again! Now I'm like Gruuubbbb!

 

[21]

I was excited when they made this trade. Thought it was a good bet. Than I was like Grubauer sucks never play him again! Now I'm like Gruuubbbb!

Well, when losing we are really good at pointing fingers and trashtalking a couple of players but most of the times we actually lose as a team.

There was a time this season when the Avs played wide open hockey and sloppy defensively while MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog were aiming for 150 points each but luckily the guys turned it around. ;-)

I'm really happy for Grubauer, amazing last part of the season, epic.

 

[Mac Attack]

Well, when losing we are really good at pointing fingers and trashtalking a couple of players but most of the times we actually lose as a team.

There was a time this season when the Avs played wide open hockey and sloppy defensively while MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog were aiming for 150 points each but luckily the guys turned it around. ;-)

I'm really happy for Grubauer, amazing last part of the season, epic.

It's okay for us to be a little emotional. Highs and lows are part of the game. But it sure has been a fun end of the season.

 

[21]

It's okay for us to be a little emotional. Highs and lows are part of the game. But it sure has been a fun end of the season.

I fully agree

 

[klozge]

I hated him, thought he was too bad to even be a backup in the NHL. I'm glad to say my opinion has changed quite a bit.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

I'm glad he turned it around because for awhile there it was looking bleak on the ol' goaltending front.

 

[Freudian]

Too early for a Varlamov appreciation thread?

 

[Mac2Rants]

I hated him, thought he was too bad to even be a backup in the NHL. I'm glad to say my opinion has changed quite a bit.

Same here.

 

[Perratrooper]

One thing I noticed with Grubs is that he is very aggressive when challenging shooters, but has become a lot more confident in himself than what he was at the start of the season. This aggressive play is fantastic when handling the initial shot, but if he doesn't swallow the rebound or the defense doesn't cover there man things can go astray quickly. I'm very glad we'll get to rest him next game as well as get Varly another start to keep him in some kind of game form.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I said it would take a lot for me to like him again, and he did a lot. I like him now

 

[JoeSakic13]

Terrible trade, Orpik hasn't done a thing for us since joining the squad

1/10

 

[Balthazar]

One thing I noticed with Grubs is that he is very aggressive when challenging shooters, but has become a lot more confident in himself than what he was at the start of the season. This aggressive play is fantastic when handling the initial shot, but if he doesn't swallow the rebound or the defense doesn't cover there man things can go astray quickly. I'm very glad we'll get to rest him next game as well as get Varly another start to keep him in some kind of game form.

It takes time for most goalies to adjust to a new team, a new system, a new D squad. People who followed him in Washington knew he was an excellent goalie. All he needed was more starts, the way they handled the goalie situation from day 1 really pissed me off. Everything is fine now though.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I was indifferent about the trade. Thought the value was fair but never expected him to be better than Varlamov.

I’m in love with Gru right now.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Really happy he found his game, hopefully he can keep it up.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I hated him, thought he was too bad to even be a backup in the NHL. I'm glad to say my opinion has changed quite a bit.

Are you saying that based off his start in Colorado? Because there was a much larger sample size prior saying he's quite capable. It's probably tough changing teams as a goalie, to go with the pad changes goalies were dealing with this year.

 

[AvsFan29]

I doubt Grubauer will want to lose his starting job in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. I bet he will be highly motivated.

 

[klozge]

Are you saying that based off his start in Colorado? Because there was a much larger sample size prior saying he's quite capable. It's probably tough changing teams as a goalie, to go with the pad changes goalies were dealing with this year.

I hadn't liked him before his arrival in Denver because he always sucked when I watched him play on our national team. When he had this rough start in Colorado I thought his success in Washington was a product of Trotz' system.
Of course, it's better to be wrong than to not make the playoffs.