GDT: Game #4 Colorada in Vegas. Puck drop ~ 6:40pm MT. Avs Board is with the Boys tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Avs]

Well, after listening to Bednars post game, I don’t expect Nemeth to be benched next game.

 

[Chiarelli]

 

[Avs]

Also, not saying it changes the outcome of the last 2 games, but this team misses Kadri. Bad.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Done with this team. Vegas in 6.

To anyone saying "just watch Minnesota" you have to realize their roster construction is completely different.

Greenway, Eriksson-Ek, Fiala, Zuccarello, Foligno, Parise, Hartman, Dumba. These players push back and push back ****ing hard.

We have 5 guys at most playing hard right now. I don't give a **** if it sounds simple, right now the Avs have given up and are not playing hard. It's that simple.

There is zero reason to believe in this team. Even the Avs Twitter account knows fans are sh*tting on the team based on three straight embarrassing performances by a bunch of chump pathetic losers.

They deserve every bit of embarrassment with how they're playing right now, starting with Nathan MacKinnon and his shift-by-shift pouting.

The Avs don't have the nasty streak that is required to win a Stanley Cup. Tampa has it. Vegas has it. Even Minnesota has it.

The Avs were built to win via their skill set. Yes, a team needs that. But it also needs a degree of physicality that the Avs just haven't groomed or are currently missing (Calvert, Kadri, Zadorov).

 

[henchman21]

Also, not saying it changes the outcome of the last 2 games, but this team misses Kadri. Bad.

Yup.. Center depth is incredibly important.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Yup.. Center depth is incredibly important.

So I gotta ask once again..... why 8 games? It really comes across as deliberately debilitating and punishing........

 

[Bender]

Done with this team. Vegas in 6.

To anyone saying "just watch Minnesota" you have to realize their roster construction is completely different.

Greenway, Eriksson-Ek, Fiala, Zuccarello, Foligno, Parise, Hartman, Dumba. These players push back and push back ****ing hard.

We have 5 guys at most playing hard right now. I don't give a **** if it sounds simple, right now the Avs have given up and are not playing hard. It's that simple.

There is zero reason to believe in this team. Even the Avs Twitter account knows fans are sh*tting on the team based on three straight embarrassing performances by a bunch of chump pathetic losers.

They deserve every bit of embarrassment with how they're playing right now, starting with Nathan MacKinnon and his shift-by-shift pouting.

One thing is CRYSTAL CLEAR : As goes Nathan MacKinnon, as goes the Colorado Avalanche.

You can make adjustments until the cows come home but if #29 isn't "going" then neither are the Avs. It's become abundantly clear that something was said between periods 1 & 2 of Game #2 that completely took the sails out of the Avs for them to play the way they have been. MacKinnon is just not playing his game AT ALL. It's almost as though Bednar called him out for his lack of defensive play or something like that and he didn't appreciate it or agree with it at all. Now, we're seeing a superstar player who at times, seems to be hanging back to help out the D almost as if to say "you want me to play D, I'll show you D" - when he SHOULD be an option for his linemates taking the puck UP the ice. He's often coming off the ice after only 20-25 seconds, leaving Rantanen and Landeskog to try and compete without him for the rest of the shift and it's f***ing up everything chemistry-wise for that shift and the next one.

So @dahrougem2, when you're saying "shift-by-shift pouting" - it's absolutely what's going on right now and if he and Bednar don't have a sort of heart-to-heart talk at some point, I'm going to agree everyone saying that this is over in 6 for VGK. It doesn't have to be - if they can get on the same page and put whatever it was behind them, we've seen this team come flying out of funks a few times this year but the margin for error is going to be slim.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

Captain Landy has gone to being Viking to go back to playing a perimeter game. You’re not going to score many goals against the Knight playing on the outside. Knight has made the adjustments and blocked every incoming shots which lead to off man rushes. Bedz has done nothing to counter.

The only player that’s going hard and crashing the net is Saad with success. Meanwhile, Nuke and Jost is doing the same but have no scoring touch.

As for Bura he need players to made room for him or he’s just useless. The guy is basically trying to be a one man line holding the puck forever and end up turning it over.

As for our D the only player I see playing with intensity is Timmy. While other are more concern about avoid get smash and playing scared.

VGK is having the Avs playing scared...end of story. Grow a pair top line!

Good post! Makar, in spite of his size does not appear to enjoy the physical game. I mean he has a tremendous skill set and overall, is a fabulous player. But he's constantly being forced out of his comfort zone and he's chasing or trying to recover as Vegas skaters get a half step or more on him.

Toews is able to play the physical game but it takes away from his puck possession and control. Compare how Toews handles heavy forechecking to how Pietrangelo or Theodore handles it.

Girard is just physically out classed out there. Plus, he can't put the puck past anyone these days. Everything he shoots is blocked or deflected.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

Everyone so mad at the top line without understanding how every play starts with those 3. There’s zero transition from the back end right now. That’s the beginning of every play. Girard won’t go anywhere where there might be contact. Graves and Nemeth can’t transition a puck. Makar and Toews are being beaten to battles.

Avs D need to skate back, win the race (not the battle because they physically can’t), go d to d and move up ice. It’s that simple. How they figure that out is up to Bednar but in my opinion you simply have the defense playing 5-10 feet back towards their own goal line to give them a head start on the dump ins. This also requires the forward group to clog the neutral zone earlier and higher and force a dump in at the red line instead of between the red line and blue line as Vegas have been doing.

Also this soft dump and change garbage the Avs are doing needs to end. I don’t care how gassed you are you still need to send one man in after a dump to apply some type of pressure. They’re flicking it in the zone and changing all 3 forwards at the same time. When has this ever been ok at any level of hockey? You’re just giving them the puck.

 

[henchman21]

Everyone so mad at the top line without understanding how every play starts with those 3. There’s zero transition from the back end right now. That’s the beginning of every play. Girard won’t go anywhere where there might be contact. Graves and Nemeth can’t transition a puck. Makar and Toews are being beaten to battles.

Avs D need to skate back, win the race (not the battle because they physically can’t), go d to d and move up ice. It’s that simple. How they figure that out is up to Bednar but in my opinion you simply have the defense playing 5-10 feet back towards their own goal line to give them a head start on the dump ins. This also requires the forward group to clog the neutral zone earlier and higher and force a dump in at the red line instead of between the red line and blue line as Vegas have been doing.

Also this soft dump and change garbage the Avs are doing needs to end. I don’t care how gassed you are you still need to send one man in after a dump to apply some type of pressure. They’re flicking it in the zone and changing all 3 forwards at the same time. When has this ever been ok at any level of hockey? You’re just giving them the puck.

 

[the_fan]

I missed this game but just watched the highlights, this loss was on Grubauer. You can blame the team not playing well, but Grubauer was horrible, I'm sorry but this was on him

 

[AegonLeConqueror]

Well, after listening to Bednars post game, I don’t expect Nemeth to be benched next game.

Quite unfortunate, really, because the Avs are supposed to be built around speed and skill and we have goddamn Nemeth gift wrapping pucks to the opposing team once a game for a goal.

 

[The Shermanator]

I missed this game but just watched the highlights, this loss was on Grubauer. You can blame the team not playing well, but Grubauer was horrible, I'm sorry but this was on him

We scored 1 goal and had basically 2 scoring chances.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

One thing is CRYSTAL CLEAR : As goes Nathan MacKinnon, as goes the Colorado Avalanche.

You can make adjustments until the cows come home but if #29 isn't "going" then neither are the Avs. It's become abundantly clear that something was said between periods 1 & 2 of Game #2 that completely took the sails out of the Avs for them to play the way they have been. MacKinnon is just not playing his game AT ALL. It's almost as though Bednar called him out for his lack of defensive play or something like that and he didn't appreciate it or agree with it at all. Now, we're seeing a superstar player who at times, seems to be hanging back to help out the D almost as if to say "you want me to play D, I'll show you D" - when he SHOULD be an option for his linemates taking the puck UP the ice. He's often coming off the ice after only 20-25 seconds, leaving Rantanen and Landeskog to try and compete without him for the rest of the shift and it's f***ing up everything chemistry-wise for that shift and the next one.

So @dahrougem2, when you're saying "shift-by-shift pouting" - it's absolutely what's going on right now and if he and Bednar don't have a sort of heart-to-heart talk at some point, I'm going to agree everyone saying that this is over in 6 for VGK. It doesn't have to be - if they can get on the same page and put whatever it was behind them, we've seen this team come flying out of funks a few times this year but the margin for error is going to be slim.

The Center's job is to play 2 way hockey. And the center is the guy called upon to come back deep into the zone and help the D. From the front of the net to the either corners. Especially, when the D is being pressured like Avs are. Kadri does a good job of providing this type of support. Jost certainly has improved. It's a 3 man effort.

MacK simply is not a strong defender. I'd rather see him play wing and let Landeskog play center.

Joe Sakic described decades ago how hard it was for him to pick up the defensive aspects of the game. It did not come naturally to him. He said he was always having to work at it. Really, really tough part of the game. And Joe's one of the best ever to play the position.

Everyone watches the offensive side of MacK's game. The speed, the shot, his mesmerizing stick handling and precision passing. Few watch or see how terrible he is defensively. It wasn't noticeable because the D's puck recovery and transition/outlet passing has been so fabulous this season. Now, they desperately need help from the 1st fwd back.

Bednar strategy seems to be that if everyone plays solid defense, Grubauer will keep pucks out of the net and the team will win by a goal or 2. Tight defensive hockey with a few transition opportunities being the difference maker. Hence, MacK is probably on a leash. And so far this strategy isn't working. Vegas is better at it than the Avs are. Plus the casual fans wants to see Avs dominant - 50-60 shot a game hockey - being played.

It's a real dilemma. I applaud you for recognizing that MacK's game changed in game 2. I think the above is why.......

 

[the_fan]

We scored 1 goal and had basically 2 scoring chances.

Yeah but soft goals always deflates a team. It's 1-1 and Vegas 2nd goal should never go in. That was very soft by Grubauer, and he let in another softie after that.

 

[Cousin Eddie]

I missed this game but just watched the highlights, this loss was on Grubauer. You can blame the team not playing well, but Grubauer was horrible, I'm sorry but this was on him

They scored one goal and got embarrassingly outplayed. Unless you think Grubauer should have had a shutout this is quite the take.

 

[the_fan]

They scored one goal and got embarrassingly outplayed. Unless you think Grubauer should have had a shutout this is quite the take.

The Avs as a team didn't play well, like they haven't played well since the 1st game, but Grubauer letting in such soft goals doesn't help. Vegas is a good team, they're not the Blues. The whole team needs to play better, but Grubauer can't allow soft goals either

 

[Cousin Eddie]

The Avs as a team didn't play well, like they haven't played well since the 1st game, but Grubauer letting in such soft goals doesn't help. Vegas is a good team, they're not the Blues. The whole team needs to play better, but Grubauer can't allow soft goals either

I agree he needs to be better but you said this loss is on him and that’s hilarious.

 

[CharlesPuck]

I missed this game but just watched the highlights, this loss was on Grubauer. You can blame the team not playing well, but Grubauer was horrible, I'm sorry but this was on him

He allowed some softies, but hard to blame only him. That second goal was super soft for him but this aint on him alone.

 

[dahrougem2]

Everyone so mad at the top line without understanding how every play starts with those 3. There’s zero transition from the back end right now. That’s the beginning of every play. Girard won’t go anywhere where there might be contact. Graves and Nemeth can’t transition a puck. Makar and Toews are being beaten to battles.

Avs D need to skate back, win the race (not the battle because they physically can’t), go d to d and move up ice. It’s that simple. How they figure that out is up to Bednar but in my opinion you simply have the defense playing 5-10 feet back towards their own goal line to give them a head start on the dump ins. This also requires the forward group to clog the neutral zone earlier and higher and force a dump in at the red line instead of between the red line and blue line as Vegas have been doing.

Also this soft dump and change garbage the Avs are doing needs to end. I don’t care how gassed you are you still need to send one man in after a dump to apply some type of pressure. They’re flicking it in the zone and changing all 3 forwards at the same time. When has this ever been ok at any level of hockey? You’re just giving them the puck.

What the Avs need to do is start trapping Vegas. I don't care if it's the most boring hockey imaginable, the Avs are getting three forwards caught every single time because they're pathetic on the forecheck and Vegas is breaking out instantly with tape to tape passes and zero resistance.

Maybe it's too late to make a drastic change like that but clearly what was working for the Avs stopped working in any way at the start of the 2nd period of game 2.

 

[RampoSanta]

I missed this game but just watched the highlights, this loss was on Grubauer. You can blame the team not playing well, but Grubauer was horrible, I'm sorry but this was on him

And that is why watching the highlights doesnt begin to tell you the whole story. Not on Grubi tonight

 

[The Kingslayer]

View attachment 444505

The look of a man whose playoff point streak ended yesterday

 

[The Kingslayer]

Everyone so mad at the top line without understanding how every play starts with those 3. There’s zero transition from the back end right now. That’s the beginning of every play. Girard won’t go anywhere where there might be contact. Graves and Nemeth can’t transition a puck. Makar and Toews are being beaten to battles.

Avs D need to skate back, win the race (not the battle because they physically can’t), go d to d and move up ice. It’s that simple. How they figure that out is up to Bednar but in my opinion you simply have the defense playing 5-10 feet back towards their own goal line to give them a head start on the dump ins. This also requires the forward group to clog the neutral zone earlier and higher and force a dump in at the red line instead of between the red line and blue line as Vegas have been doing.

Also this soft dump and change garbage the Avs are doing needs to end. I don’t care how gassed you are you still need to send one man in after a dump to apply some type of pressure. They’re flicking it in the zone and changing all 3 forwards at the same time. When has this ever been ok at any level of hockey? You’re just giving them the puck.

When Mark Stone said the Avs D doesn't like contact he wasn't wrong. I blasted him for it at the time but he was 100% spot on.

 

[NOTENOUGHJTCGOALS]

The effort is there, he just isn't very good at it.

That max pac tip in goal in game 3 said it all.

Not tying up the obvious guy in front is effort and mindset failing.

There was another play in their own zone where Makar gave it away instead of passing to MacK and MacK threw his hands up in the air instead of engaging defensively.

That's been the story of our two "stars". Dumb and dumber.

 

[the_fan]

All I'm saying is, when the team is being outplayed, the goalie should at least make the saves he's supposed to make. Allowing a soft goal when the team is struggling like the goal that made this game 2-1 for Vegas, that's a goal which a struggling team can't come back from. Maybe it's harsh saying the whole game is on Grubi, but he didn't help the team for sure