GDT: Stadium Series: Avalanche vs Red Wings | 6 PM MT | February 27, 2016

[Ncit3]

A pattern!? LOL Now I've heard it all. Varly leads the Avs to a playoff appearance, it's his fault the Avs can't win it in front of him despite leading going into the final minutes of game 7, and it's his fault the Avs lose every game. Instead of the crappy crap from EJ specifically icing it several times, and the rest of the team, no, go ahead, just blame it on Varly. Ridiculous.

And in those playoff appearance he is 13-13 with an SV% of .915 and 2.57 GAA.

Looks pretty average to me.

 

[Freudian]

I was there, I obviously know what happened but I couldn't see much. So anyone want to give me a non rage summary of what happened in the third? I don't exactly want to watch it back just to find out.

I know many won't agree but absolutely DO NOT BUY anything further. I've been saying it forever now, this core is either going to come together and get us into the playoffs. I don't give a F who is the bottom pair D on this team this year.

Same old. They try to sit on a lead and no one can/wants to hang on to the puck. Icings, turnovers, weak dumps with no chasing. Add Varlamov struggling to square up to the post this game so pucks kept finding their way past him.

I don't understand how the team can play a great first period, at least hold the fort in the second and then lay a stinker in the third. Complete lack of killing instinct. And some of the players we should lean on (EJ and Beachemin in particular) let us down the most since they have the least calm with the puck, just giving it away non-stop. I don't know why EJ keeps trying to force these terrible stretch passes when they so rarely work. Either he's hockey stupid or the coaches are doing a terrible job teaching him.

 

[lostinnothingness]

A pattern!? LOL Now I've heard it all. Varly leads the Avs to a playoff appearance, it's his fault the Avs can't win it in front of him despite leading going into the final minutes of game 7, and it's his fault the Avs lose every game. Instead of the crappy crap from EJ specifically icing it several times, and the rest of the team, no, go ahead, just blame it on Varly. Ridiculous.

Yeah and i guess you let in horrible goals in a unmistakably huge game when your team has the lead in the third and want to be praised? what planet are you from?

 

[Mules]

Time to see if this core can man up on Tuesday and beat the Wild.

I am going to put low expectation on that game. Let's hope Panthers put up more effort tomorrow to beat Wild.

I just don't know why this team can't get their **** together.

 

[Shaggy88]

It's not ridiculous, He gave up deflating goals in game 7 to lose to the Wild, he **** the bed at the Olympics, too.

I hope you can find another goaltender that can take on the load Varlamov has over the past couple of years and STILL lead the team into at the very minimum contention into a playoff spot. If you're still salty about the Olympics then I honestly don't think there's any changing of your opinion.

 

[cgf]

i hope you are joking. that is totally a ridiculous statement! LOL if hes the biggest reason were in a playoff spot then why is he letting in weak goals when we are up 2-1 in the third? what? A bad game/goal in one of, if not the biggest game all year? sorry dont believe it.

Our biggest game of the year? The hell? Nevermind that varly's stolen a lot of divisional games, which actually are big games.

 

[Shaggy88]

Yeah and i guess you let in horrible goals in a unmistakably huge game when your team has the lead in the third and want to be praised? what planet are you from?

When you lead your team to at the least fighting for playoff spot every year for the past 3 years, then I don't think you have room to speak.

 

[Ncit3]

Our biggest game of the year? The hell?

Every game from now on out is the biggest game of the year. We are fighting for our playoff lives.

But aside from that? He looked like absolute crap on the biggest stage and the rest of the team followed suit.

 

[Hans Landaskog]

I hope you can find another goaltender that can take on the load Varlamov has over the past couple of years and STILL lead the team into at the very minimum contention into a playoff spot. If you're still salty about the Olympics then I honestly don't think there's any changing of your opinion.

I'm not saying I don't support Varly, he's a great goaltender. I just have my concerns with him in big games.

 

[Shaggy88]

Our biggest game of the year? The hell? Nevermind that varly's stolen a lot of divisional games, which actually are big games.

CGF man we're under fire. Everyone goes for the goalie first.

 

[cgf]

Well, I'm realizing again why I avoid GDTs as a general rule.

It was one game - yeah perhaps a mediocre one for the home team, but a game that was part of an awesome hockey weekend in Denver. I enjoyed it immensely. I just can't seem to get all that upset right now - all things considered.

Onward to Minnesota.

You'd think this would be easier for people to understand after they've already over-reacted to the 63 prior games this season.

 

[Ncit3]

CGF man we're under fire. Everyone goes for the goalie first.

As bad as he played tonight he wasn't the biggest problem. I am much more pissed at Duchene. Streaky players never win championships.

Matt Duchene is the JR Smith of the NHL world.

You know your team doesn't care when Grigorenko (who has been labled as the posterboy of does not care/want to return to Russia) is the guy on the ice trying his hardest for the last month.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Every game from now on out is the biggest game of the year. We are fighting for our playoff lives.

But aside from that? He looked like absolute crap on the biggest stage and the rest of the team followed suit.

That might be true but Tuesday's is truly bigger than tonight.

Tbh the second the legends won last night I knew we'd lose tonight. I didn't want to say anything and be a wet blanket but that's what I was meaning when I said earlier "they never make things easy". You can't pull out the win we didn't deserve last time we played Detroit and then turn around and beat them like a week later. Win on Tuesday and this will all go away, don't win, well hopefully we didn't buy stupid **** to be caught holding the bag when that one is over.

 

[Shaggy88]

I'm not saying I don't support Varly, he's a great goaltender. I just have my concerns with him in big games.

Then where is your concern for Duchene, who didn't show up at all? Where is your concern for EJ, who's looked like garbage for the past week? Why take it all out on the goaltender, who has undeniably led this team to playoff contention?

 

[lostinnothingness]

Our biggest game of the year? The hell? Nevermind that varly's stolen a lot of divisional games, which actually are big games.

there is no denying hes played well at times but the guy is so inconsistent and he lets in bad goals way too often. he needs to improve. i just dont feel as good about about our chances otherwise.

 

[Alex Jones]

Another thing I see. To use an ABasin term, this team is way too "polite". This has been an issue for a while. The only player who is our there really looking to play physically and get in the other teams face is McLeod.

Occasionally Landeskog or Comeau will mix it up, but there is no edge to this team.

It's kinda sad that we just saw the old Avs. If thay were getting outplayed regularly like this they would have gotten pissed the **** off. If Forsberg or Lemieux played for years on a team like this they would have been going after players every other night.

I remember when the Hawks first came on the scene and lost a long series against the Wings. Toward the end of some of the games that the Hawks were down they started just running the **** out of everyone on a red shirt. You can take issue with some of the things that happened, but they were clearly pissed about losing and didn't find it acceptable.

This team needs a better mentality.

 

[Shaggy88]

As bad as he played tonight he wasn't the biggest problem. I am much more pissed at Duchene. Streaky players never win championships.

Matt Duchene is the JR Smith of the NHL world.

You know your team doesn't care when Grigorenko (who has been labled as the posterboy of does not care/want to return to Russia) is the guy on the ice trying his hardest for the last month.

Thanks man. Duchty is one of my favorite players in the league, aside from Giroux and Kopitar, but dang was he absolutely invisible. In such a big game, shouldn't he have stepped up?

EDIT: I've been rooting for Grigs FAR more that Zads. As little as I post on these boards, Grigs has been my man for turn around player of the next couple seasons over anyone.

 

[LazRNN]

It's not even that though. He's saying that you have to be a good little soldier and suffer through the hard times quietly to earn your gold star.

I love this team. I grew up with this team. That is why I am outraged. This isn't the loss talking, this is the lack of heart they showed. The team doesn't care but I do.

I'm basically in the same boat. I've invested time, if not money, in this team through all the recent bad years. That will, if they ever win the Cup, make the win sweeter no doubt. But I don't consider myself virtuous for having done it. I'm hard pressed to come up with an argument that it's been a good investment of my time. But I do it anyway. And I sure as hell don't look down on people who just stop paying attention.

I'm mostly speaking in a broader sense. We've seen the Avs drop from the perch it had during the glory years. We see the the home arena filled with opposing fans. That's reflective of the state of the team. That's reality.

Are Blackhawks fans any better than Avs fans because they are filling the Pepsi center? Are Wings fans? No. The teams are better. That's reality. Blackhawks fans weren't filling the Denver arena during the Bill Wirtz years. You think the Wings fans will still be traveling strong if their 20+ year run of success ends?

From a fan engagement perspective it absolutely matters that the team was playing in front of 50,000 people tonight. And if a lot of those people don't feel inclined to rush out to buy tickets to games at the Pepsi center, who can blame them? Besides folks reaching for a perch to act hoity toity for no reason.

As to the general state of the game thread, yeah there's overreactions. Find a game thread for any team on any forum that isn't bi-polar and overreacts with negativity when the team plays bad. That's the reality of the internet. People will vent because that's what people do.

Purely from a perspective of how the season is going, this was just one game against an Eastern team. There are bigger games. From a fan engagement perspective this game was much more important. And if someone is going to piss on the fans because they're not lining up in droves to see the team play, that's BS. The team has to earn that kind of support. They're not entitled to it. Period.

 

[Ncit3]

That might be true but Tuesday's is truly bigger than tonight.

Tbh the second the legends won last night I knew we'd lose tonight. I didn't want to say anything and be a wet blanket but that's what I was meaning when I said earlier "they never make things easy". You can't pull out the win we didn't deserve last time we played Detroit and then turn around and beat them like a week later. Win on Tuesday and this will all go away, don't win, well hopefully we didn't buy stupid **** to be caught holding the bag when that one is over.

Don't you think it'd pump the guys up? Make them want to play better in front of their legends and idols?

I am fine with the loss. Losses happen. But I am livid about the effort. People don't seem to understand this and want to paint me as some unreasonable jackass.

I've been through the hard years along with the high years. I just want my team to show some fight. If they win 15 games a season but show they want to win for US the fans. I will be content. Maybe not happy about losing but I would at least feel happy supporting guys giving their all for their team and their fans.

So string me up. String up all the guys like me on here tonight. Call us terrible fans and enemies of the state.

Sorry I want to see my team actually give a ****.

 

[CANADIANAVSFAN]

Varly aint far away from getting the job done but a 1-2 solid games and he'll be back big time, plus we need him the most in the playoffs WHEN we get there! I feel like playing Pickard on consecutive nights over him when he's healthy somewhat harms Varly's confidence at this point of the season

I guess i would give him the Minnesota game and if he doesn't bounce back with a big performance i am going with Pickard the game after and if he wins he is playing until he loses(unless it's a back to back of course) I think he needs some motivation in the form of watching Pickard play well and push him with the thought in the back of his head that he needs to perform better or else he will be riding the pine. I respect that you are more a fan of the emotional aspect as far as confidence goes where as my theory is if you ain't getting the job done step aside and work on your confidence on your own time because if we have to baby him along to get his confidence back there is something more going on with him all together. I trust that Roy being a former goalie will know how to handle this situation.

 

[Hans Landaskog]

Then where is your concern for Duchene, who didn't show up at all? Where is your concern for EJ, who's looked like garbage for the past week? Why take it all out on the goaltender, who has undeniably led this team to playoff contention?

Duchene was fine tonight, he kept the top guys off the score sheet and that line had a few moments. EJ is what he is right now. Icings and playing not to lose is a major problem. I'm singling out Varlamov because he was the worst culprit tonight. It's not like I come in here and ***** about the goaltending. In fact I never do, but Varly has been outplayed by Pickard lately and its frustrating to see because I know he can be better. He's the most important player for us if we are going to have any success.

 

[cgf]

oh nevermind. Maybe tomorrow cooler heads will prevail.

 

[lostinnothingness]

Then where is your concern for Duchene, who didn't show up at all? Where is your concern for EJ, who's looked like garbage for the past week? Why take it all out on the goaltender, who has undeniably led this team to playoff contention?

I think the problem is when you say "undeniably led this team to playoff contention". the only contention i have is with that statement. The team has picked up its play since the beginning of the year. that is undeniable. Varly needs to catch up a bit and play better more often imo.

 

[Shaggy88]

Don't you think it'd pump the guys up? Make them want to play better in front of their legends and idols?

I am fine with the loss. Losses happen. But I am livid about the effort. People don't seem to understand this and want to paint me as some unreasonable jackass.

I've been through the hard years along with the high years. I just want my team to show some fight. If they win 15 games a season but show they want to win for US the fans. I will be content. Maybe not happy about losing but I would at least feel happy supporting guys giving their all for their team and their fans.

So string me up. String up all the guys like me on here tonight. Call us terrible fans and enemies of the state.

Sorry I want to see my team actually give a ****.

You act like the team didn't turn their stuff around during the second half of the season, what are they in their last 10? Do you really think they aren't giving their hearts out? Do you not think they gave their hearts out in this game? Seriously.

 

[Lord Moriarty007]

Overall a good Stadium Series. I got to meet great wings fans. The alumni game was the highlight. See all those HOFers on the ice was something special.