GDT: Game 9: Avs at Flyers | 5 PM MT | October 22, 2018 | When East Meets West...

[Pokecheque]

Sure winning is great but I don't like the fact that Kamenev had to sit tonight. I think he definitely showed enough to stay in the lineup and was making strides.

The guy they should have sat was Colin Wilson. Last game against Carolina, there was a play where the puck went behind the Hurricanes net and Wilson went to get it. As he circled the net, he saw Jost wide-ass open in the slot but chose to hang on to the puck and try to score himself. I would have benched him on that alone.

Either he didn't see him and he just sucks at hockey or he did see him but chose to try selfishly try and score on his own. My money is on the latter and I have no time for players like that.

That's a guy in a contract year trying to stay in the NHL instead of making the correct hockey play.

I think Wilson is just...ordinary. Whoever came up with the "Captain Average" nickname nailed it. There's no one aspect of his game that stands out. He's big, but doesn't necessarily throw his body around a lot. He's got decent, but not great, hands. His hockey sense is average at best. And I honestly think he takes some shifts off. He was a decent fill in and so I certainly don't lament the 4th rounder the Avs sacrificed for him, but I'll be plenty steamed if there's any talk whatsoever of extending him. He needs to go, and frankly I would like that to be before his contract expires. Just ship him off for whatever and put a farmhand in his place, like Greer.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Wilson is a UFA after this season right?

I think he would bring way more to the table than Greer come playoff time so I wouldn't ship him off, but I wouldn't extend him next season either.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

What could we reasonably get for Wilson at the TDL?
a 3rd?

 

[Pokecheque]

Overall, I came away from the game happy, but just a little frustrated. That's pretty much what being an Avs fan is though, right?

At least Nieto and Calvert finally got their names on the scoresheet.

So yeah, I feel nitpicky looking at this start and complaining so much, but I do hope they figure things out soon. The top line and goaltending can only take this team so far, and a performance like that will be the Flyboys, it will not beat the Jets and Preds of the league.

I won't repeat what others have said about guys like Barrie, et al, but I will say I thought last night was Patrik Nemeth's best of the season. Don't know why this team is playing so goddamn soft on defense (I'm about sick of the lazy "skate past with your stick out and try and knock the puck loose" form of neutral zone defense they're employing) but Nemeth was about the only guy knocking people around and battling for the puck in the d-zone. Everyone else was just running around and chasing the play.

Gotta say I hope I don't jinx him, but Mikko Rantanen is a force of nature right now. Astounding how dominant he looks right now.

 

[Pokecheque]

What could we reasonably get for Wilson at the TDL?
a 3rd?

Well, that would be an upgrade over what was used to get him.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Overall, I came away from the game happy, but just a little frustrated. That's pretty much what being an Avs fan is though, right?

At least Nieto and Calvert finally got their names on the scoresheet.

So yeah, I feel nitpicky looking at this start and complaining so much, but I do hope they figure things out soon. The top line and goaltending can only take this team so far, and a performance like that will be the Flyboys, it will not beat the Jets and Preds of the league.

I won't repeat what others have said about guys like Barrie, et al, but I will say I thought last night was Patrik Nemeth's best of the season. Don't know why this team is playing so goddamn soft on defense (I'm about sick of the lazy "skate past with your stick out and try and knock the puck loose" form of neutral zone defense they're employing) but Nemeth was about the only guy knocking people around and battling for the puck in the d-zone. Everyone else was just running around and chasing the play.

Gotta say I hope I don't jinx him, but Mikko Rantanen is a force of nature right now. Astounding how dominant he looks right now.

Just wait til he gets separated from Mack. Then we’ll see how bad he is.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Overall, I came away from the game happy, but just a little frustrated. That's pretty much what being an Avs fan is though, right?

At least Nieto and Calvert finally got their names on the scoresheet.

So yeah, I feel nitpicky looking at this start and complaining so much, but I do hope they figure things out soon. The top line and goaltending can only take this team so far, and a performance like that will be the Flyboys, it will not beat the Jets and Preds of the league.

I won't repeat what others have said about guys like Barrie, et al, but I will say I thought last night was Patrik Nemeth's best of the season. Don't know why this team is playing so goddamn soft on defense (I'm about sick of the lazy "skate past with your stick out and try and knock the puck loose" form of neutral zone defense they're employing) but Nemeth was about the only guy knocking people around and battling for the puck in the d-zone. Everyone else was just running around and chasing the play.

Gotta say I hope I don't jinx him, but Mikko Rantanen is a force of nature right now. Astounding how dominant he looks right now.

I've noticed this too. The first 3ish games of the season they were playing completely differently too. Clogging up the neutral zone and making it so hard on the opposing teams offense to get through our blue line. Now it seems like we are playing much less physical and letting guys walk the puck into the zone too much while wildly swinging at them with sticks. Barrie has been especially bad about this. Might just be early season laziness and lack of willingness to engage physically since there are 72 games left in the regular season.

 

[Pokecheque]

I honestly don't know what the problem is--it's almost like the coaches went way overboard with the "don't take stupid penalties" thing that the team is playing hesitantly. I'd rather see them take penalties for knocking guys around than see them take a penalty in the d-zone because they got gassed chasing guys around and end up tripping/hooking someone.

 

[ASmileyFace]

I honestly don't know what the problem is--it's almost like the coaches went way overboard with the "don't take stupid penalties" thing that the team is playing hesitantly. I'd rather see them take penalties for knocking guys around than see them take a penalty in the d-zone because they got gassed chasing guys around and end up tripping/hooking someone.

If the coaching staff told them to stop taking penalties like that it isn't working either Other than last night it seems like we are due for 3-4 tripping/holding calls a game

 

[RoyIsALegend]

We are one of the smallest and softest teams in the league, what did people expect?

We are a modern, skating team. Don’t complain when players are having a picnic in the neutral zone and setting up in our zone. It’s simply not our pedigree or gameplan.

Deal with it and be prepared for the Watsons and Sissons of the world to have a field day over a 7 game series again.

 

[AvsFan29]

We are one of the smallest and softest teams in the league, what did people expect?

We are a modern, skating team. Don’t complain when players are having a picnic in the neutral zone and setting up in our zone. It’s simply not our pedigree or gameplan.

Deal with it and be prepared for the Watsons and Sissons of the world to have a field day over a 7 game series again.

I wouldn't say we are soft. The Avs win a TON of battles and rarely get pushed around. We drop the gloves when necessary aswell. Yes we are a fast skating team, but our guys battle for pucks.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

I wouldn't say we are soft. The Avs win a TON of battles and rarely get pushed around. We drop the gloves when necessary aswell. Yes we are a fast skating team, but our guys battle for pucks.

I disagree, but to each their own.

We keep talking about how the rest of the NHL isn’t the measuring stick for us; the Preds and Jets are. Well, they have physical monsters on every line and every pairing.

We don’t stand a chance against either of those teams over a two week series, they will wear us down like we saw last year.

 

[AvsFan29]

I disagree, but to each their own.

We keep talking about how the rest of the NHL isn’t the measuring stick for us; the Preds and Jets are. Well, they have physical monsters on every line and every pairing.

We don’t stand a chance against either of those teams over a two week series, they will wear us down like we saw last year.

We took Nashville to 6 games without a goalie and half the D we have now. We lost a couple games by 1 goal. They definitely brought the cheap shots and some of the more aggressive physical stuff, but to say we"don't have a chance" isn't correct

 

[Pokecheque]

We are one of the smallest and softest teams in the league, what did people expect?

We are a modern, skating team. Don’t complain when players are having a picnic in the neutral zone and setting up in our zone. It’s simply not our pedigree or gameplan.

Deal with it and be prepared for the Watsons and Sissons of the world to have a field day over a 7 game series again.

They're not soft. They have people up and down the lineup who can (and have many times) battle for pucks, get into the dirty areas and disrupt things for the opposition. They're just choosing not to right now, and I have absolutely no idea why.

Say what you will about guys like Jost and Kerfoot, but they're most assuredly not soft.

That's why Gabe Bourque drives me so nuts. One game he'll be Cody-McLeod-in-his-prime physical, ramming into everyone full speed, creating space and scoring changes, and then the next five he floats around and does nothing other than make bad plays with the puck. That's why, frankly, he shouldn't see regular time, he's only good for the odd game here and there, and hopefully Bednar realizes this sooner rather than later.

This is not a "we need to get bigger/tougher" thing, it's simply their mentality. I'm not asking for them to run guys over, all they gotta do is get in the way with a little "bump coverage." They did this to perfection against the Wylde, not sure why they cant have that aggressive mentality against other teams.

 

[Freudian]

https://www.tsn.ca/rantanen-scores-twice-leads-avs-past-flyers-1.1196466

If you click on the 2nd video on that page, Craig Button talks about how good Rants is and how much of a good coach Bednar is. Interesting watch.

 

[UncleRisto]

TBF, Rantanen was just coming up and Nylander's hype has always been all Toronto.

 

[Balthazar]

2016. You got me there for a second.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Someone should post that tweet in the Mikko thread on the main board. Leafs fans will flock to it before seeing the date.

 

[Joe Sakic]

Agree with a lot of you on Wilson.

Let him walk this offseason...his spot can and should be taken by one of Kamenev, Bowers, Kaut, or even Greer

 

[CharlesPuck]

Kind of choked Mikko didn't pass it to Nate for the ENG. Need more stats

They should have AT LEAST done a give and go.

 

[Avsavsavsavsavs]

It's pretty easy to say Wilson is playing for a contract year but I like him, if he continues to bring what he does nightly thus far I'd take him for a cheaper price.

 

[Ivan13]

Someone should post that tweet in the Mikko thread on the main board. Leafs fans will flock to it before seeing the date.

I like the cut of your jib. Very sneaky.

 

[21]

Nemeth a ****ing idiot

Hmmm, didn't know it was ok to write like this in this forum, obviously it is, good to know.

 

[member 116861]

Nemeth is a G. So good in his role just shouldn't play above the bottom pairing.

 

[UncleRisto]

Hmmm, didn't know it was ok to write like this in this forum, obviously it is, good to know.

Förlåt, Patrik. Don't worry about it. Sucks to read about yourself like that.