GDT: GAME 1 - Avalanhe vs Cracen - 8PM MT - Emergency GDT

[dahrougem2]

Agree with Bednar that the execution was really lacking. Effort level was good, execution terrible.

The Toews turnover, and Manson wondering around like a chicken without a head on the second goal was really the difference in the game.

Seattle is good at keeping shots down (second in the league). They’re a good defensive team with crappy goaltending. If Grubauer catches fire, it’s going to be a really tough series. I suspect he’ll falter at some point though.

Disagree with some of the Makar takes on here. I thought he was quite easily Colorado’s best player last night. People expect him to score a hat-trick every game, but it’s just not realistic. He was clearly Colorado’s best two-way player.

Grubauer is not going to catch fire. He's the last thing I'm worried about on Seattle. Avs played like a bag of ass last night and still should have scored 3 or 4 goals but didn't because of posts or pucks just hitting Grubauer and him having no idea.

It's the rest of the Kraken roster that worries me with their speed, tenacity, forecheck, and willingness to make games as boring as possible if they have to in order to win.

 

[StLAvsFan]

Damn we sucked last night. Hard to find any optimism. Team might get it together and win the first 2 rounds but it's not going to be pretty. Fairly embarrassing that Eller was our depth help, that guy has been horrendous.

Lars Soderberg

 

[SaltySkywalker]

Lars Soderberg

And yet he was a lone bright spot last night for me. Drew a penalty and made a couple nice passes.

 

[The Kingslayer]

It's 1 game peeps. Sky isn't falling until they lose 4 games to the same team. Seattle is a very good deep team, but the Avalanche have enough to beat anyone in a 7 game series. To repeat they probably need Georgiev to steal a few along the way though.

its over and deep down you know it. This is just cope. Its ok daddy here.

 

[StLAvsFan]

Grubauer is not going to catch fire. He's the last thing I'm worried about on Seattle. Avs played like a bag of ass last night and still should have scored 3 or 4 goals but didn't because of posts or pucks just hitting Grubauer and him having no idea.

It's the rest of the Kraken roster that worries me with their speed, tenacity, forecheck, and willingness to make games as boring as possible if they have to in order to win.

If the Avs get outworked & outmuscled by a 2nd year expansion team--and lose this series, upper management needs to make some hard & bold decisions in the off-season retooling this lineup, coz it's looking painfully apparent that the Cup window is just about closed.

 

[Pokecheque]

Ranta has NHL size, speed and physicality is what I'm looking for in the lineup. Too many smurfs in the lineup right now. Need some beef in there.

Forgot Foudy was hurt but could use some life in the bottom 6 and good time to use it against a meh Seattle team.

Either way I am not so concerned we won't win the series. Was an awful game and were still the better team for the most part

Edit: forgot about Galchenyuk , put him in the lineup

If size and speed and physicality were the only requisites to being an NHL player, Ranta would have been in the league for over a year now at least. Smurfs or not, there's good reason why Ranta is not on the roster. Others who have watched the Eggs play more than me would know better but he doesn't appear to have developed or evolved at all in 101 total AHL games so far.

I'm guessing Galchenyuk will be tried in lieu of Meyers, may as well try. But they're not going to swap out Foudy for Newhook.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Grubauer is not going to catch fire. He's the last thing I'm worried about on Seattle. Avs played like a bag of ass last night and still should have scored 3 or 4 goals but didn't because of posts or pucks just hitting Grubauer and him having no idea.

It's the rest of the Kraken roster that worries me with their speed, tenacity, forecheck, and willingness to make games as boring as possible if they have to in order to win.

Yep. They play a sound game for sure and Colorado hasn’t really cracked them from an offensive standpoint in any game this season.

I still feel good about the series overall though because I don’t feel some of these guys will play so poorly moving forward.

Like, that was the worst game I’ve ever seen Josh Manson play. It’ll be hard to replicate that. Same with Val and Lehky. They’ve got a lot more to give.

 

[StLAvsFan]

And yet he was a lone bright spot last night for me. Drew a penalty and made a couple nice passes.

He earned his paycheck. I'll give him that. In fact, I'm not against the Eller deal, provided the Avs picked up a better player at the TDL in addition to him, which they did not. Water under the bridge at this point.

 

[dahrougem2]

Yep. They play a sound game for sure and Colorado hasn’t really cracked them from an offensive standpoint in any game this season.

I still feel good about the series overall though because I don’t feel some of these guys will play so poorly moving forward.

Like, that was the worst game I’ve ever seen Josh Manson play. It’ll be hard to replicate that. Same with Val and Lehky. They’ve got a lot more to give.

I also think Seattle played a tremendous game last night. If they keep that up, the Avs are in tough. However, that kind of hockey is tough to replicate game after game.

 

[AnimalMother73]

If the Avs get outworked & outmuscled by a 2nd year expansion team--and lose this series, upper management needs to make some hard & bold decisions in the off-season retooling this lineup, coz it's looking painfully apparent that the Cup window is just about closed.

Under the cap era windows still mostly close due to age.
I'd argue their core is:
Mackinnon 27
Rantanen 26
Makar 24
Byram 21

Including Landeskog, if he continues to play, it will still be a very young core next year with him being the oldest at 31. Yes they have gaps to fix and fundamentally need to get better at drafting but I highly doubt they are over and done, window's closed.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I also think Seattle played a tremendous game last night. If they keep that up, the Avs are in tough. However, that kind of hockey is tough to replicate game after game.

It will be tougher but I have no doubt they can replicate this game. The pressure they put on the Avs and the cycle the Avs cant break is going to happen the remaining 3 games.

 

[AvsMakar08]

Kadri wished Kadri had stayed.

Maybe Kadri will ask for a trade back to Colorado sometimes next season if Calgary starts to rebuild.

 

[MarchessaultCantRead]

Maybe Kadri will ask for a trade back to Colorado sometimes next season if Calgary starts to rebuild.

I doubt the Avs would be interested in that contract, even with retention. Even then, I doubt Calgary would be willing to retain for that long anyway.

That ship has sailed IMO.

 

[Muffin]

Yea well maybe you should've tried changing them up during the game

 

[AvBuff]

Let's give Seattle some credit. That's not your father's expansion team - they had a 100 point season for a reason. They're pretty damn good and play really hard. We're better but . . . well, that's why these series are 7 games, not 1 - everybody gets a chance to adjust to a new opponent. And all the home teams got whacked bad last night, so there's that.

Different year, different team. If this team is the trade-off for the 2022 Stanley Cup, it's worth it.

 

[Pokecheque]

NGL I went to the Leafs forum to feel better about my team.

 

[Bowe Byrum]

If size and speed and physicality were the only requisites to being an NHL player, Ranta would have been in the league for over a year now at least. Smurfs or not, there's good reason why Ranta is not on the roster. Others who have watched the Eggs play more than me would know better but he doesn't appear to have developed or evolved at all in 101 total AHL games so far.

I'm guessing Galchenyuk will be tried in lieu of Meyers, may as well try. But they're not going to swap out Foudy for Newhook.

I know I'd like to see Foudy's spark though.

 

[Pokecheque]

I know I'd like to see Foudy's spark though.

Agreed, just not at the expense of Newhook. Meyers? Sure. Looks like that might be happening with Galchenyuk.

 

[Bowe Byrum]

Agreed, just not at the expense of Newhook. Meyers? Sure. Looks like that might be happening with Galchenyuk.

Yeah for Meyers would be good. Just suggesting Newhook to shake his ass up

 

[niwotsblessing]

I also think Seattle played a tremendous game last night. If they keep that up, the Avs are in tough. However, that kind of hockey is tough to replicate game after game.

Seattle can't really play any better than they did last night.

The Avs certainly can.

 

[John Mandalorian]

Agreed, just not at the expense of Newhook. Meyers? Sure. Looks like that might be happening with Galchenyuk.

It's preferrable to give Foudy a chance. Maybe he'll have enough awareness to avoid having the puck repeatedly taken away when skating into the offensive zone.

These little moments that lose the puck for Colorado add up. Newhook repeatedly will skate with the puck into a cluster of three defenders. Last night he had two teammates open at center ice and he kept possession himself only to lose the puck because a defender who was 10 feet infront of him pinned him against the boards and got possession. Every time, one is left wondering, "did he honestly think he could pull that off?"

 

[Foppa2118]

Yep. They play a sound game for sure and Colorado hasn’t really cracked them from an offensive standpoint in any game this season.

I still feel good about the series overall though because I don’t feel some of these guys will play so poorly moving forward.

Like, that was the worst game I’ve ever seen Josh Manson play. It’ll be hard to replicate that. Same with Val and Lehky. They’ve got a lot more to give.

Lots of guys have more to give. Toews, Compher, and ERod can step it up too. Even Mikko I didn't think looked that great.

And nobody really had a great game. Just a few guys had good games and lot of them had bad games.

Conversely it felt like Seattle played the game of their lives. If they can shift the balance more towards the Avs favor, where more Av players are playing well, and Seattle isn't playing lights out, I like our chances.

 

[StLAvsFan]

Under the cap era windows still mostly close due to age.
I'd argue their core is:
Mackinnon 27
Rantanen 26
Makar 24
Byram 21

Including Landeskog, if he continues to play, it will still be a very young core next year with him being the oldest at 31. Yes they have gaps to fix and fundamentally need to get better at drafting but I highly doubt they are over and done, window's closed.

The core (including Nuke & Lehk), if healthy, is outstanding, and the Avs should be a good team for several more years. It's the supporting cast that's underwhelming though, and they'll be what makes the difference between the Avs being a good team or a legitimate contender. Full credit to Joe Sakic for wheeling & dealing the Avs to a 3rd franchise Cup last season, but the failure to draft anyone worth a damn outside of round 1 (for years now) is starting to show. Waiver wire pickups & minor deals to get guys like Nieto, JJ and Eller aren't enough to move the needle.

 

[Balthazar]

NGL I went to the Leafs forum to feel better about my team.

At least they have a legit excuse: they played a better team than the Kraken and got burned on the PP.

Avs, well..."lacked execution".

 

[AnimalMother73]

The core (including Nuke & Lehk), if healthy, is outstanding, and the Avs should be a good team for several more years. It's the supporting cast that's underwhelming though, and they'll be what makes the difference between the Avs being a good team or a legitimate contender. Full credit to Joe Sakic for wheeling & dealing the Avs to a 3rd franchise Cup last season, but the failure to draft anyone worth a damn outside of round 1 (for years now) is starting to show. Waiver wire pickups & minor deals to get guys like Nieto, JJ and Eller aren't enough to move the needle.

Completely agreed. Drafting poorly outside of top 10 is really starting to show and I wish there was a more earnest attempt to improve that side of the business. Maybe we have I'm not that knowledgeable about our scouts or the new head of scouting we brought in two seasons ago. Regardless, its a big limitation and will definitely keep a good team becoming great as they will have to spend more in FA than others to field a competitve team which costs more and dilutes depth.