GDT: Game 67: Avalanche vs Predators | 1 PM MT | March 5, 2016

[Nalens Oga]

Ironically Landeskog's compete level was better under Sacco but I'm not gonna fault Roy for that.

Duchene/Mac are inconsistent for sure, good coaches get consistency out of talented guys though. Nazim Kadri's a good example in terms of how much better he's played 200' and does good stuff despite playing on a bad roster even when he isn't putting up points under Babcock compared to his earlier coaches.

 

[Don Corleone]

Hopefully the Avs go on a win streak and Minnesota starts losing but I am not too convinced that will happen. The Avs sure have dropped the ball the last few games, dropping 3 out of 4 in the 3rd. I hope they make the playoffs but not making it will not be the that bad. I feel the team has a good future with some good prospects close to playing with the big club and the 1st this year could end up being another gem. However the team absolutely needs to have a good summer, kinda what they had last summer, resigning guys to good contracts, making some moves to improve the roster and getting rid of the players that suck.

 

[tigervixxxen]

It will be too late by then when/if zads or rants or both come up this season

They aren't. Maybe Zads when it's mathematically over.

 

[the_fan]

Im not at least surprised that this team is on a verge of missing the playoffs yet again. They are still icing an AHL defense. They picked up Beauchemin who has helped a lot yet that blue line is still horrible, and that tells you how bad it was and still is and how much still needs to be improved.

They probably thought ROR for Zadorov would help, but as of now that trade has backfired. Holden was ok for a while but lately he has shown why he is barely a 3rd pair d-man in the NHL, but he's a full time top 4 guy on this team. Bigras has a good future but right now he's not the answer either.

I just hope Roy and Sakic don't really think Holden is really a top 4 guy for them and they gonna upgrade next season. Missing the playoffs will be disappointing but going into next season with Holden on top 4 again will be a bigger disappointment.

 

[AslanRH]

You see a puck sitting in the slot surrounded by the opposition you don't weakly poke at it. You get it the F outta there. Defense 101.

He was easily close enough to make a desperation swipe at that puck to get it out of the slot.

Agree to disagree I guess.
I see the puck ahead of him and to his right almost center of the circles and if he were to try and swipe it back one handed it likely goes right on Picks.

 

[frog]

the problem I have with roy is how bad this team is defensively. It has got to be one of the worst teams in their own zone ive seen. I get that our defence isn't good on paper but if you watch Toronto which has a worse defence than us, babcock's defensive system makes roy's defensive system look like a complete joke. The defensive structure/system the avs have isn't good and I don't think you can blame that on the players.

 

[Avs_19]

While still rooting for the Avs to win, I'll have to start keeping an eye on those Eastern teams below us again. I didn't realize it was that close. Flyers, Devils, Canes, and Sens are right there.

 

[AvsRobin]

Ironically Landeskog's compete level was better under Sacco but I'm not gonna fault Roy for that.

Cause he was hitting more or what?

 

[tigervixxxen]

There is absolutely a chance. BUT they lost thrid periods at the beginning of be season, lost them at the middle of the season, and the same thing has happened so far in the fine stretch as well. The most consistent thing this team is at is blowing the lead.

I understand that Sacco sucked, but he was still a coach under a different regime that should qualify. That team also had no inability to close out games under him either, I think it justifies that the core is the problem. Again not in talent, but mentality.

They've been worse this year but even last year combined with 2013-14 they had some ridiculous record when they had third period leads.

 

[dahrougem2]

Cause he was hitting more or what?

That's something I disagree with. Landeskog has toned it down because he realized if he played that way his entire career he'd be done before 30. His compete level is fine.

 

[AslanRH]

That's something I disagree with. Landeskog has toned it down because he realized if he played that way his entire career he'd be done before 30. His compete level is fine.

Agreed again.

 

[AvsRobin]

That's something I disagree with. Landeskog has toned it down because he realized if he played that way his entire career he'd be done before 30. His compete level is fine.

Yup, he is very consistent too. Production always comes in waves. For EVERY player.

 

[Avs_19]

That's something I disagree with. Landeskog has toned it down because he realized if he played that way his entire career he'd be done before 30. His compete level is fine.

Agreed. He's playing much smarter now.

 

[Don Corleone]

While still rooting for the Avs to win, I'll have to start keeping an eye on those Eastern teams below us again. I didn't realize it was that close. Flyers, Devils, Canes, and Sens are right there.

It is insanely close. Hopefully the Avs make the dance but if not then I would certainly rather pick at 10th than 14th.

 

[the_fan]

If Wild beat the Blues tomorrow it's 95% lights out for the Avs, they'll be done like Thanks Giving pizza

 

[InjuredChoker]

avs have played with a lead (before this game) for almost 1100 minutes 5on5. they have 27 goals or 1.49 goals per 60 (for comparison, habs score 1.47 goals per 60... SHORTHANDED! and even avs are at 1.23). 3rd worst in the league. they don't give up that many goals when leading (10th best in the league) but they can't score when they are leading. it's especially bad at home.

 

[The Merchant]

The last thing this board needs is more doom and gloom, but I honestly have never had less faith in this team in its current era than I do right now. We're supposed to be competing, giving teams a run for their money at least a decent chunk of the season...but all I've seen and continue to see is just a bunch of guys trying to keep their heads above water, Roy included.

 

[Don Corleone]

Not surprised by the pathetically low scoring numbers when leading. The Avs nearly never win a game by more than one goal or if its by more then most likely there was an empty netter, I swear the Avs cant even score those. Also nearly every single time the team gets a lead they become passive and allow the opposition the control of the game. That has to be a coaching thing where the players are told to defend their precious 1 goal lead so no wonder they turtle all the time when leading

 

[StLAvsFan]

Defensively, the Avs have to be the dumbest team in the league. Funny how easy it is for other teams to just bide their time & wait for the Avs to systematically self-destruct with unforced errors, followed by guys just standing around in their own end looking befuddled as the opposition jumps all over the puck for an easy goal (...or 2, or 3). And let's face it, Patrick Roy and his coaching staff are utterly clueless trying to correct this hot mess. Nothing has changed for 3 years running, and nothing ever will so long as he's coach.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Bummer game. Actually thought we generally played pretty well. Preds are playing great hockey right now. Aren't they on a 10+ game point streak?

Still, couple bad giveaways and here we are 1 game and two points out of the playoffs. 15 games left, I'm not calling it till we are mathematically eliminated, but by god these two games hurt.

 

[Nzap]

Call up Rantanen and Zadorov, replacing Skille and Bod (with Rantanen sliding in with Duchene instead of #12) and let's see out the season and see where it gets us.

We played our best defensive hockey since 2008 when Zadorov was in the line-up.
Why not try that again?

 

[Don Corleone]

I would say that Roy has changed quite a bit. The man has tried many systems, setups you name it but the end result defensively has always been the same. Sure one can say that the organization does not have good d men but when many teams around the league are able to have better defensive structure while having even worse d men for multiple years in a row is incredibly concerning.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

You would think that a core of Duchene, MacKinnon, Landeskog, E.Johnson, Barrie and Varlamov add to that good players like Soderberg, Beauchemin, Iginla, Boedker, Comeau, Grigorenko, would be good enough to at least make the freaking playoffs man. I was all for Roy's hiring, as I live in Quebec City and saw his job with the junior team, plus him being my childhood hero, but I think he is just not getting the job done. The players have to take a part of the blame too but it is always the coach that has to go first. If there is a good coach available this summer, it might be a good move for the Avs to at least consider parting way with Roy. That's just my opinion though.

I agree with this. Right now this team is too good on paper to suck so much. We are not getting best out of this player group. It was same thing last season.

 

[Pokecheque]

I would say that Roy has changed quite a bit. The man has tried many systems, setups you name it but the end result defensively has always been the same. Sure one can say that the organization does not have good d men but when many teams around the league are able to have better defensive structure while having even worse d men for multiple years in a row is incredibly concerning.

I don't think he's tried "many systems," he's merely tweaked one system over and over again. Fundamentally, it's still the same crappy system he started with.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I agree with this. Right now this team is too good on paper to suck so much. We are not getting best out of this player group. It was same thing last season.

I completely disagree with this. Talent is still a huge issue. Even just on the defensive side, that group is absolutely not good enough. How can they expect a team to go out there and beat good teams on a nightly basis without a good D core? There's about 25 teams that have good rosters and can win on any given night but there's nothing that sets this group above or gives them the expectation to win every night.