GDT: Game 40: LA @ COL | 6 PM MT | Dec 31, 2018 - NYE

CobraAcesS

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To be fair I don't think this stretch is completely on Bednar. I definitely think there is things he has not tried. To be honest there really isn't a perfect answer except the top line getting hot again, and or our bottom nine contributing again. I think he should try Soda in the top six, and take a risk on the rest of the forwards at least holding the fort, but other than that one trick he hasn't tried the team is just teetering on this line where they can't out play one ounce of bad luck. No team in the NHL plays a perfect game with zero mistakes. It's not really realistic to ask. Especially with fatigue as a more prevalent factor when probably six of your bottom nine are asked to play over their heads for this long.

The real answer isn't on this team, and Bednar isn't going to directly say he needs a top six forward. Bednar might have been able to stop some of the bleeding in this stretch to an extent, but I'm not sure there is options out there that would have turned it into a 7-2-1 last 10 or something to that effect. You had goal-tending crapping the bed back when we were putting up 4 plus goals a game, and now the offense has gone cold.

In saying all of that. It is going to take some serious success to convince me Bednar is the coach for this team during contention.
 

drhiii

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I just watched the OT again and Mikko just totally COASTED to the bench and caused all of that. Simple lazy **** like that from our top guys have been ruining games. Mack doesn't battle for the puck in OT and just WAITS for the puck and that kind of stuff is just inexcusable. You have to be extra hungry for the puck 3 on 3. I know the top guys are doing all the heavy lifting but they are becoming as much of a dagger as our D and goalies lately.

I know I've been hard on Landy in the past but he's the only one of the top line that has consistently back checked in the last month. He's the only one who gives 100% effort when he's not in the O-Zone. Dude has been a faceoff animal, forechecking monster, and consistently causes takeaways and havoc. He might fan a couple shots but the dude more than makes up for it. Mikko and Mack have just been giving up on plays when things don't go their way lately.

Oh and Graves with yet another great game.

If I stood f-t-f with Mac, I would f***ing scream at him to stop coasting, f***ing fore check, f***ing backcheck... help your teammates instead of waiting for an offensive rush. It is infuriating to watch a talented player not invest in his teammates.

I rate by who I would want in my foxhole under conditions, situations. Mac would not be someone I want in my foxhole. At this moment. He can change that. But only he can change that.

Agree with your analysis.
 

Pokecheque

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Went to a funeral earlier today, went to work, came home just in time to see the Avs go down 2-0, and decided to sit down with the wife and ring in the New Year with some random hot chocolate/brandy/egg nog concoction and a showing of Black Mirror. I made the right choice.

I'm frustrated, but if I'm to take in 2018 as a whole from a hockey standpoint it's been mostly awesome. Hopefully this is a temporary swoon and not the start of something awful. But even then, we'll have learned a thing or two about this team, what they are and what they're not.
 
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drhiii

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Was it something about Bednar pointing out the obvious, but having no real answers?

Not quite. She doesn't know as you suggest, that deep.

What she knows is the Avs have been unremarkable to poor recently. She reacted to if things ain't going well, some emotion, or like a lot of emotion might be a reasonable response. For starters.

But I git yet point.
 
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CobraAcesS

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Went to a funeral earlier today, went to work, came home just in time to see the Avs go down 2-0, and decided to sit down with the wife and ring in the New Year with some random hot chocolate/brandy/egg nog concoction and a showing of Black Mirror. I made the right choice.

I'm frustrated, but if I'm to take in 2018 as a whole from a hockey standpoint it's been mostly awesome. Hopefully this is a temporary swoon and not the start of something awful. But even then, we'll have learned a thing or two about this team, what they are and what they're not.

I'm re-watching the Highlander tV series myself. Surprisingly it is actually in wide screen and not a box with the sides cut off like Star Trek and Stargate on Amazon. I have to set my TV to a high refresh rate to combat some of the choppy camera movement, but other than that it is watchable for someone who is a resolution freak.

Happy new year bud
 

chet1926

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I love how people on here are bagging MacKinnon. Honestly that's a joke, that guy cares more about this team and winning than any other player on the roster. I guarantee you he is the one taking this losing streak the hardest.

Yeah I get it he doesn't back check like an all world player. Yeah well tell me the last time McDavid or Crosby or Ovi back checked? Well hate to break it to you, but you won't find it because they don't do it either. Their sole focus is offense, and that's what it should be because any one of those guys can change the game in an instant.

I feel like people want MacK to be a Barkov or Bergeron it Kopitar. He isn't that, sorry to break it to you. And probably will never be. Those guys have to play that way to be effective because they don't have the ability to drop 100+ pts in a season. They are 70 pts guys with solid two way play.

You want to blame players for the skid it's not MacK. We need to start talking accountability. Guys like Barrie, EJ, the entire bottom 9. It is just simply not good enough from any of them. So far in the homestead against two weak teams we've managed all of 4 goals, 2 for MacK, 1 for Rantanen and one flukey goal for Soda off his calf and in. So in 120 minutes of play we have 1 goal not produced by the top line and it bounced in off his calf. That's a f***ing problem. These guys need to start stepping up or we need to find players that will. I don't care if you are a former first round pick or a undrafted player, if you produce great, if not get the f*** out. Find ways to be productive, you don't have to always score to be productive. Right now in the bottom 9 there are simply too many guys going through the motions. There are tons of minor leaguers that would kill for the opportunity to play NHL minutes, show some pride and start playing like a NHLer or maybe it's time for someone to take your job and you can go eat some nachos.
 
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drhiii

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I'm re-watching the Highlander tV series myself. Surprisingly it is actually in wide screen and not a box with the sides cut off like Star Trek and Stargate on Amazon. I have to set my TV to a high refresh rate to combat some of the choppy camera movement, but other than that it is watchable for someone who is a resolution freak.

Happy new year bud

I find this the most refreshing post on the Avs loss this eve... well done.
 

dahrougem2

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Yeah I get it he doesn't back check like an all world player. Yeah well tell me the last time McDavid or Crosby or Ovi back checked? Well hate to break it to you, but you won't find it because they don't do it either. Their sole focus is offense, and that's what it should be because any one of those guys can change the game in an instant.
The fact that you make this statement tells me that you have not watched any of these players play hockey for at least 3/4 years.
 
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dahrougem2

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On a different note, it's honestly getting to the point where you might not even want to put out MacKinnon/Rantanen/Barrie/Landeskog/Soderberg/EJ in overtime. They all suck. Girard, too.

I don't know what their issue is, but they clearly cannot play 3v3 overtime. The only player that seems to have a ****ing clue at any point is J.T. Compher.
 
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James G

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Not quite. She doesn't know as you suggest, that deep.

What she knows is the Avs have been unremarkable to poor recently. She reacted to if things ain't going well, some emotion, or like a lot of emotion might be a reasonable response. For starters.

But I git yet point.

I just watched Coach’s interview. If you or she doesn’t think that was “some emotion”....I don’t know what to say. That was the most raw interview I’ve seen of his. And bang on in my assessment. I guess if she’s never seen any coaches interview before perhaps she might think he should throw some chairs or something.....
 

expatriatedtexan

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At this point, I don't think we should make GDT. @arun put a lot of work into this. The team just isn't worthy at this point. There needs to be a point where they pull their heads out of their collective asses. They are capable of doing better as a group....they just are massively underperforming right now. Sad...but they've gone through these stretches for long times over the last 10 years. It will be interesting to see if a single player or two (MacK or Rants) lifts the team up and drives them to a victory soon. Unfortunately, I think these knuckle-heads need a goalie to steal one for them first. They just don't have enough balls to do it themselves. They are good when the team is, but I've yet to see them life the team to a higher high...
 

drhiii

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I just watched the OT again and Mikko just totally COASTED to the bench and caused all of that. Simple lazy **** like that from our top guys have been ruining games. Mack doesn't battle for the puck in OT and just WAITS for the puck and that kind of stuff is just inexcusable. You have to be extra hungry for the puck 3 on 3. I know the top guys are doing all the heavy lifting but they are becoming as much of a dagger as our D and goalies lately.

I know I've been hard on Landy in the past but he's the only one of the top line that has consistently back checked in the last month. He's the only one who gives 100% effort when he's not in the O-Zone. Dude has been a faceoff animal, forechecking monster, and consistently causes takeaways and havoc. He might fan a couple shots but the dude more than makes up for it. Mikko and Mack have just been giving up on plays when things don't go their way lately.

Oh and Graves with yet another great game.

As I've recounted ad naseum... who would you want in your foxhole? Landy, yes. Mac, no.

There are a zillion examples of how boring the Avs first line has become, is. Watching Mac receive the puck and do his sticking handling rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat.... tat tat tat tat tat tat tat. Tat tat tat. Anyone notice the d-players just watch and wait for him to finish? Mac's overstimulated puck management ain't foolin' anyone. From the D to the home viewer.

No doubt teams playing the Avs looking forward to getting healthy. Am I laying it all on Mac? Of course not. But there is more to speed than speed. Highly, like highly critical of the utter lack of the Avs ability to understand how to change the tempo of a game.

Forget game. Just a shift. It is appalling to watch the Avs utter lack of game tempo. Game awareness. The utter lack of ability to slow a game down, in just a few seconds. It is sooo easy to defend against a one speed team. And boring. Absolutely a black hole this Avs team has fallen in to. Predictable. Infuriating.

This team may find itself a poster child for possessing a lot of talent, wasted. Is it really on Sakic's shoulder's? Coaching? Yeah, sure... but FFS... the players must understand this on a visceral level? It ain't working. And someone somewhere needs to break the stunningly simple mold.

And yes, I do put it a little bit on Mac's shoulders. Speed is seductive. Tempo is an art. Mac does not possess art at the moment. His mate from Canada got his very early in his career. Crosby knows art. Sure, he has had a cast surrounding him. Still... the tempo of just a shift can make a diff. And right now, the Avs are a bad team, who only know two speeds... fast... and suck
 

drhiii

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I just watched Coach’s interview. If you or she doesn’t think that was “some emotion”....I don’t know what to say. That was the most raw interview I’ve seen of his. And bang on in my assessment. I guess if she’s never seen any coaches interview before perhaps she might think he should throw some chairs or something.....

I should omit my wife's response.

Will make it mine. Into a season, things ain't going well, what do you have? Trades? Ok, mebbe. Coaching? Pretty much the spark gap between how things are going, and who drives the train. This team plays with a predictable identity. Speed was their moniker from the start. Teams figured this out pretty fast. The lack of fore and back checking is glaring. A very few players commit to this. And it is obvious there is a lacking system towards checking.

So whatcha have left? Emotion. This ain't working kids. And if folks are collapsing into the 'next year' hopeful draft, ongoing development year, we're just one year away... and on and one... the linchpin in all of this is coaching. To put it on to my wife for a sec... somewhere along the way there needs to be fire. This time is responding to hair on fire. Not fire in the belly. Big diff. She sees this diff. So do a few thousand fans at the barn each home game. Just sayin'... for my wife to come out and tear into Bednar like that... I am not a genius... but I sure as hell will defer to her intuitiveness when it comes to... well... everything.

Let me toss out some names and see how one might react to the concept of coaching. Lombardi. Cherry. Jackson. Let's expand. MacArthur. Blaik. Patton. Monkin (Current West Point coach to supply a hint).

Leadership has something to do with men in conflict. Point made? I like Bednar. But there is a component missing. My wife who is very smart may have seen this. Just sayin'. And if one thinks this is a wonky fleeting screwy post... look to winners in conflict... look to the historic past for leaders in conflict.
 
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James G

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I should omit my wife's response.

Will make it mine. Into a season, things ain't going well, what do you have? Trades? Ok, mebbe. Coaching? Pretty much the spark gap

It’s ok. My wife doesn’t know anything about hockey either. Depth. Happy new year. Goodnight.
 

drhiii

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In saying all of that. It is going to take some serious success to convince me Bednar is the coach for this team during contention.

He is not. I like Bednar. But he is not. Let's just cut to the chase. This team needs a different identity in the front office, head coach, assistant coaches, given this crop of players.
 

the_fan

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Pretty much every team that goes through rebuild like the Avs have, hire a coach like Bednar, then when the team is ready to compete for a cup, they hire a coach like Q. I expect the Avs to do the same when they are ready to compete which they're not there yet.
 

drhiii

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Pretty much every team that goes through rebuild like the Avs have, hire a coach like Bednar, then when the team is ready to compete for a cup, they hire a coach like Q. I expect the Avs to do the same when they are ready to compete which they're not there yet.

Well said.
 

The Merchant

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Pretty much every team that goes through rebuild like the Avs have, hire a coach like Bednar, then when the team is ready to compete for a cup, they hire a coach like Q. I expect the Avs to do the same when they are ready to compete which they're not there yet.

lol u wanna provide some evidence behind that claim?
 

James G

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I should omit my wife's response.

Will make it mine. Into a season, things ain't going well, what do you have? Trades? Ok, mebbe. Coaching? Pretty much the spark gap between how things are going, and who drives the train. This team plays with a predictable identity. Speed was their moniker from the start. Teams figured this out pretty fast. The lack of fore and back checking is glaring. A very few players commit to this. And it is obvious there is a lacking system towards checking.

So whatcha have left? Emotion. This ain't working kids. And if folks are collapsing into the 'next year' hopeful draft, ongoing development year, we're just one year away... and on and one... the linchpin in all of this is coaching. To put it on to my wife for a sec... somewhere along the way there needs to be fire. This time is responding to hair on fire. Not fire in the belly. Big diff. She sees this diff. So do a few thousand fans at the barn each home game. Just sayin'... for my wife to come out and tear into Bednar like that... I am not a genius... but I sure as hell will defer to her intuitiveness when it comes to... well... everything.

Let me toss out some names and see how one might react to the concept of coaching. Lombardi. Cherry. Jackson. Let's expand. MacArthur. Blaik. Patton. Monkin (Current West Point coach to supply a hint).

Leadership has something to do with men in conflict. Point made? I like Bednar. But there is a component missing. My wife who is very smart may have seen this. Just sayin'. And if one thinks this is a wonky fleeting screwy post... look to winners in conflict... look to the historic past for leaders in conflict.


Sigh. I can’t believe I got sucked into responding to your newly amended message at 3am. You are indeed correct. We need either your genius wife or a 5* General to be the new coach. Agreed. Goodnight.
 

the_fan

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lol u wanna provide some evidence behind that claim?
Pretty much every team who won the cup In recent history, gone through many coaches before a well established coach was behind the bench when they eventually won the cup. I mean there have been teams like the Caps who changed well established coaches to win it. It's just the matter of finding the right coach for the team. I'll join the people who don't think Bednar is the right coach for this team when they have the roster to win it all. They will need someone more stable behind that bench.

Hawks
Kings
 

drhiii

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Sigh. I can’t believe I got sucked into responding to your newly amended message at 3am. You are indeed correct. We need either your genius wife or a 5* General to be the new coach. Agreed. Goodnight.

This ain't working. How about start there? I want them to win as much as anyone who is an Avs fan. What I don't want them to do it be this bad. Learned that eons ago with among other coaches, the scintillating Doug Moe. Coached the Denver Nuggets in days of yore. He expressed beyond all else... compete. As players, compete

This Avs teams is so far away from competing. It is nauseating. Forget any coach ever. Except to refer to Doug Moe. He coached and exhorted his player to compete... and he was always coaching teams who were often or dramatically outmanned. That never mattered to him, ot his players.

Will take it further because this is incensing. The service academies are always outsized, outmanned, out-timed in terms of coaching, out everything. You think teams want to play the service academies? No way. Because they never, ever quit. It is drivel to watch highly paid humans given less than effort when compared to the ourclassed, outmanned, out everything'd of a service academy team. Having been associated with service academies for decades.... I personally find it less than excusable to watch professional underperform like tghe Avs do, when there are athletes who never given up, give in. Yes, a bit much rah rah... but having been associated with men and women who perform far above their stature... when watching the Avs underperform constantly, yes, it is not just irksome. It is inexcusable.

As players, unless you compete every second, what the hell are you on the earth for? The Avs do not come close to competing as players, as a team.

I personally find it irresponsible. Not just as players, of a franchise... but as men.

To repeat, I find is nauseating, what this Avs teams is exhibiting. The lack of competing is... words do not work at this point. Speaking this having been associated by people who I would want in my foxhole.
 

James G

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Pretty much every team who won the cup In recent history, gone through many coaches before a well established coach was behind the bench when they eventually won the cup. I mean there have been teams like the Caps who changed well established coaches to win it. It's just the matter of finding the right coach for the team. I'll join the people who don't think Bednar is the right coach for this team when they have the roster to win it all. They will need someone more stable behind that bench.

Hawks
Kings

Cliche argument to me. Counter facts:
Jon Cooper wins the AHL in 2012. Becomes the Tampa head coach in 2013. 6 years later...odds on favourite to win the the Stanley Cup. No? The Lightning didn’t bite at a “well established coach”. Likely a few bumps in the road. Looks like it’s paying off.

Bednar 2016 AHL winner....you do the math.

I no longer subscribe to you need to be a 60 year old established coach to win. Heck the Hawks just fired Q for a 34 year old with a partial season in the AHL.
 

the_fan

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Cliche argument to me. Counter facts:
Jon Cooper wins the AHL in 2012. Becomes the Tampa head coach in 2013. 6 years later...odds on favourite to win the the Stanley Cup. No? The Lightning didn’t bite at a “well established coach”. Likely a few bumps in the road. Looks like it’s paying off.

Bednar 2016 AHL winner....you do the math.

I no longer subscribe to you need to be a 60 year old established coach to win. Heck the Hawks just fired Q for a 34 year old with a partial season in the AHL.
Cooper hasn't won the cup, it remains to be seen if he does or not. Q was hired when the Hawks were ready to win, now the team is entering a rebuild stage again, so a younger coach was brought in. Kind of proves my point.
 

James G

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Cooper hasn't won the cup, it remains to be seen if he does or not. Q was hired when the Hawks were ready to win, now the team is entering a rebuild stage again, so a younger coach was brought in. Kind of proves my point.

....probably should have fired Cooper 2 years ago to give themselves a chance I guess. To your point. Agree to disagree on this one.
 

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