GDT: Game 8: Vancouver Canucks @ Colorado Avalanche | 10.24.14 | 7 p.m. height of Sports

[Foppa2118]

TSN used it right after Burrows goal counted in their recap, but I think it might have been some clever editing on their part and it happened at another point in the game. I couldn't find it after that call in any of the feeds.

Sportsnet said the refs were warning Patty to calm down after they counted the goal, I'd imagine that's probably why.

 

[ABasin]

To be honest I'd like to see one game with Guenin in and Stuart out. I realize that means someone has to play on the off-side but I'd still like to see it.

Not me. Stuart is the far superior player, and it's not close.

By midseason, I believe Stuart will be regarded as a wholly acceptable 2nd pairing stay-at-home defenseman for Colorado. He'll be stretched into 1st pairing duty sometimes (as will Hejda), but he'll be solid overall.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Stuart has been fine since the first game. One thing I like about him is that he doesn't waste time to shoot and it seems to always get on net.

 

[TheStranger]

Redmond recorded zero giveaways last night

In other news Guenin gave away nachos...

Hmm I guess Vancouver didn't get control but there was a moment in the third down in the corner where he twice tried to clear it up the boards and it went off a Vancouver player, he twice recovered it before finally getting it out of the zone.

 

[Balthazar]

Roy getting red faced mad = team success. Difference with last year is he waited 7 games this year.

 

[cgf]

I've been happy with Stuart for the last 4-5 games. He's great on the PK and wins a lot of puck battles. He will get dummied by a forward now and again and miss a pass occationally, but I feel people are exaggerating how often it happens.

Same with Hejda. He was slow at the start of the year but has gotten better the last three games. He's really slow but as long as he plays a bit more conservative it's not a major problem.

Having EJ/Barrie/Redmond on the right side helps, since you have players that can move and pass to relieve the pressure off the slower defenders.

Agreed. I was championing the "this is gunna be scary-bad" brigade when it was first announced, but Stuart's been adequate for a handful of games now. Still not happy about that final season on his contract, and still anxious that the drain of the seasons and some possible injuries/knocks will cause his play to drop as Hejda's did at the end of last season. But for now he's been alright, and hopefully that holds up long enough for Siemens to be ready to make a real impact upon getting called up.

 

[Foppa2118]

Having the officials huddle is the best and most accurate way to do it. Sometimes another official might have a better angle of the play. Like that goal last night. That guy close to the play waving it off could not see that the dude got his stick on the puck. Varly was completely blocking his view. An official behind the play was apparently able to see it though.

As for why not just have the video review, sometimes that evidence is inconclusive and you have to go with he call on the ice. Like last night.

The only problem I have with this is that they don't let anyone know what the call is until after the review. To everyone watching it looked like last nights goal was waived off. They goal early in the season, everyone thought that was good. Just let us know the call after the officials huddling but before the review.


Camera angles don't always get it right. Last night you could not tell from the camera angles wether or not he hit the puck with his stick. Not sure if you follow football, but this stuff happens all the time.

Everyone knows that video replay can be inconclusive, and that it makes sense to limit their ability to overturn the original call from the ref closest to the play. The point is that the back official does not have a better vantage point in real time than all the combined cameras do with the benefit of slo mo. If the cameras can't find it conclusive enough to overturn the call, then the original call should stand. Not the call that the back official made, since at best he has the same view as the cameras, and usually worse.

 

[Pokecheque]

But Stuart just played a solid game in which he had 24+ minutes of icetime...

Frankly I'm not so sure he was that "solid" to be honest. I get that he logged a bunch of ice time but he was still noticeably bad in my eyes, making terrible mistakes with the puck and getting caught out of position, and he played that Burrows goal (yes, the controversial one) horribly. The only time I'd say he was truly playing "well" was when he was holding the zone. Apart from that and a couple solid hits in the defensive zone he was simply headache-inducing in my eyes. I get that I'm biased but I don't think I'm off-base here.

Both Barrie and Redmond made him look a lot better than he actually was last night.

 

[Avs For Life]

Hmm I guess Vancouver didn't get control but there was a moment in the third down in the corner where he twice tried to clear it up the boards and it went off a Vancouver player, he twice recovered it before finally getting it out of the zone.

I remember that sequence. Im a bit surprised that wasnt recorded as a takeaway but at the same time I was impressed with Redmond's tenacity and determination to get the puck back and get it out.

 

[Avs_19]

I thought Stuart had one of his better games yesterday. It was Barrie who kept doing stupid **** in the defensive zone and getting them in trouble. I still don't want to see him playing that much though, 25 mins is way too much for him. Redmond showed he can play so hopefully he'll get more minutes.

 

[ThatAvsGamer]

Our D hasn't been our problem at all this year.

 

[The Shermanator]

Our D hasn't been our problem at all this year.

huh?

 

[Avs_19]

Our D hasn't been our problem at all this year.

 

[The Shermanator]

He's right our D is fine.

 

[Freudian]

Everything but the goalies has been the problem this far.

Avs last year worked as a five man unit in both ends of the ice. They've shown some flashes but not nearly enough. Last night was the first game where you could tell they made an effort to support each other and be more hungry than the opposition.

The only skater that's been consistently great is Duchene. Mitchell has been quite good in the few games he's played. The rest have to bear their share of the blame for the slow start. Roy too.

 

[Balthazar]

Last night was the first game where you could tell they made an effort to support each other and be more hungry than the opposition.

Let's not forget that it was the Canucks, on the road, they were playing a 2nd game in 2 nights, they got dismantled in Dallas the night before and were playing their backup goalie.

While the AVS played great yesterday, it sure won't always be like easy like that. Hopefully it will be a confidence boost though.

 

[Freudian]

Cliche was aiming for the five hole.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Let's not forget that it was the Canucks, on the road, they were playing a 2nd game in 2 nights, they got dismantled in Dallas the night before and were playing their backup goalie.

While the AVS played great yesterday, it sure won't always be like easy like that. Hopefully it will be a confidence boost though.

Oh come on, I've seen something similar posted a couple times. Yes it's one win, that in itself doesn't mean a ton but let's not discount the win itself. Nobody felt sorry for us or gave us pity points when we started the season with 5/6 games on the road including playing a 3rd game in 4 nights and a 4th game in 6 nights with our third string goalie who had never seen NHL action before. It's the NHL, it will never be easy. Considering Vancouver is a team the Avs have struggled with in the past and still was a team some had worried a few days prior had looked good enough to threaten for a playoff spot this year, there is no need to qualify the win. It was a good win. Now they have to build on it. Also, they had beat St Louis the night before.

 

[member 116861]

I was reading the comments on the Avs Facebook page about the EJ mailbag. I forgot how dumb casual fans can be.

 

[RockLobster]

I was reading the comments on the Avs Facebook page about the EJ mailbag. I forgot how dumb casual fans can be.

Enlighten me, I'm looking for something fun to read--but right now am too lazy to look it up...I'm in a depressed state of mind.

 

[member 116861]

Enlighten me, I'm looking for something fun to read--but right now am too lazy to look it up...I'm in a depressed state of mind.

I don't know how to specifically link that page but if you go to the Avs Facebook page, it is the first one.

 

[Rumplesnipeskin]

Not me. Stuart is the far superior player, and it's not close.

By midseason, I believe Stuart will be regarded as a wholly acceptable 2nd pairing stay-at-home defenseman for Colorado. He'll be stretched into 1st pairing duty sometimes (as will Hejda), but he'll be solid overall.

I like this comparison, mainly because I believe the Avs thought Stuart could be "Hejda'd" and turned into a solid 2nd line D man. Whether they are successful remains to be seen, but Hejda pre-CO to Hejda now is a much improved player. Hoping for the same from Stuart, though I'm under no illusions of him transforming into an All-Star.

 

[ABasin]

Frankly I'm not so sure he was that "solid" to be honest. I get that he logged a bunch of ice time but he was still noticeably bad in my eyes, making terrible mistakes with the puck and getting caught out of position, and he played that Burrows goal (yes, the controversial one) horribly.

I acknowledge that I put down a few beers last night, but wasn't it Barrie's crap defensive play that led up to that? What is Stuart supposed to do about a prior bad play leading to a deflected puck off of a guy's (who Stuart is defending) skate?

I don't want to portray an opinion that any Avs defenseman has been playing overwhelming quality defensive hockey so far this season. And Stuart has made his share of plays that raise eyebrows (like every single other Avs defenseman). But this seems like "whipping boy" stuff to me.

Barrie has arguably been the Avs worst defensive zone player so far this season. He's been great at the other end, so it gets overlooked pretty often. I said this over the Summer, but all Stuart (and Hejda, actually) needs to do, is play a simple stay-at-home game: be back, be in position, be physical, get the puck up the ice. If he does that, he'll be largely successful next to either EJ or Barrie. In the past few games, he's seemed to do that.

 

[ABasin]

Our D hasn't been our problem at all this year.

Brgsslvmnssvksfgjdmma……..what?

It hasn't been our *only* problem, but it sure hasn't been good.

 

[StayAtHomeAv]

Redmond recorded zero giveaways last night

In other news Guenin gave away nachos...

He did have that icing right before their 3rd goal though, to be fair.

Dude was awesome though. Really got to wonder why it took them so long to play him. Maybe he is just one of these guys who is a gamer and doesn't do as hot in practice.

Everyone knows that video replay can be inconclusive, and that it makes sense to limit their ability to overturn the original call from the ref closest to the play. The point is that the back official does not have a better vantage point in real time than all the combined cameras do with the benefit of slo mo. If the cameras can't find it conclusive enough to overturn the call, then the original call should stand. Not the call that the back official made, since at best he has the same view as the cameras, and usually worse.

How do you know what the ref can or can not see? Just because a camera angle did not pick it up does not mean one of the refs behind the play did not have a good view. There are not that many camera angles. And the only way a ref and a camera are going to have the exact same view is if the ref is wearing a GoPro. The views are going to be different. Even if just slightly different that could be the difference in seeing the puck and having something obstructing the view, especially when talking about something as small as a puck.