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

[Foppa2118]

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.

It's gone from a m2m system to a zone system in the defensive end. They went from an aggressive forechecking system, to a defensive 1-3-1 system, to a hybrid of both right now.

I'm not sure there's a team that's gone through bigger changes in their systems in the entire league.

 

[StLAvsFan]

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.

Better defensive structure AS WELL AS forwards who are willing to bust tail to get back to their own end to help their D-men when needed. And once they get back, actually KNOWING how to defend---unlike a MacKinnon, Duchene or Iginla who usually just stand around looking bewildered in their own end as opponents skate right by/thru them heading for the net. This team has way too many 100 foot players who think their only job is to score fancy goals. Until these guys learn to play team defense with as much enthusiasm as they try to create offense, the Avs will always be what they are now---a patsy pushover team going nowhere.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

What is the most frustrating thing though? We seem to lose all crucial games under Roy. Roy as a player was probably the best playoff performer ever, but his team seems to crumble everytime under pressure. How is this possible? Last game vs Wild Skille with terrible turnover and we lose the game. Today some bad passes again. I mean, why can't Roy get the best out of this team in crucial moments? I'm getting annoyed by this fact.....

 

[AvsRobin]

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?

I think there is enough talent, and not many more holes than the average team in the league. But the support cast is poorly constructed. It's almost like there is no plan with every signing they make. Which leads to constant line-juggling for the first 40-50 games of the season. This have been the case this season and last year.

I don't think our talent-level in the roster is worse than Dallas for example. When a team get outshot, outchanced and outplayed 4 out of 5 nights for 3 years. I look at the coach.

 

[StLAvsFan]

I think there is enough talent, and not many more holes than the average team in the league. But the support cast is poorly constructed. It's almost like there is no plan with every signing they make. Which leads to constant line-juggling for the first 40-50 games of the season. This have been the case this season and last year.

I don't think our talent-level in the roster is worse than Dallas for example. When a team get outshot, outchanced and outplayed 4 out of 5 nights for 3 years. I look at the coach.

Agree 100%.

 

[Metallo]

A few thoughts I have at the moment:
- I've never been so down with this team. Ever. The Roykic era was supposed to be the end of the rebuild, a new hope. Now I don't know. Our core is not exceptionnal but its better than that. However, I don't think our coaching is up to par and the worst part is that I feel that Roy may have too much immunity.
- My best "worst case scenario" (I know its odd but stay with me) is that if we lose again next year then Roy loses interest and quits (or gets recruted by Quebec City). Roy hates losing and he's not one to beat a dead horse, he has other options.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I think there is enough talent, and not many more holes than the average team in the league. But the support cast is poorly constructed. It's almost like there is no plan with every signing they make. Which leads to constant line-juggling for the first 40-50 games of the season. This have been the case this season and last year.

I don't think our talent-level in the roster is worse than Dallas for example. When a team get outshot, outchanced and outplayed 4 out of 5 nights for 3 years. I look at the coach.

Not any different than the average team puts us ahead of what, maybe 5-6 teams in the league? I don't have a problem with the core and agree the support cast is poor. It's fair the question everything but I just completely disagree with arguments that are this is a good team, they just aren't playing well enough. Nobody thinks this D is good enough. Nobody.

 

[Parks]

I don't know how many more games I can watch this season. It doesn't matter what we do, this team has to be the worst team in the league in the defensive zone. Constant turnovers, missed coverages, failed breakout after failed breakout attempt. Can we just move Bigras into the top 4 and only play 2 def lines ALL GAME. We do not have 6 NHL caliber d-men. Picking up Bodnarchuck was a terrible decision. We've known this for a LONG time now. The only thing dumber is constantly playing him every night. If Zadorov isn't playing in the NHL starting next season I will have lost all faith in this front office. If they don't want to play him this year, fine, but there are no NHL caliber d-men holding him back for next year. Minnesota has a come back win in the 3rd period and the Avs blow another lead in the 3rd. This has been the story of the year since game 1.

 

[Foppa2118]

On the positive side, I thought Barrie did a good job limiting his time in the D zone and managing the puck for the most part. He didn't spin back or try to get fancy, he got the puck and skated it out. The more time Barrie spends with the puck on his stick outside the D zone, the better the team's chances of winning are.

On the negative side, I'm getting pretty sick of EJ's play. 100% healthy or not, it's like he's completely forgotten how to play defense. If he skates into his corner defending a rush one more time, I might have to buy a new computer.

 

[Avs_19]

Bigras bouncing back from a really poor game is another positive. He wasn't perfect today but limited the mistakes and made some good plays.

 

[Foppa2118]

Bigras bouncing back from a really poor game is another positive. He wasn't perfect today but limited the mistakes and made some good plays.

Eh I think he still struggled unfortunately. Got completely undressed twice getting beat wide, and looked a little tentative in the D zone at times.

Was a big mistake IMO not getting a defensive D man to help him at the deadline, if they were gonna keep him up. He seems to be regressing a bit and losing some confidence. Not the kind of situation he should be playing in, only getting a handful of minutes because Roy can't trust his pairing enough in tight games.

To make matters worse that means Holden and Barrie play a ton, which is bad news if they spend shifts in the D zone.

 

[tigervixxxen]

I thought he was better, wasn't turning the puck over and made some good passes.

 

[Avsboy]

15.51% chance

 

[Gigantor The Goalie]

I'm ready for Varly to come back. He's the only one that can dig us out of this hole.

 

[Freudian]

I'm ready for Varly to come back. He's the only one that can dig us out of this hole.

I agree. We need to boost that trade value.

 

[avspatti]

I wouldn't mind if one of the core players got traded in a 1 on 1 that netted us a top pairing defenseman.

But i would really like to see what a proven, successful NHL coach could do. We haven't had one since coach Q left, and our young guys have only had Sacco and Roy to coach them, poor guys.

What I don't understand is why these guys make such stupid mistakes which lead to goals against. They have been playing hockey since they were little kids! Shouldn't some of this be obvious, second nature by now? Coaching is all well and good, but some of this should be just be implanted in their brains by now. I really would like to know why this hasn't happened? Thanks.

 

[5280]

Just watched the game. Wow was that deflating. First Minny wins, then we lose.

Holden, Mack, Picks (then Bodnarchuck)

We are just walking too fine a line to make mistakes like that.

I'll say it again - at least it looks like we are playing better.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Two biggest issues were the two dip **** defenders we have in the lineup as a cumulative factor over the entire game, and the personnel decisions on power play.

Some of that is on Roy, not having Zadorov and Rantanen up here, and somehow Blake Comeu and Nick Holden are still on the power play.

Even if you're not going to bring up Zadorov, it's still stubborn as **** not to split up EJ and FB lately.

 

[Spender]

Some people like to blame the roster we ice, but at some point it's up to the coach to give players the proper insulation through his systems for them to perform at their ability or above. I've been critical towards Roy all season and I still think he's the wrong coach for this team. Blaming the players is easy, but when it seems like no one can perform to their potential you have to wonder.

 

[5280]

Two biggest issues were the two dip **** defenders we have in the lineup as a cumulative factor over the entire game, and the personnel decisions on power play.

Some of that is on Roy, not having Zadorov and Rantanen up here, and somehow Blake Comeu and Nick Holden are still on the power play.

Even if you're not going to bring up Zadorov, it's still stubborn as **** not to split up EJ and FB lately.

Yeah, they are weak spots. In a tightly contested game like this where the pressure is ratcheted up....... they were pressure points that gave.

Mack can't make that kind of a play and he knows it. I'm pretty sure this pisses him off and makes him want to be better.

I don't really blame anyone of the management for this. Whether or not you agree with the trades or not from an asset management side, they have put an entertaining product on the ice again. Our team just needs to keep the trend up of being more consistent.

 

[Freudian]

I don't really blame anyone of the management for this. Whether or not you agree with the trades or not from an asset management side, they have put an entertaining product on the ice again. Our team just needs to keep the trend up of being more consistent.

I think Avs for the last couple of weeks have played well possession wise for most of the games. They have been a bit unlucky in that mistakes end up in their own goal all the time. But they also keep giving away all the initiative in third periods and it has cost them a lot of points.

While some of the problems with this team is constant, sometimes the coaches make an adjustment and the team improves one aspect of their play and then suddenly something else starts to be a big problem. It's like a dinghy with five holes and you can only reach two at a time to plug with your thumb.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I think Avs for the last couple of weeks have played well possession wise for most of the games. They have been a bit unlucky in that mistakes end up in their own goal all the time. But they also keep giving away all the initiative in third periods and it has cost them a lot of points.

While some of the problems with this team is constant, sometimes the coaches make an adjustment and the team improves one aspect of their play and then suddenly something else starts to be a big problem. It's like a dinghy with five holes and you can only reach two at a time to plug with your thumb.

Yeah, and no

I can't get over Roy not shuffling the defense a bit like hes done with the forwards. I don't mean choosing between Bodychuck and Redmond either. Hes got some things he can try IMO.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Roy only has two guys he wants to give those minutes to, I don't see much changing. If Gelinas can ever return maybe we see Holden and Barrie split up like they were going to.

 

[5280]

I think Avs for the last couple of weeks have played well possession wise for most of the games. They have been a bit unlucky in that mistakes end up in their own goal all the time. But they also keep giving away all the initiative in third periods and it has cost them a lot of points.

While some of the problems with this team is constant, sometimes the coaches make an adjustment and the team improves one aspect of their play and then suddenly something else starts to be a big problem. It's like a dinghy with five holes and you can only reach two at a time to plug with your thumb.

Lol, I agree.....how ironic is it that once we start playing better hockey our goaltending lets us down.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Roy only has two guys he wants to give those minutes to, I don't see much changing. If Gelinas can ever return maybe we see Holden and Barrie split up like they were going to.

Roy needs to realize that both EJ and FB have slowed down, the best two skaters we have on defense are Bigras and Barrie. They both could use someone next to them who can skate, pass, retrieve pucks, and make quick decisions with the puck.

As I said in the FA/RM thread I'd try FB and Barrie as our top pairing for a bit.