Pre-Game Talk: Panthers @ Avs | Tuesday, October 21st, 7pm MT | Home Sweet Home

[henchman21]

Drew Spevak ‏@DrewSpevak 2m2 minutes ago
Zach Redmond getting some work in on the PK, don't know if that means anything or not

I would say that looks promising for him to play. Maybe not tonight, but soon.

Avs already are at the limit of how far you can be behind and still have a chance to make it. It's as close to a must win game as you'll get in October.

The Avs are only 3 points out of a playoff spot.

 

[The Kingslayer]

If we lose but score 5-6 goals I wont be so upset to be honest.

 

[Freudian]

The Avs are only 3 points out of a playoff spot.

Games played.

Avs are -3 under .500 and the playoff teams are +1 to +4.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Its not so much about winning ONE game its about winning THIS game. If they can't pull it out I have serious questions about what level they can bounce back to, which I'm sure they will at some point. I don't care how they do it, I don't care how ugly it is, I don't care if they have to win 2-1 in a shootout, they need to pull this one out.

 

[JLo217]

Drew Spevak ‏@DrewSpevak 2m2 minutes ago
Zach Redmond getting some work in on the PK, don't know if that means anything or not

I would say that looks promising for him to play. Maybe not tonight, but soon.



The Avs are only 3 points out of a playoff spot.

Yeah and the last place team in the West is only 4 points out.

 

[henchman21]

Games played.

Avs are -3 under .500 and the playoff teams are +1 to +4.

Streaks happen. Teams at the top will have losing streaks, and teams at the bottom will have winning streaks. At 10 points down, it is harder to make up points, but still a chance (especially early). At 15 it is really difficult, near impossible. 20 teams are out. With 3... that can be made up in the final week.

 

[SuperJoe]

Are we seriously talking about the draft already? Maybe I'm delusional, but I'm 95% certain this team makes the playoffs. There's just too much talent not to. Chemistry is not there, and some guys are snakebitten right now, but it's going to start clicking at some point.

I think we will be battling for a wild card spot, but we need to start winning games. The west is so competitive and you have teams like the Preds off to a good start, you can't go to many games without collecting points. As far as the draft goes people have been talking about it for a few years now as it's shaping to be really good, and when you lose you think draft. Without very strong goaltending and more offense we are in trouble.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah and the last place team in the West is only 4 points out.

So nobody is out of it yet...

 

[JLo217]

Streaks happen. Teams at the top will have losing streaks, and teams at the bottom will have winning streaks. At 10 points down, it is harder to make up points, but still a chance (especially early). At 15 it is really difficult, near impossible. 20 teams are out. With 3... that can be made up in the final week.

Curious what was the Avs worst losing streak over a 6-7 game period last year? I can't recall them every going 1-4-1 at any point.

 

[Former Ladder]

Curious what was the Avs worst losing streak over a 6-7 game period last year? I can't recall them every going 1-4-1 at any point.

We were also 3rd in the league at the end of the year. Falling shy of that does not mean that we miss the playoffs.

I think that we lost 3 in a row once (if that) and had several 0-2 couplings.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Curious what was the Avs worst losing streak over a 6-7 game period last year? I can't recall them every going 1-4-1 at any point.

The worst streak I remember was 0-1-3 in December. I think they lost 3 in a row once as well but can't quite recall what that was.

 

[Freudian]

Streaks happen. Teams at the top will have losing streaks, and teams at the bottom will have winning streaks. At 10 points down, it is harder to make up points, but still a chance (especially early). At 15 it is really difficult, near impossible. 20 teams are out. With 3... that can be made up in the final week.

If you keep losing to Leafs, Sens and Panthers, suddenly the winning streaks have to come against Blues, Kings and Blackhawks.

 

[henchman21]

March 14th through 21st. Lost to Anaheim, beat Ottawa, lost to Montreal, lost to Winnipeg in OT, and lost to Boston. That was probably the worst stretch of the season for the Avs last year. You don't have many bad stretches when you win a division title.

 

[henchman21]

If you keep losing to Leafs, Sens and Panthers, suddenly the winning streaks have to come against Blues, Kings and Blackhawks.

Does that mean it is impossible?

The Avs lost to the Leafs, Nashville, and Florida last year.

 

[JLo217]

So nobody is out of it yet...

Yeah but the points or so tight with so few games. If we continue trending how we're playing or even at 500, the top teams will still pull away.

I'm not all doom and gloom I just don't think things look to promising at the moment. I think they'll get it sorted, but I think we'll be in December before this team is really kicking into high gear.

 

[Freudian]

Does that mean it is impossible?

The Avs lost to the Leafs, Nashville, and Florida last year.

Theoretically no team can be out of the playoffs for a couple of months. After all, you can go on a 45 game winning streak.

More realistically, if Avs play .500 hockey for another month they're most likely already done for the season.

 

[ABasin]

The worst streak I remember was 0-1-3 in December. I think they lost 3 in a row once as well but can't quite recall what that was.

They had several losing stretches (in said 6-7 game windows) last season: 2-4-0 in November, 2-3-1 in December, 3-3-1 in March. In truth, the worst stretch was losing 4 of the the last 5 games of the first round.

I think the real test is right now through November 6th. Early season kinks should be worked out, new players should be working well with the established ones, both goaltenders should be back from injury, 7 of 9 at home.

If they get, say, 12-13 points in these next 9 games, they should be back on track.

 

[henchman21]

Yeah but the points or so tight with so few games. If we continue trending how we're playing or even at 500, the top teams will still pull away.

I'm not all doom and gloom I just don't think things look to promising at the moment. I think they'll get it sorted, but I think we'll be in December before this team is really kicking into high gear.

That is obvious... .500 teams don't get in the playoffs, and if you project the small sample now the Avs end at 41 points, Anaheim at 137, and Nashville goes undefeated in regulation to a 131 point season. None of those things will happen.

The Avs have to basically play .600 hockey from here on out to get in the playoffs. Not an insurmountable task..

Theoretically no team can be out of the playoffs for a couple of months. After all, you can go on a 45 game winning streak.

More realistically, if Avs play .500 hockey for another month they're most likely already done for the season.

Like I said above... .600 is all the Avs need to get into the playoffs. being .500 after 20 games would still put them solidly in the race.

 

[Alex Jones]

I realize I'm not a Stuart fan, but I'd be down to try him and EJ again. Holden hasn't done a whole lot on the top pair, and Stuart has looked decent on the third pairing.

 

[Freudian]

I realize I'm not a Stuart fan, but I'd be down to try him and EJ again. Holden hasn't done a whole lot on the top pair, and Stuart has looked decent on the third pairing.

The slugs just have to temper their aggression when not in the defensive zone. When you don't have the foot speed to recover it's better to not gamble.

We've had this problem with Hejda at times. He can't handle too much freedom to do what he wants. He's been so aggressive at times that Barrie/EJ has to sit back and be the straight guy on the pairing.

 

[Alex Jones]

The slugs just have to temper their aggression when not in the defensive zone. When you don't have the foot speed to recover it's better to not gamble.

We've had this problem with Hejda at times. He can't handle too much freedom to do what he wants. He's been so aggressive at times that Barrie/EJ has to sit back and be the straight guy on the pairing.

Roy has been pretty open about the fact he allows the D to really jump into the play. Perhaps there are some players on the team that should have this privilege reigned in a bit.

 

[Former Ladder]

Roy has been pretty open about the fact he allows the D to really jump into the play. Perhaps there are some players on the team that should have this privilege reigned in a bit.

From the sounds of it. He is letting them figure out their moments on their own and is expecting them to learn when to jump and when to sit back by trial and error.

 

[BoxOfChocolates]

Wilson in, Guenin out

 

[Freudian]

Wilson in, Guenin out

Wilson was decent at the start of the year. As long as Redmond is next in line, I don't have a problem with Wilson playing today.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Wilson in, Guenin out

The pecking order should be Redmond and then Wilson. Its an upgrade over Guenin but not by much