Speculation: Playoff matchup discussion

[Richard88]

It's good that Vegas' games come sooner rather than later, meaning that those games are still relevant to Arizona who effectively HAVE to win those games as it's their last roll of the dice if they want to push for the playoffs.

Then they play at Minnesota who will want to push for home ice against us in the 1st round, followed by St. Louis who may still be trying to clinch and will likely want to set the tone a bit ahead of a 1st round matchup against Vegas.

Still plenty to play for, though we do need a couple of rounds of games to go in our favour to overhaul Vegas.

Can't help but feeling that the difference between winning and losing comes down to injuries (Vegas have been one of the healthiest teams in the league this year), the two mid-season breaks, and having Hunter Miska in net for too many games.

 

[Balthazar]

Can't help but feeling that the difference between winning and losing comes down to injuries (Vegas have been one of the healthiest teams in the league this year), the two mid-season breaks, and having Hunter Miska in net for too many games.

Overall our backup goalies have been very bad, including yesterday's game.

A healthy Francouz this season and we're probably 1st or tied with Vegas.

 

[henchman21]

having Hunter Miska in net for too many games.

Those 4 points lost are going to loom large. Avs played well enough to win every game.

 

[Avsboy]

Those 4 points lost are going to loom large. Avs played well enough to win every game.

Not really. VGK is inevitable to face and STL/MIN is a wash.

 

[henchman21]

Not really. VGK is inevitable to face and STL/MIN is a wash.

Home ice... plus Min > Stl

 

[Richard88]

Not really. VGK is inevitable to face and STL/MIN is a wash.

Home ice in the 2nd round (and beyond) could be a critical factor.

 

[The Abusement Park]

With the Blues, it would all depend on which Binnington shows up for our series against them. If he shows his 2019 playoff form, it would be a razor thin series. But if he starts leaking the way he has in the last couple regular seasons, the Avs would handily take the series. He's such a hot and cold goaltender that nobody can know which version of him will be in net on any given night. He's been great lately, but it could evaporate at any moment.

I mean even in the playoffs his stats weren't anything otherworldly. I think his save % was a .913 or .914 which is what you'd expect from a starting level goalie.

 

[dahrougem2]

Advanced stats aren't everything. If they were so bad, the Avs being the advanced stats juggernauts that they are should have beat them easily despite playing their backup and missing Rantanen. We instead lost to them 2 games in a row. The Blues are heating up right now. They can beat anyone. Tough draw.

This doesn't make any sense at all. You're saying the Avs that are at or near the top of the advanced stats categories with their regular roster should have beaten the Blues missing roughly 35% of that roster?

Advanced stats tell one story, and they're typically used in conjunction with the eye test. St. Louis doesn't scare anyone. Their impact forwards are of the low-end variety sans ROR, their defence is not good and Jordan Binnington was a one-hit wonder.

 

[BaconNater]

"I dont want to face the Minnesota Wild in round 1"

-said no future Stanley Cup champions ever in the history of ever

 

[Avsboy]

"I dont want to face the Minnesota Wild in round 1"

-said no future Stanley Cup champions ever in the history of ever

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Does anyone know if the Avs will be able to increase fan attendance for the playoffs?

 

[the_fan]

When you think about it, the best position for the Avs would be to finish 4th in west and play Vegas in the 1st round because they'll probably be relatively healthy in the 1st round then have bunch of injuries in the 2nd round like in the past. They can't beat Vegas with injuries in the 2nd round but they could possibly beat the Wild or the Blues. Too bad it's not possible to finish 4th unless Avs lose rest of the games.

 

[missionAvs]

This doesn't make any sense at all. You're saying the Avs that are at or near the top of the advanced stats categories with their regular roster should have beaten the Blues missing roughly 35% of that roster?

Advanced stats tell one story, and they're typically used in conjunction with the eye test. St. Louis doesn't scare anyone. Their impact forwards are of the low-end variety sans ROR, their defence is not good and Jordan Binnington was a one-hit wonder.

I'm saying that if the Avs are on another level to the Blues, they should have been able to beat them regardless of our injuries especially considering that they're sporting an injured Parayko. The Blues are not a bad team and are heating up at the right time.

 

[dahrougem2]

I'm saying that if the Avs are on another level to the Blues, they should have been able to beat them regardless of our injuries especially considering that they're sporting an injured Parayko. The Blues are not a bad team and are heating up at the right time.

Again, this makes no sense whatsoever. The Avs are on another level to the Blues when both teams are healthy. I don't get what you're trying to argue here when these last couple of games we've been missing 1/3 of our roster.

 

[bradrich99]

Again, this makes no sense whatsoever. The Avs are on another level to the Blues when both teams are healthy. I don't get what you're trying to argue here when these last couple of games we've been missing 1/3 of our roster.

When have they met when both teams are healthy?

 

[avsfan9]

This doesn't make any sense at all. You're saying the Avs that are at or near the top of the advanced stats categories with their regular roster should have beaten the Blues missing roughly 35% of that roster?

Advanced stats tell one story, and they're typically used in conjunction with the eye test. St. Louis doesn't scare anyone. Their impact forwards are of the low-end variety sans ROR, their defence is not good and Jordan Binnington was a one-hit wonder.

If avs defense actually checked O’Reilly instead of flailing around the ice and waving their sticks like a bunch of morons O’REILLY doesn’t get a hattrick in that first game and avs probably win and the second game was goaltending. We are the better team

 

[Balthazar]

When you think about it, the best position for the Avs would be to finish 4th in west and play Vegas in the 1st round because they'll probably be relatively healthy in the 1st round then have bunch of injuries in the 2nd round like in the past. They can't beat Vegas with injuries in the 2nd round but they could possibly beat the Wild or the Blues. Too bad it's not possible to finish 4th unless Avs lose rest of the games.

Vegas should be pretty banged up after a series with the Blues...which is the whole point

 

[missionAvs]

Again, this makes no sense whatsoever. The Avs are on another level to the Blues when both teams are healthy. I don't get what you're trying to argue here when these last couple of games we've been missing 1/3 of our roster.

This is something that won't happen and is a moot point. Teams have to play past injuries and if someone's preaching that a team is on another level, you'd expect the results to follow despite a few injuries. You're on another planet if you think that the Blues are completely healthy as well. They beat us twice in a row. They won't be an easy out and if the Avs run into them in the playoffs, I certainly hope that they do not enter the series with the mindset that they are an easy W. Only team I can say would have been an easy out would have been the Yotes.

 

[the_fan]

Vegas should be pretty banged up after a series with the Blues...which is the whole point

Vegas doesn't seem to get injured often. This year they had Pietrangelo and Lehner out but that's about it. Do they even get injured in the playoffs?

 

[dahrougem2]

This is something that won't happen and is a moot point. Teams have to play past injuries and if someone's preaching that a team is on another level, you'd expect the results to follow despite a few injuries. You're on another planet if you think that the Blues are completely healthy as well. They beat us twice in a row. They won't be an easy out and if the Avs run into them in the playoffs, I certainly hope that they do not enter the series with the mindset that they are an easy W. Only team I can say would have been an easy out would have been the Yotes.

How is it a moot point? The Blues had Colton Parayko, Vince Dunn, Carl Gunnarsson, and Oskar Sundqvist out.

The Avs had Mikko Rantanen, Joonas Donskoi, Matt Calvert, Logan O'Connor, Erik Johnson, Bowen Byram, Phillip Grubauer and Pavel Fracouz out.

Surely you can see the difference?

 

[missionAvs]

How is it a moot point? The Blues had Colton Parayko, Vince Dunn, Carl Gunnarsson, and Oskar Sundqvist out.

The Avs had Mikko Rantanen, Joonas Donskoi, Matt Calvert, Logan O'Connor, Erik Johnson, Bowen Byram, Phillip Grubauer and Pavel Fracouz out.

Surely you can see the difference?

We've been missing EJ, Calvert, and Frank for ages and won't get them back. At this point you shouldn't even consider them part of the roster. I already agreed that we played our backups. Binnington has a .909 save percentage on the year. Dubnyk and JJ have a .896 and .894 for the season and .887 and .910 with the Avs respectively. Surely you can see that the difference there isn't unsurmountable especially if you consider that the Avs are on a different tier. Byram is a rookie and although he was having a good season, he should in no way shape or form be the determining factor to beating a team that sucks. That leaves Rants, the Dong, and LOC vs Parayko, Dunn, Gunnarsson, and Sundsqvist. I don't see how injuries are an excuse here. Both teams are banged up.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

You can overcome injuries, but there’s nothing you can do when a goaltender lays an egg. Which has happened pretty regularly when Grubauer isn’t in net.

Put Grubauer and Rantanen in the lineup and I won’t make any injury excuses for this team, even though they’re missing 5 other regulars. There’s just certain injuries that can really cripple a team.

 

[JWK]

Would much rather play St.Louis rather than Minnesota because I'll rather play the worse team. Not a hard concept

 

[AvsMakar08]

You can overcome injuries, but there’s nothing you can do when a goaltender lays an egg. Which has happened pretty regularly when Grubauer isn’t in net.

Put Grubauer and Rantanen in the lineup and I won’t make any injury excuses for this team, even though they’re missing 5 other regulars. There’s just certain injuries that can really cripple a team.

Maybe the 6"4' Justus Annuen will be able to take step forward and could challenge Groobie and Doobie for our Starter Goaler position?

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Maybe the 6"4' Justus Annuen will be able to take step forward and could challenge Groobie and Doobie for our Starter Goaler position?

Would be nice. He’s had a down year, hopefully he can get back on track next season.