GDT: Game 68: Avs @ Stars | 6:30 PM MT | March 7, 2019 | Steers and Stars

[Foppa2118]

What a terrible game. Everything went wrong.

Landy gets injured by 6'7" Bishop wearing a suit of armor. Intentionally throws his full weight into Landy in a vulnerable position. I have no idea why they let goaltenders wear all that padding and hit players like that, but take away goals if they get touched with a pinky. Such a bunch of BS.

Varly lets in another long range shot. That was a great snapper off the wrong foot by Rads, but Varly's got to have that in this game. Just unacceptable.

MacKinnon with another terrible defensive effort that leads to a goal. Skates into the corner for no reason after Dickenson when he was already surrounded by three Av players. Leaves the front of the net wide open and doesn't block the pass.

All of that said, this game was lost on the first goal because the team plays such a mechanical style, it can't use any creativity to overcome a hot goaltender, or a good defensive team. They just get shut down way too easily, and Bednar's midgets got pushed around all game.

I'm pretty close to officially done with Bednar. His terrible lineups were on full display once again tonight.

He arrogantly thinks he doesn't need a center, so he puts out three wingers in Calvert, Wilson, and Agozzino, and guess what happens? They have a miscommunication in the D zone, and leave Radulov wide open to walk down the slot and score. Ghee, who could have seen that coming? An NHL coach that's who.

Bednar just continues to not realize Jost is playing well too. He was battling hard and generating lots of chances, but finished with a crazy low 10:57. There's absolutely no excuse for that. Especially when you're getting shut out, and he's generating scoring chances. It's just plain dumb coaching. Just like playing him 11-13 minutes a night when he was on his 5 points in 5 games hot streak.

The Avs lack of scoring has a lot to do with Bednar. Both his overly mechanical system that pretty much only relies on a cycle down low, and then sending it up top for point shots. As well as his awful line combos. The only reason they're not bottom 10 in scoring is because of the all world talent from Nate and Mikko, as well as Landy really improving his shot and deflections.

Bednar could have had 4 good lines but he blew it all up. They had a great 4th line for the first time all year, with both Tonianto and Greer looking great and scoring their first goals, but Bednar sends them both down. They had three other good lines ahead of that with Nate-Mikko, Jost-Landy, and Soda-Compher, but Bednar broke them all up to have one good line, and three crap lines.

 

[Rosy Cheeks]

I was watching this clip yesterday.

I was thinking about things like rising to the moment, the strength of will etc. It seems the Avs lack in that department.

 

[Ivan13]

Bednar will definitely make me pay more attention to how the coaches win in the AHL, rather than if they win. His style is built perfectly for a low skill league like the AHL, there is no great schematic defense at play, there are no elaborate offensive setups, his AHL team won because he had talent on the back-end and a bunch of speedy guys up front who caused problems for defensemen who are not as skilled as the ones playing the big league. When that first pass is made and the first line of defense is broken through it's playing catch-up and that's why we take so many "cheating" penalties.

Then look how the Knights play, at first it seems as a similar concept, speed up front to overwhelm the other team, force issues on the breakout and pounce on those mistakes, but they are much more deliberate and calculated in this approach. They don't just go in for the sake of going in, they force the breakout to go in the direction they want it to go and they have guys ready and waiting if the guy handling the puck makes a wrong decision. That takes coaching, repetition, speed, but most of all adaptability and high hockey IQ. We have speed, can't adapt quick enough, not really physical enough to make the other team uncomfortable, the scheme in place can be broken down and the hockey IQ of most of the players is either low, or they just don't practice these things.

 

[katfude]

Cons: everything

Pro: the taphouse I was watching the game at did a free beer tasting event

 

[Hesher]

No Big Z, no party.

We are the US Oilers.

 

[Avs]

Seriously though, how hard is it to go back to how things were 2 weeks ago when we had that nice 4-0 run?

We were playing our best hockey in over half a season. We had 4 solid lines rolling. Then they go and completely change everything and go figure, we start sucking again.

The 1 dominate line thing can only work for so long, as we very balantly found out. We spread the wealth throughout the lineup and things really started clicking. And then for whatever stupid f***ing asinine reason they decide to undo all that and put the big line back together!?

I’m not an NHL coach/GM, nor do I pretend to be, but seriously wtf?

 

[mapletreemarty]

By all account this seemed like a good game to miss if you were going to miss a game.

What coaching candidates would be out there this offseason? I don't know how things got left when coach Q departed, but I'm assuming that ship has sailed... wondering if there's an up an coming college coach or we try a re-tread in here like Boucher? If I recall correctly he's fairly defensive minded and still has that trapping style of play... I mean he did get Ottawa a game away from the SC Finals, but I'm sure that had more to do with guys like EK playing all world at the right time...

I have no idea what the answer is... but then a part of me wonders, what's the point... The Avs front office probably wouldn't eat a year or whatever is left on Bedsy's contract anyways...

 

[mapletreemarty]

Bednar will definitely make me pay more attention to how the coaches win in the AHL, rather than if they win. His style is built perfectly for a low skill league like the AHL, there is no great schematic defense at play, there are no elaborate offensive setups, his AHL team won because he had talent on the back-end and a bunch of speedy guys up front who caused problems for defensemen who are not as skilled as the ones playing the big league. When that first pass is made and the first line of defense is broken through it's playing catch-up and that's why we take so many "cheating" penalties.

Then look how the Knights play, at first it seems as a similar concept, speed up front to overwhelm the other team, force issues on the breakout and pounce on those mistakes, but they are much more deliberate and calculated in this approach. They don't just go in for the sake of going in, they force the breakout to go in the direction they want it to go and they have guys ready and waiting if the guy handling the puck makes a wrong decision. That takes coaching, repetition, speed, but most of all adaptability and high hockey IQ. We have speed, can't adapt quick enough, not really physical enough to make the other team uncomfortable, the scheme in place can be broken down and the hockey IQ of most of the players is either low, or they just don't practice these things.

Werenski helped carry that team through the AHL playoffs

 

[Alex Jones]

Tank leader gritty veteran Ian Cole

 

[the_fan]

I want Bednar gone but Sakic already said coaching is not the problem so don't think Bednar is going anywhere, at least not next year. If Avs do draft Hughes or Kakko, and with Makar on board and whatever other changes Sakic makes, next year Bednar will probably have to take this team into playoffs or I'm pretty sure he'll be gone. I'd rather just make that coaching change now but oh well.

 

[Grackle Party]

Turned this one off after that shift in the second where the stars had like 10 huge hits in a row on the first line. Flat out demoralizing.

 

[Metallo]

Avs are like Lauren Gardner, they quit before the end of the season.

 

[armedequation]

I want Bednar gone but Sakic already said coaching is not the problem so don't think Bednar is going anywhere, at least not next year. If Avs do draft Hughes or Kakko, and with Makar on board and whatever other changes Sakic makes, next year Bednar will probably have to take this team into playoffs or I'm pretty sure he'll be gone. I'd rather just make that coaching change now but oh well.

I love sakic but if he said that then he should be gone as well. My only hope is that was an in season comment meant to try and instill confidence but he would have been better off not saying anything

 

[henchman21]

I don't think this ends the season, but my oh my will the pressure be turned up.

 

[armedequation]

I don't think this ends the season, but my oh my will the pressure be turned up.

Its not just the loss. Its a multitude of factors. They lost to a team they are in competition for a spot. Other teams that are fighting for spots are playing much better hockey. Bednar cant seem to figure out anything let alone what lines work. Its multiple things that lead me to believe that they are done. Can they turn it around? Sure anything possible but just doesnt seem likely in this case

 

[atreyuavenged]

Wonder if the boys lost morale when guys got sent down for no apparent reason. Getting benched on a whim, sent down on a whim and guys who don't really contribute much or more negatively get a free pass.

This was a much needed win but we didn't show up. It's not over in the grand scheme of things, but this one would've been nice.

 

[Iceberg]

They don't have the right mentality to turn this thing.

 

[Avsboy]

I was watching this clip yesterday.

I was thinking about things like rising to the moment, the strength of will etc. It seems the Avs lack in that department.

Ha I watch boxing highlights too, recently George Foreman. What an animal!

 

[S E P H]

We stopped winning when the top line stopped scoring 4 goals/night. Even in november, we were never a good team TBH.

I think that is a bit disingenuous. True we road the backs of the 1st line and looked insane while doing it, but Avs have a lot more talent to never be considered a good team. We were spoiled and decided to exceed our expectations from a bubble team into a premier club. We were always a bubble team and not someone like the Kings or Senators. Avs were never as good as November, but were never as bad as we were in December or January.

Some of it is constant mental errors from virtually every player in the lineup, from leaving Radulov wide open in front of the net, to taking a too many men on the ice penalty in the last couple of minutes or so last game in a must win. I am not seeing these kinds of constant mental and discipline mistakes from other teams.

Absolutely 100% agree, but mistakes happen all the time in hockey. Every Cup winner in existence always conducted mistakes, especially the 2018 Caps team. However, passable goaltending doesn't make every mistake end up in the back of the net. Additionally, more talent will limit some of these mistakes with more intelligent decisions with the puck. The problem is that Avs for the most parthave a dumb player on every line and that really affects our ability - a reason why I much prefer when the big line was broken up instead of loaded again.

 

[the_fan]

Defensive breakdowns happen to every team. I watch teams like Tampa and other top teams, and they also have their share of turnovers or bad defensive plays, the difference is they can get away with it and Avs can't. If Tampa makes a mistake and gives up a goal, no big deal they'll get it right back. When Avs make a mistake and give up a goal, they go mentally fragile and usually don't recover, and it seems like Avs make bad mistakes at worst possible times in games.

 

[dahrougem2]

I don't think this ends the season, but my oh my will the pressure be turned up.

Lol we know what happens to this team when the pressure gets turned up.

 

[Metallo]

A loss is a loss, it should not be the end of the season. But the way they lost - not scoring a goal and being dominated physically - is just not acceptable in such a crucial game. On a “will” level, I don’t see this team making the playoffs.

 

[Balthazar]

Avs were supposedly fighting for a playoff spot and were expected to dominate against virtually eliminated teams like Florida, Vancouver, Anaheim and Detroit and that wasn't the case at all. Other teams with their backs against the wall are playing playoff-like hockey to try to get in, but we don't.

Truth is, this team went too low for far too long this year to just flick a switch and start winning. That never-ending losing streak did some serious damage to that group.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Avs were supposedly fighting for a playoff spot and were expected to dominate against virtually eliminated teams like Florida, Vancouver, Anaheim and Detroit and that wasn't the case at all. Other teams with their backs against the wall are playing playoff-like hockey to try to get in, but we don't.

Truth is, this team went too low for far too long this year to just flick a switch and start winning. That never-ending losing streak did some serious damage to that group.

Sad truth is, that's what our playoff hockey looks like...

 

[Freudian]

Still don't understand why Bednar pulled the plug on Greer/Agozzino on the fourth line. They did well, didn't they?