GDT: Game 32: Avs @ Blose | 6 PM MT | December 14, 2018 | Bozak + 2nd (2009)

[TruePowerSlave]

Where do we land if we ignore the defense and goaltending?
The reason I addressed the forward scoring is because the narrative in threads lately is that the Avs need more scoring from their depth forwards.

Keep in mind that its not only the scoring. Having a real 2nd line will push the scrubs out of the lineup and limit the ice time of others. It will also mean that the puck will spend less time in our own end as the 2nd line can actually sustain pressure in the opponents end and get them tired. We would clearly be a better team and as a result score more goals and more importantly give up less goals.

 

[CB Joe]

Winning cups as long as we get a legit 1b C.

The goaltending was an issue for 2 games, so forgive me if I'm not ready to panic about it. Our forward core has been an issue for over 100...and is a big part of the defensive issues lately. On the blueline, we'll be sitting pretty once Makar pushes Nemeth out of the lineup next season and Meloche/Timmins start pushing for EJ & Cole's jobs...so that's a non-issue to me, especially if we can sort our forward core out...unlike our lack of 2nd line anchor that would knock everyone else into place; which we just don't have in the organization, even as a future solution.

It's been more than 2 games. Grubauer's been sub .900% in 8 of his 13 games and he is the obvious heir to the starting position if the team moves on from Varly. He needs to be much better if he is to be trusted with 50 to 60 games next season.

I disagree with your assessment of the defense too. Makar is very likely to make the team but then the Avs are stuck with a bunch of offensive defesemen and two aging defensive minded defensemen. Skill wise the Avs are ok the defense but I don't think it's the right mix of players. Meloche and Timmins are still far away from replacing Cole or EJ, if they even make it.

 

[AvsFan29]

It's been more than 2 games. Grubauer's been sub .900% in 8 of his 13 games and he is the obvious heir to the starting position if the team moves on from Varly. He needs to be much better if he is to be trusted with 50 to 60 games next season.

I disagree with your assessment of the defense too. Makar is very likely to make the team but then the Avs are stuck with a bunch of offensive defesemen and two aging defensive minded defensemen. Skill wise the Avs are ok the defense but I don't think it's the right mix of players. Meloche and Timmins are still far away from replacing Cole or EJ, if they even make it.

Honestly, at this point, Nemeth is more effective defensively and offensively than Johnson. I know he ices the puck like an idiot sometimes, but he makes the right play at a higher rate than Johnson. Also costs half of what Johnson does.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Second one was unstoppable? Grubauer let that weak pass go right by him. He just watched it go right by him and didn't bother to stop it or slide to the backside post to make a save. Johnson also gets the blame for that one. It's kind of silly that Varly gets called out on goals he gave in his last start but for some reason Grubauer gets away constantly with those weak goals he has given up.

Here are advanced stats for Avs goalies before tonights game:

                   Sv%       xSv%      dSv%   LDSv%    MDSv%    HDSv%   GSAA
Grubauer          90,03     90,28      -0,26   100     89,55    75    -0,9
Varlamov          91,58     91,37       0,2   98,58    90,37   79,43   1,3

Statistically speaking Grubauer has been worse goaltender than Varly but for some reason Varly gets all the heat when things don't go well. Grubauer seems to be a system goalie and we dont play that kind of hockey where Grubauer would shine. He can't see puck through the traffic and his lateral movement isn't a starting goalie material.

That is such a lie Grubauer has been chastised time and time again for 0 reason.

 

[cgf]

It's been more than 2 games. Grubauer's been sub .900% in 8 of his 13 games and he is the obvious heir to the starting position if the team moves on from Varly. He needs to be much better if he is to be trusted with 50 to 60 games next season.

I disagree with your assessment of the defense too. Makar is very likely to make the team but then the Avs are stuck with a bunch of offensive defesemen and two aging defensive minded defensemen. Skill wise the Avs are ok the defense but I don't think it's the right mix of players. Meloche and Timmins are still far away from replacing Cole or EJ, if they even make it.

Grubauer hasn't been the problem in the vast majority of his starts regardless of what the stats say, varly was great before his last 2, and we've still got a guy in the AHL who's been better than Koskinen the past few years in the same league with a much worse team in front of him. This last week is tainting your impression of our goalies. I'll worry about it when Gigantor tells me to start worrying about Grubs & Frank.

And are you talking about our defense or our blueliners? I'm confused because you keep saying defense and then only talking about 2 out of 5 defenders on the ice as though forwards don't have a massive impact on winning the puck back & keeping control of it.

 

[S E P H]

Is the anti-Grubs fanclub just afraid of change? Or that he can legitimately take over Varlamov's spot? Or what? It's puzzling to me to go after him after every single game.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Is the anti-Grubs fanclub just afraid of change? Or that he can legitimately take over Varlamov's spot? Or what? It's puzzling to me to go after him after every single game.

Grubs is far more consistent than Varly but also not as good of a goalie. So I can see why they think he isn’t as good, but it’s still weird. Grubs has been solid, nothing more nothing less.

 

[CB Joe]

Grubauer hasn't been the problem in the vast majority of his starts regardless of what the stats say, varly was great before his last 2, and we've still got a guy in the AHL who's been better than Koskinen the past few years in the same league with a much worse team in front of him. This last week is tainting your impression of our goalies. I'll worry about it when Gigantor tells me to start worrying about Grubs & Frank.

And are you talking about our defense or our blueliners? I'm confused because you keep saying defense and then only talking about 2 out of 5 defenders on the ice as though forwards don't have a massive impact on winning the puck back & keeping control of it.

I haven't been impressed with Grubauer most of the season. He's been ok for a back-up but hasn't proved he should be a starter. To me starting next season with Grubauer as our starter is risker than starting next season with a 2nd line consisting of Jost/Compher/Kerfoot/Kaut/Ottawa's 1st.

When I was talking about defense in the previous post I was specifically talking about our defensemen not forwards. While the two-way play of our forwards could be better it's a lower priority to me than a reliable starting goaltender and getting a good young defensemen that is reliable in the defensive zone.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

I haven't seen Bednar use a time out all season. He is running our first line/first PP to the ground. Yes those guys are awesome, but maybe give them a breezer and CALL A TIME OUT.

 

[Foppberg]

Grubs is far more consistent than Varly but also not as good of a goalie. So I can see why they think he isn’t as good, but it’s still weird. Grubs has been solid, nothing more nothing less.

That's fair. Grub has been more consistent, but hasn't had the number of great starts that Varly has had.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That's fair. Grub has been more consistent, but hasn't had the number of great starts that Varly has had.

And he never will. He’s just doesn’t have Varlys natural ability.

 

[hawk30]

Not sure why it has to be Grubaur or Varlamov. Both have been bad.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I haven't seen Bednar use a time out all season. He is running our first line/first PP to the ground. Yes those guys are awesome, but maybe give them a breezer and CALL A TIME OUT.

The team can handle it, better to save it for a challenge that could alter the course of the game.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

That is such a lie Grubauer has been chastised time and time again for 0 reason.

Varly gets that too. Everyone rides Varly for letting in a 'soft one' after making the impossible save.

I just don't understand why people are ready to put their faith in Grubs over Varly besides contract situation. It seems fairly obvious Varly is better, regardless of how Grubs has been deployed. Varly can come off the bench ready to go, why does Grubs need more starts to find a rythym?

I really hope Franco is the answer, I'm worried we're going to go with Grubs and regret it. Happy to eat crow, but he doesn't instill playoff caliber goaltending confidence in me.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

The team can handle it, better to save it for a challenge that could alter the course of the game.

Ive already seen more than enough times that the top line is too gassed that i dont think they can always handle it. At the beginning yes, but at the end of the game, its better to just use it up. I hate leaving a TO unused.

 

[Piestany88]

And he never will. He’s just doesn’t have Varlys natural ability.

 

[hooverdam]

The new GDT is up for whenever we want to stop being mad about this one!

 

[Piestany88]

Varly gets that too. Everyone rides Varly for letting in a 'soft one' after making the impossible save.

I just don't understand why people are ready to put their faith in Grubs over Varly besides contract situation. It seems fairly obvious Varly is better, regardless of how Grubs has been deployed. Varly can come off the bench ready to go, why does Grubs need more starts to find a rythym?

I really hope Franco is the answer, I'm worried we're going to go with Grubs and regret it. Happy to eat crow, but he doesn't instill playoff caliber goaltending confidence in me.

 

[Hesher]

That injury basically reset Barrie back to where he was at the start of the season when it took him a while to get going.

Allen and Parayko would love to play all 82 games against the Avs.

 

[Mac2Rants]

it sucks I have to work so much and its 12 hr shift work. Anyways with EJ could some of his mishaps be playing a softer game? not wanting to run into injuries which is terrible because unless EJ can play his game 100% I find that's when we see inconsistency just like how we was before roy came in and let the chains off but now has to back off for health concerns. I also kind of see the same is Zads let the chains off and have confidence in him and he tends to shine better.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I haven't seen Bednar use a time out all season. He is running our first line/first PP to the ground. Yes those guys are awesome, but maybe give them a breezer and CALL A TIME OUT.

Hes saving it all up for game 82 where he gets to call a 50 minute time out after we take a lead.

 

[Pokecheque]

it sucks I have to work so much and its 12 hr shift work. Anyways with EJ could some of his mishaps be playing a softer game? not wanting to run into injuries which is terrible because unless EJ can play his game 100% I find that's when we see inconsistency just like how we was before roy came in and let the chains off but now has to back off for health concerns. I also kind of see the same is Zads let the chains off and have confidence in him and he tends to shine better.

No, there's no hesitation in his game. He's every bit as physical as before. I'm not even sure it's his decision-making at this point, which frankly has never been great. I honestly think he's lost a step, whether it's in how he processes the game, or literally that he's just not moving as fast as he did before, or a combination of both. I also think he's struggling mightily to adjust to a more defensive role. He's at his best when joining the rush and creating offense but on this team he needs to hang back more and for whatever reason I don't think it's working.

I've noticed there is a REAL problem with that third pairing. For some weird reason the only guy who works well with Nemeth is Zadorov. The minute they put another guy with him, like EJ or Cole, it's an outright disaster. And what's really weird about it is that I didn't think Nemeth had a bad game tonight, he's just not meshing well at all with those other guys.

 

[Pokecheque]

Anyway, I'm happy they won, especially on the 2nd leg of a back-to-back and broke the losing streak. Also glad to see MacKinnon return to form after what I would call a pretty pronounced slump. I realize he's still been productive during this last stretch, but something just seemed...off. Didn't seem that way at all tonight.

But I'm still very, very concerned that they blew a big lead because of garbage defensive zone breakdowns and shoddy goaltending.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Anyway, I'm happy they won, especially on the 2nd leg of a back-to-back and broke the losing streak. Also glad to see MacKinnon return to form after what I would call a pretty pronounced slump. I realize he's still been productive during this last stretch, but something just seemed...off. Didn't seem that way at all tonight.

But I'm still very, very concerned that they blew a big lead because of garbage defensive zone breakdowns and shoddy goaltending.

I'll enjoy it when they play well, but it's going to be very difficult to get to a place where I am optimistic going into any game lol. You just can't trust this team. They're pretty much the equivalent of a teenager right now.