GDT: GAME LVI: This is The End

[Pokecheque]

With so many reasons to justifiably hate Ryan O'Reilly, why pick something as benign as thinking his team can win a hockey game? I feel like our focus isn't in the right place here.

I truly dislike the guy and certainly say that on here a lot but yeah I don't mind the smack talk...especially if the Avs can make him eat his words.

This just all makes the matchup more interesting. I'm okay with that.

 

[Turbonium]

With so many reasons to justifiably hate Ryan O'Reilly, why pick something as benign as thinking his team can win a hockey game? I feel like our focus isn't in the right place here.

Where should fan's focus be? Practicing chanting Go Avs Go?

 

[klozge]

ROR is skating on thin ice, with his comments. It's very clear he has a personal vendetta with it organization, and this series is personal to him. He is putting himself and his wants, above the team with his comments. Personally wouldn't want my captain saying that kind of crap.

All I can say is he better deliver, or he's going to look like a grade A dumbass. If he has a bad series and we dummy them, its going to look bad for him.

And personally now, I hope we destroy them. Like embarrass them. ROR has no clue what this team is capable of. Their wins against us came in game 1, where we played like shit and weren't ready for the season. And then 2 wins right after the 2nd covid break, with no Rantanen, Grubauer, Girard etc. The Avs are scary good, when healthy. And we'll be more healthy than we've been in a bit. Not too mention playoff Mackinnon is a completely different animal, ROR will have his hands full.

Are you serious? He's not allowed to be confident in your opinion? They recently won a cup mainly because of him. Yes, Avs will probably beat the Blues but until then he's allowed to trashtalk us whenever the f*** he feels like it. And it does help his team.

 

[Azrael89]

Are you serious? He's not allowed to be confident in your opinion? They recently won a cup mainly because of him. Yes, Avs will probably beat the Blues but until then he's allowed to trashtalk us whenever the f*** he feels like it. And it does help his team.

They won a cup because of a new coach and Binnington catching lightning in a bottle. O’Reilly was the third most important ingredient.

 

[klozge]

They won a cup because of a new coach and Binnington catching lightning in a bottle. O’Reilly was the third most important ingredient.

To actually believe that even after the latest two games against them.

Edit: Binnington surely helped, of course

 

[Ceremony]

Where should fan's focus be? Practicing chanting Go Avs Go?

"He said they can win! This is a disgrace!" - pointless
"He's a money grabbing rat with a stupid haircut who was responsible for the worst management related shambles in this team's history and who never stops f***ing scoring against us" - worthwhile

Hope that clears things up.

 

[Nihiliste]

Reasons I don’t like O’reilly:
- seems like a weird hippy
- terrible manbun
- plays for the blues
- drunk driving incident

Things I don’t hold against O’reilly
- getting pissed at lacroix for being lowballed and valued less than Duchene
- not playing for our team
- wanting to win or being confident his team can win

 

[Azrael89]

To actually believe that even after the latest two games against them.

Edit: Binnington surely helped, of course

O’Reilly was on that team when they were dead last in the NHL. Berube came in, Binnington got his chance and ran with it and everyone knows what happened after that. O’Reilly is a uniquely talented player, but his value on that team is inflated. O’Reilly has been the Blues best player this season and look at their record. Binnington is the key to that teams success.

 

[rmthomson21]

Where should fan's focus be? Practicing chanting Go Avs Go?

Just enjoy how much better our team is than any of the other ones, it's like eating frosting straight out of the tin

 

[klozge]

O’Reilly was on that team when they were dead last in the NHL. Berube came in, Binnington got his chance and ran with it and everyone knows what happened after that. O’Reilly is a uniquely talented player, but his value on that team is inflated. O’Reilly has been the Blues best player this season and look at their record. Binnington is the key to that teams success.

Just watch the latest two Avs games vs the Blues and watch out for the moment (obviously in the first one of them) O'Reilly decides he's had enough.

 

[chet1926]

Just watch the latest two Avs games vs the Blues and watch out for the moment (obviously in the first one of them) O'Reilly decides he's had enough.

Woah, two whole games where ROR played well and the Avs fielded the D squad no Rants, Grubauer, Girard, Saad etc. Not taking too much from the last 2-3 games at played them. The Avs are in much different place than 3 weeks ago. Not sure he's going to be able to dominate a healthier Avs team.

 

[klozge]

Woah, two whole games where ROR played well and the Avs fielded the D squad no Rants, Grubauer, Girard, Saad etc. Not taking too much from the last 2-3 games at played them. The Avs are in much different place than 3 weeks ago. Not sure he's going to be able to dominate a healthier Avs team.

I just wanted to show you what the Blues are all about. It's pretty much exclusively O'Reilly this year.

 

[chet1926]

I just wanted to show you what the Blues are all about. It's pretty much exclusively O'Reilly this year.

Yep it is, because Pietrangelo is gone and Binnington has looked middle of the road. Perron still has his moments but not at ROR levels.

And for this reason I think it's going to be a tough series for ROR lots of attention will be paid to him. If I'm Avs coaches, the message is simple don't let 90 beat you and maybe a bit of 57.

Whereas going against us it's don't let 29 get hot. But then you have 96, 92, 8, 49, 95, 7, 91 etc. To also worry about. If we play at our potential, it's a scary ask for any team to shut us down. If we play down or with only 75% or worse effort which we are prone to do, that's when St Louis could be a problem because their effort will be there every game. Our effort you never know what you are going to get.

 

[Alex Jones]

Losing JBo was a really big loss for the Blues as well. Also Alex Steen did a lot of heavy lifting for that team.

 

[McJedi]

Until the last 5 games Timmins wasn't doing any of those things and was a huge liability defensively, which is why he got sent down. To his and the coaching staffs credit though he's been MUCH improved.

He’s been better over longer than 5 games. He was playing pretty well the few games before he got hurt and sent down. Played well for the Eagles and got called back up.

it’s almost like the super long C19 pause set him back a bit. And getting back in the saddle just took a bit as he adjusted to NHL level play.

you’re seeing all kinds of flashes now, which is what you’re always looking for with first year guys.

 

[Pokecheque]

Losing JBo was a really big loss for the Blues as well. Also Alex Steen did a lot of heavy lifting for that team.

Actually, Bouwmeester was an abject disaster for them in their Cup run. They're getting way, way more out of Robert Bortuzzo, who is by no means a great defenseman. The fact that he of all people was used as a "shutdown" defender just shows you how not all Cup-winning coaches are not necessarily good coaches (Randy Carlyle might have been the very worst) and team defense and goaltending sometimes makes up for a weak cog in the system sometimes.

Steen remained very good defensively right up until the end even though the offense completely dried up. Sundqvist was a good heir apparent to Steen (he sure ripped up the Avs in that one game), losing him for the year to injury really took its toll.

 

[amigo]

Didn't like the way he leaved but his work ethic and dedication to game is amazing.

 

[henchman21]

I actually like ROR's quote... wish more hockey players would give quotes like that.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I actually like ROR's quote... wish more hockey players would give quotes like that.

Yeah I don’t get that blowback. Don’t you want your captain being confident in your team?

Also didn’t Landy say something like this before the Flames series?

 

[Pokecheque]

I actually like ROR's quote... wish more hockey players would give quotes like that.

So do I. I'll cackle with glee if the Avs make him pay for those words, but I like the fact that he upped the ante a bit. I have to admire confidence like that.

 

[Alex Jones]

I actually like ROR's quote... wish more hockey players would give quotes like that.

It just seemed like a generic answer to me. Idk why it's a story

 

[MarkT]

After we win the cup. The hockey gods can always dole out injuries and fluke goals

I disagree. We should be cocky now, and unbearably cocky if we win the cup. Sure, the hockey gods can do all sorts of things, but they could just as easily give us a terrible offseason or next season after winning the cup. Cockiness always comes with a chance of falling flat on your face - that's part of the fun of it.

We're mad at O'Reilly because he said they're going to win? That's really reaching for bulletin board material.

Just wait until MacKinnon gets in front of a mic after listening to some DMX like I'm assuming he does on a regular basis.

Technically, all O'Reilly guaranteed was one win "We're going have some fun and we're going to beat them"
So he's predicting a 5 game series. That's fine. Misguided, but fine.

 

[katfude]

They won a cup because of a new coach and Binnington catching lightning in a bottle. O’Reilly was the third most important ingredient.

I'd argue that their storyline that year was the driving factor with the other three being extremely strong contributors. Their team rallied hard behind the "Play Gloria" stuff and they had a superfan girl with a rare disease that the whole team fell in love with.

It was the perfect storyline in every regard. I'm super happy they won that year.

Guess what? It's 2021. The storybook fun is over. The avalanche is coming down the mountain and no one can stop it.