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

[dahrougem2]

I compared Tyson Jost to Curtis Lazar a while back and I'm sticking with that until proven otherwise.

Dude just looks like he doesn't have "it".

 

[Avs_19]

Love how you conveniently left out the Arizona game where he was torched for 4 goals on 15 shots and a killer .750 sv%.

True. He wasn't good in the second half of a home/road back to back where they travelled overnight and he didn't know he was starting until the day of the game. If you want to put that on him and not the coaching staff then that's fine but it doesn't change the fact that he has been really good in his other three most recent starts.

The Avs system, goalie coach, and western conference schedule is very new to him so it's not surprising it took time for him to adjust. It remains to be seen if he can keep it up consistently but so far so good recently.

 

[AvsFan29]

????????? Nieto ?????????

 

[UncleRisto]

THAT'S how he decided to split the top line?!

 

[henchman21]

I think the Arizona game is a bit of a mulligan... just a bad situation all around. Even including that, I'd say Gru's last bad start before that was in early November against Vancouver. Pittsburgh was just Crosby on a mini terror and one bad goal in a game that Gru solidified. The Blues OT loss was an average game that the PP unit in OT blew (namely Barrie). Outside of Arizona, Gru has given the Avs a chance to win nearly every single game he has started in the past two months. IMO that is all you can really ask of your goalie consistently.

 

[henchman21]

THAT'S how he decided to split the top line?!

Are you saying that Long Beach Native Matt Nieto isn't a top line player?

 

[AvsFan29]

Are you saying that Long Beach Native Matt Nieto isn't a top line player?

I'm pretty sure he's not an NHL player at this point

 

[UncleRisto]

Are you saying that Long Beach Native Matt Nieto isn't a top line player?

If nothing else, when this is the best option, maybe they should look at adding a top-6er.

 

[Avs_19]

Fans: "Get Nieto away from Soderberg!"

Bednar: "Here you go.........."

????????? Nieto ?????????

 

[Cousin Eddie]

????????? Nieto ?????????

Bedsy’s way of telling Sakic to get him some f***ing secondary scoring?

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I'm pretty sure he's not an NHL player at this point

I think Nieto has been pretty good for the last month and a half or so. He gets too much flak.

 

[AvsFan29]

I don't understand why you would move Landeskog. His production has sky rocketed on that line. He's never been close to this effective as a player.

If he goes with these lines tmr, my guess is we watch MacKinnon and Rantanen play the game shorthanded as they try to find each other and avoid Nieto all game.

 

[AvsFan29]

I think Nieto has been pretty good for the last month and a half or so. He gets too much flak.

I wouldn't say good. Not extremely bad.

 

[Avs_19]

Top line seems to be struggling a bit since the Avs put out that Fortnite video where both MacKinnon and Rantanen talked about how much they loved the game. Maybe the video game critics were on to something!

Also, apparently Nieto is by far the best on the team so they've the Fortnite connection on the top line now.

 

[Piestany88]

That's such BS I don't even know where to start.

Offensive support? In his last 3 starts we scored 2 goals (MTL), 1 goal (CHI) and 1 goal (VGK).

Bad stats? In those 3 games his sv% has been .972, .929, .923. League average is .909.

And yet he's .904 , meaning he's below average

 

[henchman21]

If nothing else, when this is the best option, maybe they should look at adding a top-6er.

Let's not get hasty, that 2020 2nd rounder is surely going to fill that spot.

 

[Avs44]

I'm not a fan of breaking up the top line, but I get the logic of doing so considering the team's secondary scoring struggles. Landeskog provides that Kerfoot / Compher line with a genuine top six winger. It's not like Bednar has many other options to put on the top line. The whole point is to create some additional scoring so neither Kerfoot or Compher should be there; Wilson is injured; Jost has been sucking at absolutely everything, including basic puck handling; Ghetto is pretty useless; so it's pretty much one of Nieto / Bourque / Dries / Calvert. I'm guessing Bednar figures Nieto will at least bring speed and hustle.

Of course, it's a joke that their depth is this terrible and they have to stick a fourth liner on their top line.

 

[Piestany88]

????????? Nieto ?????????

I like they broke up the top line . Would rather
Landy stay with Mack and see if Rants can carry a line and earn his $

 

[JLo217]

????????? Nieto ?????????

i cant even...

 

[The Abusement Park]

Oh man Nieto on the top line... woof.

Also for the love of god try Jost with Soda.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Yeah, these lines just speak volumes to how badly we need secondary help.

I'm actually shocked to see Nieto not on Sodas wing. I like the idea of trying Landy with Kerfoot and JTC. Both those guys(JTC in particular) are showing some good things this year and with Landy being the one to create space for them now might get them going even more.

Nieto will fill the same type of role as Landy on the top line but obviously with nowhere near the finishing ability Landy had. It'll be more pressure on Mack and Mikko to start scoring again without Landy on that line. Sure would be nice to have a legit scoring threat to put on that line besides Nieto though... I could really see that 2nd line doing very well for us.

 

[Hesher]

Top line
Kerf-Soda-Ghetto/Jost
Nieto-JTC-Calvert

I'd like to see something like this.

 

[AvsFan29]

I mean why not just go with Jost? He's a waste of time on the 4th line. Put him with some playmakers. Jost couldn't do any worse than Nieto inevitably will.

 

[AvsFan29]

Yeah, these lines just speak volumes to how badly we need secondary help.

I'm actually shocked to see Nieto not on Sodas wing. I like the idea of trying Landy with Kerfoot and JTC. Both those guys(JTC in particular) are showing some good things this year and with Landy being the one to create space for them now might get them going even more.

Nieto will fill the same type of role as Landy on the top line but obviously with nowhere near the finishing ability Landy had. It'll be more pressure on Mack and Mikko to start scoring again without Landy on that line. Sure would be nice to have a legit scoring threat to put on that line besides Nieto though... I could really see that 2nd line doing very well for us.

I guess one thing we have going for us, is that teams are starting to see that their season is over, and more players will become available as the weeks go on. I still have no idea who to go after or what is worth giving up.

 

[Vaslof]

????????? Nieto ?????????

I like it. Obv Nieto is out of his league, but our two best players will carry that line. At least that's gotta be the idea.

Bednar probably isn't promoting Soda because right now he trusts that 3rd line, but without Soda there we'd have two leftover lines.