GDT: Game 15 - Nashville @ Colorado - 8PM 11/7

[Foppa2118]

How do we dial it back when Barrie and EJ are both playing like crap? The kid is doing an admirable job all things considered IMO. Bednar had 4 days to try and reset the vets, and put everyone back in roles based on talent. He didn't feel the need to do that apparently.

I don't think EJ and Barrie have been as bad as advertised. It looks a lot more like a slow start than anything else to me. They can be better though and I think they will be.

Girard hasn't been that bad either, he's just had some tough moments, and he's still young so I'd rather just go with the vets that have proven themselves in the past.

Personally I'd just like to see them roll these combos 5 on 5 and give Barrie top PP minutes. Ride that top pair with EJ and Cole, and give the other two combos the same ES minutes.

Cole - EJ
Zadorov - Girard
Nemeth - Barrie

I'm not considering Nemeth-Barrie the "third pairing" it's just third in the rotation. Cole's probably been the Avs best defenseman this year, that's why I want to see him with EJ. Get EJ moving his feet and jumping into the play more. I don't think he's fully in his rhythm hanging back as mostly a stay at home D for Girard.

Nemeth played well with Barrie last year and I just have a feeling about a Z-G pairing. They both make up for each others weaknesses (size/puck movement) and I keep hearing G likes playing on the right side.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I don't think EJ and Barrie have been as bad as advertised. It looks a lot more like a slow start than anything else to me. They can be better though and I think they will be.

Girard hasn't been that bad either, he's just had some tough moments, and he's still young so I'd rather just go with the vets that have proven themselves in the past.

Personally I'd just like to see them roll these combos 5 on 5 and give Barrie top PP minutes. Ride that top pair with EJ and Cole, and give the other two combos the same ES minutes.

Cole - EJ
Zadorov - Girard
Nemeth - Barrie

I'm not considering Nemeth-Barrie the "third pairing" it's just third in the rotation. Cole's probably been the Avs best defenseman this year, that's why I want to see him with EJ. Get EJ moving his feet and jumping into the play more. I don't think he's fully in his rhythm hanging back as mostly a stay at home D for Girard.

Nemeth played well with Barrie last year and I just have a feeling about a Z-G pairing. They both make up for each others weaknesses (size/puck movement) and I keep hearing G likes playing on the right side.

Nothing wrong with those pairings really. You just can't have your two best D play this bad 5v5. I think Bednar should have hit the reset button on the D over the break, but he didn't.

Nemeth should never be more than 5th in TOI though unless we take like 10 penalties, and even then Z, EJ, and Cole should be ahead of him.

Even with some of this I still think secondary scoring is the biggest problem. Add some bad nights by our goalies to all of it and you get this type of slump.

Oh and I still think Girard has been our best D. Cole hasn't had to play the same role, but hes been more consistent.

In the end I'm fine with changing up the PP QB again, as it should never be a problem changing those two out to shake things up. I just don't think merit is a basis for it.

 

[5280]

I’ve still got in my mind that we are a playoff bubble team, and if we go on a couple of hot streaks we probably get in. For some random reason we have been getting completely screwed by refs, are missing our whole second line and have a had a funny schedule.......but we have been in every game we have lost recently and that includes playing Nashville and Tampa. Although very frustrating after our hot start, I’m not hitting the panic button yet.

 

[Foppa2118]

All this because he had a call go against him on a spin?



I think hes made quicker passes than Barrie, and isn't bobbling the puck as much. His nerves are having an effect on his shot getting through but it's not any better or worse than Barrie. You are right though that he looked more confident on the second unit.

I'm not sure what the right answer is really, but Barrie is making a lot of mistakes as well even at 5v5. Not sure he deserves it or would actually be better there. They finally ****ing put Calvart to use too. We got a couple goals from Landy and Jost tipping pucks before as well. My biggest problem with it had been MacK, Barrie, and Mikko all holding the puck to long. As well as Barrie just putting passes in peoples feet. Girard at least fixed that IMO.

It's probably time to change it up though. Which there shouldn't be anything wrong with because soon enough Girard, Makar, and Barrie will all be PP QB options. Nothing wrong with some kind of rotation through the year based on who deserves it, and things just being stale. Especially since two of them will likely be on the 2nd unit and one on the first.

It's less about Girard, and more about the chemistry Barrie has with MacKinnon and that top PP unit IMO. They're scoring right now with Girard but there's a lot of PP shifts where they're jut not clicking, and they almost have to will the puck in the net somehow. That's great, but it's not really a sustainable approach. That's why they looked so out of sync last game IMO outside of Calvert's nice deflection.

I don't think the guys have fully figured out what Girard's tendencies are. He's just so creative, and sneaky out there, sometimes it throws off his teammates. Barrie and MacKinnon basically share a brain out there, and when they're passing back and forth from the point to the circle, they're dominant on the PP. Whether it's Nate or Barrie taking the shot. Them working together makes the PK forget about Mikko too, so him and Nate can work that seam pass.

Even if they don't score, it generates some much needed momentum that they haven't been able to find lately in these games. I won't be upset though if they keep G on the top unit.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I’ve still got in my mind that we are a playoff bubble team, and if we go on a couple of hot streaks we probably get in. For some random reason we have been getting completely screwed by refs, are missing our whole second line and have a had a funny schedule.......but we have been in every game we have lost recently and that includes playing Nashville and Tampa. Although very frustrating after our hot start, I’m not hitting the panic button yet.

I think we'll see here shortly. They had a good start, not amazing, not bad. Them turning this around here directly or not should tell us a lot. If we're a bubble team I'm hoping it's more of fighting for 3rd/4th in our Division rather than constantly chasing the playoffs by being out 2-4 points.

 

[5280]

I think we'll see here shortly. They had a good start, not amazing, not bad. Them turning this around here directly or not should tell us a lot. If we're a bubble team I'm hoping it's more of fighting for 3rd/4th in our Division rather than constantly chasing the playoffs by being out 2-4 points.

Yeah, I agree with your whole post. It would be nice to be in the mix, rather than slide in like we did last year. I do think we’ll probably have a pretty good idea about making the playoffs by early December.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It's less about Girard, and more about the chemistry Barrie has with MacKinnon and that top PP unit IMO. They're scoring right now with Girard but there's a lot of PP shifts where they're jut not clicking, and they almost have to will the puck in the net somehow. That's great, but it's not really a sustainable approach. That's why they looked so out of sync last game IMO outside of Calvert's nice deflection.

I don't think the guys have fully figured out what Girard's tendencies are. He's just so creative, and sneaky out there, sometimes it throws off his teammates. Barrie and MacKinnon basically share a brain out there, and when they're passing back and forth from the point to the circle, they're dominant on the PP. Whether it's Nate or Barrie taking the shot. Them working together makes the PK forget about Mikko too, so him and Nate can work that seam pass.

Even if they don't score, it generates some much needed momentum that they haven't been able to find lately in these games. I won't be upset though if they keep G on the top unit.

You have a point, but at the same time before the switch Barrie was killing it by bobbling the puck and placing bad passes in MacK's feet. I think the only one whose given MacK a pass he can one time was Rants when he was actually able to get it through. So the change was warranted. They also all were holding the puck too long playing too cute. So they needed more of a bang/shoot mentality which utilizes guys like Calvert and Landy more. MacK and Barrie's chemistry can sometimes go to their heads.

Like I said, I see no problem with them changing it up again though.

I don't think we disagree really, just wanted to make the case it wasn't because Girard is killing the unit.

 

[Foppa2118]

You have a point, but at the same time before the switch Barrie was killing it by bobbling the puck and placing bad passes in MacK's feet. I think the only one whose given MacK a pass he can one time was Rants when he was actually able to get it through. So the change was warranted. They also all were holding the puck too long playing too cute. So they needed more of a bang/shoot mentality which utilizes guys like Calvert and Landy more. MacK and Barrie's chemistry can sometimes go to their heads.

Like I said, I see no problem with them changing it up again though.

I don't think we disagree really, just wanted to make the case it wasn't because Girard is killing the unit.

Yeah, Barrie's actually still not that great at putting pucks in Nate's wheelhouse. Nate has the same problem sometimes. About the third or fourth try they figure it out though and it ends up in the net.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah, Barrie's actually still not that great at putting pucks in Nate's wheelhouse. Nate has the same problem sometimes. About the third or fourth try they figure it out though and it ends up in the net.

Yeah, those two need to work on that in practice or something. I'd say Barrie's been able to get his off much more though. The one thing Barrie was doing right on that unit was shooting. If teams didn't just have to crowd the middle to cut off Mikko they'd have to respect both passing lanes. Before they just let Barrie, Mikko, and MacK pass it around the perimeter.

 

[drhiii]

Pokecheque, sir.. you are spot on. On your breakout examination, and what the bloody hell is this lackluster effort that you point to?!? As I suggested in my post, the 4th line during the Preds was the only line with pop.

Now watching first period of the Avs/Preds game and same ol same ol.

Anywayz... you sir are correct. Avs need to get some fires lit else this is going to be a looooooong run up, rather run down to the break. I wants ta believes they can dial it up, but this low energy predictability not the least of which is on the break out is aggravating as hell.

Into the second period of the Jets game, and even the announcers are muted energy. This is not inspiring...

I've been about the breakout scheme for a while. I'm tellin' ya, other teams looked at the video from the Flames game and do everything they can to stand up the Avs at their own blue line, and it usually results in a bad pass or turnover. ...

... but now they're zeroing in on the one guy who CAN break it out, and that's Sammy. Not sure how you fix that but something's gotta be done.

... but I'm waiting for a little more overall energy from this team and they've just been so very....blah to start, apart from the full on ass-whipping they laid on the Wylde to start the year. Not sure how the coaches can jumpstart the team but they gotta start benching guys if this continues.

....and overall the team just lacks energy, which makes me think they need to start putting guys in the press box or at the very least severely reduce their roles.