Post-Game Talk: Monsters @ Wild | 2/14/2013 | 6:00 MT |Stoppable Force vs Movable Object

[IceRat]

Craig Anderson is why sacco still has a job.

Fixed

 

[IceRat]

Guys........

We are .500 against the division this year....

3-3

What is this, we should be 1-4-1 or something right now.

yeah but we aren't playing the East
I think Sacco hides the schedule and tells them they are playing an East team before certain games

 

[Pokecheque]

I kind of feel bad for Minnesota. They are right near the top in salary cap and just aren't that good.

Well...expectations were raised to unrealistic levels because of the big free agent signings and the Wylde's hot start last season. They're relying on a lot of young players to step up rather quickly. I think they'll do much better when Brodin/Granlund finally get going, Coyle steps up (he's going to be GOOD, I think the Sharks will regret that trade), and they tell Heatley to GTFO.

They'll also need a better coach to pull this all together. Yeo is way too inexperienced for this.

Suter in my opinion looked brutal tonight, he just doesn't look the same without Weber. Minnesota better hope he gets better or that contract is going to look real ugly real fast.

Y'know, I remember seeing him get undressed pretty easily 1-on-1 in the defensive zone on more than a few occasions as a Predator. I can't help but wonder just how much Weber, Rinne, and the Preds defensive system covered for him. The Wylde could yet build a pretty impressive blueline though if Brodin pans out. If Dumba and Scandella do as well, they could really make waves.

It seems like they have some real solid players, but they just don't mesh well or something. There is no way that the team they fielded tonight should have even come close to losing at home to the team the Avs fielded tonight. And honestly I think the Avs out played them for a good portion of the game. They need to shake it up with what they did this summer big things are expected and they just aren't delivering.

I think they'll put it together and be a force, just not this year. I'd actually be bummed if Brodin and/or Granlund went bust though. Both could be very exciting players for years to come.

 

[Freudian]

Finished watching the first two periods now. I love the way Avs played. I think pretty much everyone except Hunwick/Zanon had a solid game. McLeod-Mitchell-Hejduk is a bizarre line on paper, but they play well.

Duchene is coming into his own. It seems like everything just snapped into place and he's realizing how hard he has to work and what kind of decisions he has to make to be a top player in the league. I'm very happy because I was starting to worry a bit if he had what he takes to be that kind of player. He's showing true leadership on the ice and with everything going on, we need a player like that.

 

[cibtom]

Congratulations and happy birthday to Milan Hejduk! Very special day...

 

[Hennessy]

I went to bed after the first, not wanting to see any more of whatever that was. Checking the scores this morning I just expected to see an Avs loss, so was surprised to see the outcome (we're all defeatists on this board). But then reading the following in the AP's post-game recap made me glad to have been asleep:

Minnesota entered the game as the league's second-lowest scoring team at 1.92 goals per game; Colorado the third-worst at 2.09. So by their standards, the third period was practically a barrage of goals.

 

[PAZ]

Minnesota will get better, worst case scenario for Granlund he pulls a Kadri and has to beat up the AHL for a few more years. He's too talented not to make the big show.

Dumba has been super impressive.

Tbh haven't seen much of Coyle so can't comment on him.

Add that to a core of Suter, Parise, Brodin, Koivu, and the team is poised to breakout soon. If Yeo is fired and someone competent brought in, wouldn't be surprised by the least if they pulled a St.Louis. However, I think that will be another year min.

 

[Alex B]

Do they have any good goalies in their system though, is Harding the future starter for them?

I mean, I guess Backstrom could have a few good years left in him, but he IS 35 after all..

 

[Bubba Thudd]

I went to bed after the first, not wanting to see any more of whatever that was. Checking the scores this morning I just expected to see an Avs loss, so was surprised to see the outcome (we're all defeatists on this board). But then reading the following in the AP's post-game recap made me glad to have been asleep:

I'm not a defeatist. I called it in post #63

This thread is great.

But just imagine....seriously imagine....

How bad it would be for Minny fans if we actually beat the wild with this lineup.

when, not if

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

It wasn't pretty win, but Avalanche somehow found a way to win it. Good good. Next Edmonton.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

If they had managed to lose in regulation, the tank would be in 1st place.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

My Positives:

++ Barrie, said it at the start of the game and saying it now, he looked great. He was all over the ice. Unfortunately he gift wrapped the Koivu goal (tapped it right into Koivu streaking towards the net) but that's also the forward's fault for not picking up the 3rd guy entering the zone. Team brainfart.

+ SOB, he looked like the same SOB we saw to start last season. Confident with his pinches (well timed pinches) and physical downlow defensively.

+ Hejda, he reminded me of a more physical Scott Hannan out there, poised defensively and active with his stick. Perfect partner for Barrie.

+ Duchene and Stastny, both of them in the same breath took the offense on their back tonight and carried the team. I'm extremely happy with their efforts as our 1/2 punch down the middle. If we can get a steady PK center for the 3rd/4th lines and they play like that going forward... we just might be average enough down the middle to survive (until the good teams expose us again).

I thought it was sad how Minny was so much like a one line team though. If we had EJ to shutdown Koivu's line then we might have really ran away with this game.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

If they had managed to lose in regulation, the tank would be in 1st place.

Duchene fails. We need to trade him ASAP.

 

[Kschey]

I loved Barrie last night. How great was he? In certain situations he looked like a #1D against Koivu, Heatley and Parise while playing 26 minutes.

Duchene's line looked amazing after Minnesota's 3rd goal. So much pressure right away, crashing the net. They deserved that goal there. Loved it.

Overall, let's face it, that was a pretty good game if you take a look at our line-up. The D looked solid most of the time, Giguere was good and the offense managed to somehow score three goals.

Good job, Avs.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

My Positives:

++ Barrie, said it at the start of the game and saying it now, he looked great. He was all over the ice. Unfortunately he gift wrapped the Koivu goal (tapped it right into Koivu streaking towards the net) but that's also the forward's fault for not picking up the 3rd guy entering the zone. Team brainfart.

+ SOB, he looked like the same SOB we saw to start last season. Confident with his pinches (well timed pinches) and physical downlow defensively.

+ Hejda, he reminded me of a more physical Scott Hannan out there, poised defensively and active with his stick. Perfect partner for Barrie.

+ Duchene and Stastny, both of them in the same breath took the offense on their back tonight and carried the team. I'm extremely happy with their efforts as our 1/2 punch down the middle. If we can get a steady PK center for the 3rd/4th lines and they play like that going forward... we just might be average enough down the middle to survive (until the good teams expose us again).

I thought it was sad how Minny was so much like a one line team though. If we had EJ to shutdown Koivu's line then we might have really ran away with this game.

Barrie and Hejda was interesting pairing. It worked really well. Good job!

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Barrie and Hejda was interesting pairing. It worked really well. Good job!

Could be our 2nd pairing once we find a #2 to play alongside EJ Johnson.

 

[CB Joe]

Do they have any good goalies in their system though, is Harding the future starter for them?

I mean, I guess Backstrom could have a few good years left in him, but he IS 35 after all..

Didn't Harding just get diagnosed with a serious disease? His NHL days may be numbered.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Didn't Harding just get diagnosed with a serious disease? His NHL days may be numbered.

Multiple Sclerosis, I believe.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

Multiple Sclerosis, I believe.

Indeed. But he could very well enjoy his career for awhile yet. MS is rarely diagnosed young but considering his activity if he fights the disease appropriately he could continue playing. It might comeback to haunt him later in his life, but if he diets right and keeps active he'll have a leg up on it.

MS is a neurological disease which attacks the sheathing around your nerves and degrades it over time which causes inflammation and can even paralyze you eventually if left untreated. But modern medicine has come a long way and recent drug developments appear to be reaching a critical point where we may finally have a method to at least stall the progression of it.

He will experience a lot of up's and down's, feeling great for weeks at a time and then feeling terrible for days or weeks, as he gets older he'll feel worse more than he feels better.

 

[Hesher]

Loved the effort. This is how you respond to injuries. You don't feel sorry for yourself but you dig in and play even harder.

And also LOL at Minnesota. They could sign every superstar free agent and they would still be the same old boring Minnesota.

 

[Huis Clos*]

Agreed, said this during the horrible 2011 season.

Happy about the W, sad I couldn't see it.

I don't enjoy watching the Avs lose, but a top five draft pick, a new coaching staff and new management would have this team heading down the road to success faster than what they have in place now. The way the team has been doing business post '04 lockout is a disaster and needs to change sooner rather than later.

Limping along playing near .500 hockey just empowers management and the coaching staff to employ the same old excuses and leaves everyone comfortable with the status quo. This team needs to lose a lot of games the rest of the season and the Pepsi Center needs to be empty all the time for positive change to ever happen.

 

[Nzap]

Do they have any good goalies in their system though, is Harding the future starter for them?

I mean, I guess Backstrom could have a few good years left in him, but he IS 35 after all..

Hackett is supposed to be their next big thing, but I can't see him being anything else than an OK starter.

 

[Bender]

Zanon 14:53
Barrie 25:58
Hejda 24:41

I guess it's some form of coaching. I'm not sure I see how you can go from a healthy scratch to a horse on defense, but I've stopped trying to interpret the tea leaves. I just eat them.

LOL yeah, it's a bit of a head scratcher...but not really when you consider the guy making the decision on it.

I think Barrie is probably better when he plays lots of minutes. Playing 14-16 minutes per night probably doesn't allow him to get into the game as much.

I'm actually happy to say that it would appear as though I was wrong about him when we drafted him. Hopefully, he can keep up this kind of play and the organization WILL indeed have had an adequate replacement for Shattenkirk in it's ranks all along, as it had thought when they traded for EJ 2 years ago. It's still early but very impressive performance last night for sure.

The Tank cheer is like a beer after a bad day. Makes you feel better, but you'd rather have a good day. Love when this team wins and think this team will benefit more from winning than from a high draft choice.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT'S LIKE!!!!

- McGinn, meh. Looked like he was out of sync.
- Zanon, I don't know what happened to his training camp play, but he has been worst than Hunwick.
- Hunwick, meh game.
- Giguere on the Rupp's goal.
- PP
- Sacco on the PP.

+ Ryan O'Byrne had a solid game
+ LOVING the Hejda/Barrie pair. Barrie is just oozing confidence with smart defense and offensive plays. Don't worry about the 3rd goal, both know what they did wrong.
+ Palushaj & Jones both were good tonight.
+ Kobasew was good on the grind.
+ Oh and Hejduk!

+ Seriously guys, do you think Duchene learned some moves from Crosby over the summer? Because they are playing a lot alike.

C'mon now, that's just wrong. Statsny played very, very well last night and put in a strong effort.

 

[Huis Clos*]

Zanon 14:53
Barrie 25:58
Hejda 24:41

I guess it's some form of coaching. I'm not sure I see how you can go from a healthy scratch to a horse on defense, but I've stopped trying to interpret the tea leaves. I just eat them.

EJ before the injury should have been playing the type of minutes Jack Johnson is getting in Columbus. Instead guys like Zanon and Hunwick have led the team in TOI in the last six or so games. Just another item in a laundry list of things Sacco does that make no sense to anyone other than him.

Why does Barrie come in and get the kind of ice time EJ should have been getting from the start? EJ is the far more proven defender yet he gets 21 minutes a night. And no, this isn't a criticism of Barrie.

 

[Lonewolfe2015]

I'm still confused why he puts Barrie in for 26 minutes and EJ for no more than 23:40 this season. Even so little as 18:30 in one game.

Sacco needs to go and we need to hand this team over to the young guys.

Bring up Gaunce and Pock, give Pock a shot to take a spot from Zanon or Hunwick and let Gaunce get some action in the NHL. We can trade Zanon/Hunwick and/or keep one as the 7th defender.

When EJ comes back Pock can go back down.

I'd like to see...

Wilson - EJ
Hejda - Barrie
SOB - ROB

When healthy and for the time being Gaunce in Wilson's position and Pock/Hunwick/Zanon in EJ's position (or Elliott if healthy).

Gaunce absolutely should be getting a good look with our current injuries and throwaway season, get a draft pick for Hunwick (preferrably) or Zanon. Hell waive them if we have to (would hate to see the beard go).