GDT: Stares vs Aves(yes I'm bringing it back) 7PM MST

[Pokecheque]

I don't agree with that. Up until the recent stint of third period collapses and poor goaltending, the Avs were battling for 1st in the Central and 1st in the West. Without a bunch of key players too.

I don't think you can do that with 4 bottom pairing defenseman. Especially when Makar and Girard have struggled a lot this year defensively themselves.

If everyone else is bottom pairing guys, then so was Girard for more than half the season so far up until recently, and so was Makar defensively. So that'd be 6 guys playing at a bottom pairing level defensively, which to me is a big exaggeration.

Oh I think you can when you have the goaltending, you have a whole score of players riding high shooting percentages, you have a rookie defensemen playing out of his mind, and you have an elite center who, so far, is the leading candidate for MVP.

We can all agree even when they were winning, they were getting away with some awful defensive lapses. It's just now starting to catch up with them. I suppose, like last year, it'll teach them to play better going forward.

 

[Pokecheque]

Honestly that's kinda what did in the Bolts last year. They were, even by their own admission, playing poorly in stretches and still winning. Then they hit the playoffs, the luck suddenly ran out, and they got swept in the first round. The adversity didn't really ever hit until it was too late. The Avs are at least picking a fairly good spot to have a slump...if ever there a "good spot" to have one.

 

[Foppa2118]

Oh I think you can when you have the goaltending, you have a whole score of players riding high shooting percentages, you have a rookie defensemen playing out of his mind, and you have an elite center who, so far, is the leading candidate for MVP.

We can all agree even when they were winning, they were getting away with some awful defensive lapses. It's just now starting to catch up with them. I suppose, like last year, it'll teach them to play better going forward.

To an extent I agree. But I think EJ's been fairly consistent and reliable defenisvely most of the year. Zadorov played very well while EJ was out. Makar has played outstanding with the puck all year, which has helped them defensively by getting the puck out of the D zone. Girard lately has done the same. Cole has also upped his game the last 10 or so. Graves was really solid for the first month or so as well.

The downside is that Zadorov has had another up and down start to the year. The biggest impact to the D though IMO has been Girard and Cole. They were both expected to bebop contributors in the top 4 but Girard struggled a lot with and without the puck up until the last 10 games, and the same is true of Cole.

Graves basically is what he is, so I don't hold that against him. He's just being played too much by Bednar. EJ and Cole should definitely take some of his minutes away IMO. He just makes too many mistakes.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Funny thing is that it happened once this season when Girard tipped the puck then slowly passed through Grubs and I think people were mad on both of Girard and Grubs. If only I remembered which game it was.

Yah if that went in on Grubs he shouldnt be blamed. Not the goalies fault on those ones

 

[Balthazar]

Honestly that's kinda what did in the Bolts last year. They were, even by their own admission, playing poorly in stretches and still winning. Then they hit the playoffs, the luck suddenly ran out, and they got swept in the first round. The adversity didn't really ever hit until it was too late. The Avs are at least picking a fairly good spot to have a slump...if ever there a "good spot" to have one.

I agree with this. Even the Avs at the beginning of the year won too many games while playing poorly which is always bad on the long run. Our PDO was through the roof for a reason. Avs had been very lucky and now they are very unlucky.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

About 9.5 hours until we lose another hockey game.

 

[mapletreemarty]

About 9.5 hours until we lose another hockey game.

I don't know... SJ's SV% of 0.891 ranks 28th in the NHL...0.895 at 5 on 5 (31st in the league)

By contrast we are still 10th overall at (0.909) and 2nd at 5 on 5 at (.932)...

All this shit means nothing really because SJ also has the best PK save % at .919 in the league.... no other team is over .900 ....

We outscore them at 5 on 5, they score 2 PP goals and we go 0 for 5 on the night and lose 4-3.

 

[crue7]

About 9.5 hours until we lose another hockey game.

I bet money on the avs to win 4-2. Auto loss incoming.