GDT: GAME VI: Avalanche @ Rangers - Blueshirt Velvet

[Pokecheque]

Impressive length on your post

Oh you should've been around in the good ol' days...I used to write full treatises no one ever read.

 

[Piestany88]

Oh you should've been around in the good ol' days...I used to write full treatises no one ever read.

I started lurking on this board around 2002 but got away from it for few years and back again lurking before finally getting brave enough to post lol. Always a good read mate .

 

[avsfan09]

Landy has been great with his tips and redirects. If he wasn't on the top line, we would have lost last night. He needs to stop stickhandling so much and get his passes off quicker.

Yeah it's a good thing he was there and we won.

 

[dahrougem2]

There was a play in the first where MacKinnon was being legitimately held onto by a bear hug from one of Rags defender's for five seconds when the puck wasn't even next to him (Nate was visibly trying to get him off of him)...yet he gets called for a that bullcrap penalty in the third. I am not trying to blame any loss on the ref, but the amount of interference teams are getting away with on MacKinnon is just insane.

It really is ridiculous. Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid should be drawing 1-2 hooking/holding/interference penalties literally every game due to their speed, but a lot of times refs just want them to play through it.

 

[Avs44]

Landy does so much of the grunt work on that line. I don’t know how people would expect to find a better LW for that line than Landy.

Oh c'mon TMV, all we need is a prime Marian Hossa to replace him. No big deal.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I know I've been beating this drum over and over again... Jost's skating as his size just isn't there for him to be a two way force at center. I believe he can play on both sides of the ice effectively at center, just not at the same time. Right now we are seeing him be real effective defensively and putrid offensively. I believe that if you want the best out of him on both sides of the ice, you'll have to move him to wing. That will shorten up the ice for him and focus in his game while letting him be a force on both sides.

A part of his game that just flat out bothers me is his thought that he has more hands talent than he actually has. There are times he can pull off some great things, but he is not good at picking his battles and ends up killing a number of plays by not making the smart move and/or holding on to the puck too long.

Nailed it. I felt that way about Mackinnon for many years. Nathan figured out his limitations and I hope Jost can aswell.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Oh you should've been around in the good ol' days...I used to write full treatises no one ever read.

I miss those.

 

[AvsFan29]

Yeah it's a good thing he was there and we won.

We tied and lost the OT point.

 

[Balthazar]

Landy getting in dirty areas is good for that line and he helps the two others defensively. I don't see him being nearly as effective with lesser players on the 2nd line, moving him down wouldn't help anything.

Only reason to move Landy would be to replace him with a guy like Stone, who's just a better version of Landy and a natural RW. I also wonder how Rants would do on his strong side if we were to move a righty on the 1st line.

 

[avsfan09]

We tied and lost the OT point.

Meant that to come across more as a joke haha. My bad.

 

[Avs44]

Landy getting in dirty areas is good for that line and he helps the two others defensively. I don't see him being nearly as effective with lesser players on the 2nd line, moving him down wouldn't help anything.

Only reason to move Landy would be to replace him with a guy like Stone, who's just a better version of Landy and a natural RW. I also wonder how Rants would do on his strong side if we were to move a righty on the 1st line.

If I’m not mistaken being on the right side is Rantanen’s strong side. I think that’s where he’s been most of his career. I definetely prefer him there - makes him a much more dangerous shooting threat which also opens up space for him to make plays

 

[chet1926]

There was a play in the first where MacKinnon was being legitimately held onto by a bear hug from one of Rags defender's for five seconds when the puck wasn't even next to him (Nate was visibly trying to get him off of him)...yet he gets called for a that bullcrap penalty in the third. I am not trying to blame any loss on the ref, but the amount of interference teams are getting away with on MacKinnon is just insane.

MacKinnon gets the least amount of superstar calls in comparison to other stars around the league.

There was that play you mentioned and then in the 2nd he was interfered with and ended up landing on top of Lundquist when MacK wasn't even near the puck. Then gets that BS holding call in OT. I guarantee you if it was McDavid both calls would have been made, and he wouldn't have gotten the cheap call in OT, the refs would have looked the other way.

I'm kind of getting fed up with the refs, the Avs as a whole get way more ticky tack calls than their opponents. It is a constant theme every night, and I don't understand why.

 

[Balthazar]

If I’m not mistaken being on the right side is Rantanen’s strong side. I think that’s where he’s been most of his career. I definetely prefer him there - makes him a much more dangerous shooting threat which also opens up space for him to make plays

Better shooting angles but weaker to send/receive passes and play along the board. I'm not saying he'd be better on the left but since Rants isn't a pure shooter like Boeser or Laine I'd like to see what he can do on his natural side.

 

[Foppberg]

I'd say if it ain't broke dont fix it. Mikko has looked awesome to start the year, our best player thus far.

 

[Pokecheque]

Rants, like any good scoring line winger, uses the whole ice. Sometimes he comes in on the left, sometimes the right, as others have said, one side serves for better shooting angles, the other for passing plays. Honestly it doesn't matter a ton where he or the other guy lines up for faceoffs, if that trio worked then so be it, but I'm fine with the top line as is.

I still think for how awesome that line is, however, that they play atrociously in the defensive zone, and that needs to be addressed somehow. I'm not expecting them to be like the Bruins' top line but FFS they shouldn't be spending extended shifts in their own end.

 

[Avs_19]

I still think for how awesome that line is, however, that they play atrociously in the defensive zone, and that needs to be addressed somehow. I'm not expecting them to be like the Bruins' top line but FFS they shouldn't be spending extended shifts in their own end.

MacKinnon has been bad in this area and I think he's the cause of a lot of the breakdowns.

 

[Foppa2118]

I know I've been beating this drum over and over again... Jost's skating as his size just isn't there for him to be a two way force at center. I believe he can play on both sides of the ice effectively at center, just not at the same time. Right now we are seeing him be real effective defensively and putrid offensively. I believe that if you want the best out of him on both sides of the ice, you'll have to move him to wing. That will shorten up the ice for him and focus in his game while letting him be a force on both sides.

A part of his game that just flat out bothers me is his thought that he has more hands talent than he actually has. There are times he can pull off some great things, but he is not good at picking his battles and ends up killing a number of plays by not making the smart move and/or holding on to the puck too long.

Defining a 20 year old's career and assuming he won't fix any of his weaknesses again huh? If only there were thousands of examples of players improving on what they looked like at 20 years old.

Unfortunately for Jost, everyone in the history of the NHL has been able to balance their defensive workload with offensive production already by that age. Oh wait that's right, very few have been able to do that, but lets criticize him for it anyway.

ROR didn't crack 26 points until his third year in the league, playing a very similar role, with similar line mates to Jost.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

 

[Pokecheque]

MacKinnon has been bad in this area and I think he's the cause of a lot of the breakdowns.

Well, to be fair he's been far more involved this season than he ever was last season, when he coasted around and did absolutely nothing, but I wouldn't call him terribly effective. It's the play of the other two guys that still leaves me scratching my head--they're supposed to be the effective two-way players.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

Rantanen is a RW. Do not move him to the left side.

 

[Foppa2118]

Rantanen is a RW. Do not move him to the left side.

I think Mikko can still be successful in spurts on the left side. There's situations that might have them try that down the road depending on how Kaut turns out, who they draft in 2019, and if they add a RW like Stone or someone else for secondary scoring.

RW is definitely his preferred position, but they might form a more balanced lineup at some point in the future with him on the left.

Mikko - MacK - Kakko

Just sayin...

 

[The Abusement Park]

I think Mikko can still be successful in spurts on the left side. There's situations that might have them try that down the road depending on how Kaut turns out, who they draft in 2019, and if they add a RW like Stone or someone else for secondary scoring.

RW is definitely his preferred position, but they might form a more balanced lineup at some point in the future with him on the left.

Mikko - MacK - Kakko

Just sayin...

I’d rather Kakko run his own line hypothetically. I think. Maybe. Idk.

 

[Foppa2118]

I’d rather Kakko run his own line hypothetically. I think. Maybe. Idk.

That might be the best way to utilize him. I think the concern would be that all three like to have the puck on their stick, but I'm sure we'd all love to see it at least tried if they're lucky enough to land Kakko.

Ideally, the best case scenario IMO would be Kakko transitions to center this year, and plays a true Foppa role for the Avs.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I’d rather Kakko run his own line hypothetically. I think. Maybe. Idk.

Well Josts defensive ability should make him a good center for him then lol. Or Kakko can move to center and Jost or Kaut can play the Landeskog role for him with Stone on the other side.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That might be the best way to utilize him. I think the concern would be that all three like to have the puck on their stick, but I'm sure we'd all love to see it at least tried if they're lucky enough to land Kakko.

Ideally, the best case scenario IMO would be Kakko transitions to center this year, and plays a true Foppa role for the Avs.

True that. I mean getting Kakko at all would be ideal.