GDT: Game 54: Stars @ Avs | Thursday, February 4th, 7pm MT | Wake Me Up

[CobraAcesS]

https://t.co/G2A5V2b0wI

Nothing specific about Rantanen but given his comments about needing to find someone, and not entirely endorsing Grigorenko (though at least being somewhat positive), there aren't too many options before turning to Rantanen. It'd be foolish to try and trade for someone before at least seeing if he's ready to start contributing on the big club.

He mentioned the defense, and hopefully it's not entirely lost on him that when Zadorov and Bigras were both up the team was playing much better and allowing 1 goal per game. Admittedly it's a stretch to draw a direct correlation between Zads being up (and EJ being out) and the better play, but I don't think it's completely unrelated. EJ seems slow to get back in the groove and they gotta be patient with him, but at the very least there doesn't seem to be any reason to be hell bent on keeping EJ and Beauch together which seems to be the biggest block as to why Zads can't be up here.

It's sort of a broken record, but it's good to hear Roy sounding a bit exasperated and last time he was this exasperated they responded by calling up Zads and Bigras. They needed a spark then. They need a spark now.

This was one of Roy's most honest pressers IMO, and I appreciated it. The only question I have is how he really feels about MacK & Duchene and if he thinks their LW is their only problem. It could be, but I also think MacK may need a simple role like Duchene did. We'll see though whenever or 'IF' Roy or Sakic (if you know what I mean) actually make a significant move to fix the issue.

I will say, I don't believe he thinks the LW is the only issue based on his comments that the other two have to carry the line. But I do wonder if hes overlooking just how off MacKinnon has been lately.

Edit : I don't believe Roy will call up Zadorov, best we can hope for IMO is that he calls up Mikko and that fixes part of the problem and then he sees the defense as well. The forwards not creating enough right now are over shadowing the issues with Redmond IMO.

 

[Foppa2118]

What a friggin joke. Refs think it's fair to watch Dallas take a bunch of cheap shots and start a bunch of scrums and then give them three 4 on 4's to open up the ice in the 3rd period to get back in the game.

Then Benn who laid a vicious cross check on Duchene that went uncalled flops to the ice for a penalty off the softest cross check he's taken all year, and they tie it.

Avs were totally in control before the zebras changed the entire makeup of the game with all those unnecessary 4 on 4's. Nobody pays money to see you idiots control the outcome of games. Put your whistles in your damn pockets and let them play.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Roy always knows how to say the right things. I just want to see that passion on the ice.

Rants and Zads on the big club by the end of the week please?

 

[CobraAcesS]

What a friggin joke. Refs think it's fair to watch Dallas take a bunch of cheap shots and start a bunch of scrums and then give them three 4 on 4's to open up the ice in the 3rd period to get back in the game.

Then Benn who laid a vicious cross check on Duchene that went uncalled flops to the ice for a penalty off the softest cross check he's taken all year, and they tie it.

Nobody pays money to see you idiots control the outcome of games. Put your whistles in your damn pockets and let them play.

Don't even get me started on 'NHL Refs' this year and their ****ing monster level of inconsistency this year. It's been all the **** over the place in the NHL as a whole. It's like some how they replaced half the refs in the league with new guys that are learning or some ****. Reffing in the NHL is seriously at a ****ing sad level right now.

I've been watching Hockey since Colorado had a hockey team, and I don't specifically remember being this frustrated overall with the level of consistency from them in a particular year.

 

[McMetal]

The only reason we're still in a playoff spot after this last week is Nashville and Minnie melting down simultaneously. Minnesota I expected, you always knew Dubnyk was going to start springing leaks like a cardboard rowboat at some point given what an average goaltender he is, but Nashville we can't count on being bad for much longer. My guess is they add at the deadline and start to breathe down our necks hard any day now.

 

[S E P H]

He literally said "Tanguay and Iginla can't play on that line, we have to look for something else" but yeah a twinge of hope but could be nothing.

I'm going to put a darkhorse vote for Drouin here. Don't think Roy will trade Rantanen for him, but I believe the smoke that Patrick wants him here.

 

[Avalanche]

The only reason we're still in a playoff spot after this last week is Nashville and Minnie melting down simultaneously. Minnesota I expected, you always knew Dubnyk was going to start springing leaks like a cardboard rowboat at some point given what an average goaltender he is, but Nashville we can't count on being bad for much longer. My guess is they add at the deadline and start to breathe down our necks hard any day now.

Maybe, but if you want to talk about Minny's goaltending being average the you have to throw Rinne in there as well. That dog is looking old out there.

 

[Avs_19]

I'm going to put a darkhorse vote for Drouin here. Don't think Roy will trade Rantanen for him, but I believe the smoke that Patrick wants him here.

As he should.

Just listened to that Roy presser. I thought maybe he had mentioned Rantanen by name or was asked about him by what was posted here. That got me excited but I don't know now. Hopefully he's up soon.

 

[CobraAcesS]

The only reason we're still in a playoff spot after this last week is Nashville and Minnie melting down simultaneously. Minnesota I expected, you always knew Dubnyk was going to start springing leaks like a cardboard rowboat at some point given what an average goaltender he is, but Nashville we can't count on being bad for much longer. My guess is they add at the deadline and start to breathe down our necks hard any day now.

With Minny its scoring, not so much goal tending on the regular, with Nashville it's goal-tending right now.

I'd say of the two, Minny has the most likely chance of fixing their issue. Nashville will be hard pressed to replace or improve on their dedication to Rinne. Unless Rinne somehow turns into Lungqvist and is able to completely turn around his season at some point. That team will continue to sink.

Guys like Vanek and Pomminville dying quick deaths, similar to but lesser than Iginla and Tanguay are killing Minnesota right now. For all their lauded prospect depth they haven't been able to do **** about it either. If they buy some scoring power, and quickly they'll be deadly again IMO.

 

[ArWKo]

Despite the loss this was a really fun game to be at, though I'll side with the crowd that had complaints about the reffing, primarily a couple of matching minors that were clearly situations started by Stars players.

That said, another game getting absolutely reamed by Dallas in possession and this time it didn't go our way. Got the point though on a night that neither Minny or Nashville took one - but you can't count on that for the rest of season and the last handful+ of games have the Avs playing the same sort of awful possession hockey that isn't going to add up to good things come the end of the season.

 

[McMetal]

Maybe, but if you want to talk about Minny's goaltending being average the you have to throw Rinne in there as well. That dog is looking old out there.

I expected Dubnyk, but Rinne losing his touch is surprising to me. I keep expecting him to bounce back any time now. He can be a really good consistent goaltender, I expected him to Varlomov his way out of this slump.

 

[Foppa2118]

It's annoying to see Roy draw those conclusions ~10 games after everybody on hfboards.

You're gonna be hard pressed to find any coach in the NHL that wouldn't give players who've had the career Iginla and Tanguay have had, more of an opportunity than fans on HFboards would.

Right or wrong, they've earned the extra shot, but it's to the point where Roy can't rely on them any more if he wants to make the playoffs. Which is priority #1 at all costs for him. He's gonna short change a lot of their original plans to get them in if that's what it takes.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I'm going to put a darkhorse vote for Drouin here. Don't think Roy will trade Rantanen for him, but I believe the smoke that Patrick wants him here.

Drouin is just a touch more of a sure thing to help in the top six as Mikko is though. That is only because Drouin has shown an ability to produce at the NHL level though, where Mikko has yet to do it.

Is the difference worth losing one of Bigras or Zadorov? I doubt Roy believes that, and no one should. IMO

 

[Foppa2118]

Drouin is just a touch more of a sure thing to help in the top six as Mikko is though. That is only because Drouin has shown an ability to produce at the NHL level though, where Mikko has yet to do it.

Is the difference worth losing one of Bigras or Zadorov? I doubt Roy believes that, and no one should. IMO

I don't know. I don't particularly like it, but I just have a strong feeling Bigras might get flipped in a package for Drouin around the deadline. Pluses on each side to even it out.

I don't think Roy likes the idea of giving up Bigras at all, but I think he might be looking at the potential dynamite impact a Drouin-MacKinnon combo will have for years to come. Then he's seeing a potential top 4 of Beauch-EJ and Zadorov-Barrie, and thinking maybe he could live with losing Bigras, and just figure out the 3rd pair later.

It's kind of a balls on the table kind of move, because there's a fair amount of risk involved, but if anybody's willing to be aggressive it's Patrick and Joe. I'm impressed they've managed to be this patient so far in their tenure actually.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Drouin is just a touch more of a sure thing to help in the top six as Mikko is though. That is only because Drouin has shown an ability to produce at the NHL level though, where Mikko has yet to do it.

Is the difference worth losing one of Bigras or Zadorov? I doubt Roy believes that, and no one should. IMO

I don't think he is a sure thing to help right now

 

[CobraAcesS]

You're gonna be hard pressed to find any coach in the NHL that wouldn't give players who've had the career Iginla and Tanguay have had, more of an opportunity than fans on HFboards would.

Right or wrong, they've earned the extra shot, but it's to the point where Roy can't rely on them any more if he wants to make the playoffs. Which is priority #1 at all costs for him. He's gonna short change a lot of their original plans to get them in if that's what it takes.

I will say hes done that with a lot of roster decisions though, but he does have the human element to deal with while we do not. I've personally come to appreciate that he does usually eventually make the right call, even if it as after absolutely trying every other possible alternative sometimes.

We're also a bit of a different group around here, you have a lot of guys who have played hockey and watched it for a long time. As well as some actual scouts contributing on this board.

I remember spending time on the actual Avs site forums, that group couldn't call a bad smell a fart as far as fan base knowledge compared to what we have here as a group.

One of the biggest names I recognize from that forum here is Drizzt or whatever. Just saying...

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Please don't make a panic trade. Try out the AHL guys first.

 

[McMetal]

Please don't make a panic trade. Try out the AHL guys first.

Fortunately, Roy and Sakic haven't shown a tendency towards that so far in their tenure here. I'm guessing that's going to be a no.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Please don't make a panic trade. Try out the AHL guys first.

I doubt they will unless it's for an ELC, because I actually have a bit more renewed faith in the fact that they truly believe Radulov is coming over in the off-season. ++ on MacK & Barre and them wanting Radulov IMO. They will not add salary to this roster in any shape or form beyond this season.

Personally I didn't know that they had actual discussion with Radulov regarding coming over for the 2016-17 season. Which is quoted below

Patrick Roy coached Radulov in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. In May, Radulov’s agent, Yuri Nikolaev, told Russian outlet Championat that Radulov had spoken with Roy about joining the Avs in 2016-17.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/nhl/...eturn-colorado-avalanche-nashville-predators/

I had no idea there was reports out there that specific regarding Radulov's conversations with Roy.

There is literally almost exactly going to be 6M left to sign him if they can either LTIR or get rid of Stuart. If you're planning based on the current cap, and any upward movement there giving you somewhat of a small flexibility cushion as it pertains to roster management.

 

[Foppa2118]

Please don't make a panic trade. Try out the AHL guys first.

I don't think we have to worry about a panic trade. Joe and Roy have shown enough that they don't make short sighted moves. I think they'll wait until they're in a better position leverage wise after a win or two, and closer to the deadline, to make any move they're thinking of.

 

[McMetal]

I doubt they will unless it's for an ELC, because I actually have a bit more renewed faith in the fact that they truly believe Radulov is coming over in the off-season. ++ on MacK & Barre and them wanting Radulov IMO. They will not add salary to this roster in any shape or form beyond this season.

Personally I didn't know that they had actual discussion with Radulov regarding coming over for the 2016-17 season. Which is quoted below



I had no idea there was reports out there that specific regarding Radulov's conversations with Roy.

There is literally almost exactly going to be 6M left to sign him if they can either LTIR or get rid of Stuart. If you're planning based on the current cap, and any upward movement there giving you somewhat of a small flexibility cushion as it pertains to roster management.

I've never been a Radulov believer, but that does pique my interest a little bit. Bumps my possibility of him coming here from 5-10% to 15-20%.

 

[LazRNN]

Please don't make a panic trade. Try out the AHL guys first.

Yeah, no kidding. It wouldn't make a lick of sense to trade a player who could bring back a Drouin or better before trying out talented guys who are a phone call away.

 

[McMetal]

I don't think we have to worry about a panic trade. Joe and Roy have shown enough that they don't make short sighted moves. I think they'll wait until they're in a better position leverage wise after a win or two, and closer to the deadline, to make any move they're thinking of.

Besides, I don't think it's even time to panic yet. We lose to Winnipeg and Vancouver, then it's time to start panicking. It's bad, but not oh-god-oh-god-we're-all-going-to-die time.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Yep. I'm begging for Roy to call up Rantanen. I think he is ready and would upgrade our TOP-6... Crazy as it sounds. We need help now and I don't see what Rantanen has to learn in AHL anymore. I know they want to go Detroit route, but it doesn't really work, If our NHL-team is so terrible build, that Rantanen would be 1st line winger for us. I dont think we are going to destroy his self-confidence, If he plays couple games and it doesn't work out. He can always go back to AHL, If it doesn't work at all, but I doubt that happens. He would be big upgrade over pretty much anyone in our current roster (wing).

Tanguay&Iginla.. They are done. At best they should be playing in third line.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

I've never been a Radulov believer, but that does pique my interest a little bit. Bumps my possibility of him coming here from 5-10% to 15-20%.

Radulov would be so great. He is world class wing and he would add that edge to our team, which we are currently missing(other than Landy going Viking mode time to time). He is a warrior and sometimes it goes over, but sign me up for him. He is entertaining player! Bring him to Colorado!