Pre-Game Talk: The week of a new year and more protocol?

[forsbergavs32]

Returned to play yesterday with a nice win, but now the Ducks practice was cancelled today due to Covid so now we get to see how many more players go into protocol for the Avs now.

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[Bill Peckerskull]

...but I have less teeth, so I'm at an advantage.

 

[McJedi]

Darren Helm. He sucks. I was excited when he signed. Thought it would be a sneaky upgrade on PEB. Well I was wrong. Helm has been a consistent line up fixture but why? He’s Pk sucks. Absolutely sucks. He’s worse at clearing it than Graves. But without the long stick or shot blocking. He’s not particularly fast or heady. Doesn’t do anything on line 4.

Dude needs to be a healthy scratch for a handful of games while Maltsev, Bowers and Kaut get some run.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Helm has been fine. No issues at all with his game. Exactly what you'd expect from a 4th liner.

 

[katfude]

The moment Getzlaf tested positive, it was inevitable more Ducks would as well. And now probably more Avs in a day or two.

 

[Muffin]

No wonder hockey players have such bad breath...

 

[The Kingslayer]

Its actually insane how good the Avs record is when you consider Mackinnon has 3 goals. 3. Mika Zibenejad matched Mackinnons entire season output in 1 game last night. Mackinnon not hitting 15 goals and the Avs winning their division is a real possibility lol.

 

[AvsFan29]

Its actually insane how good the Avs record is when you consider Mackinnon has 3 goals. 3. Mika Zibenejad matched Mackinnons entire season output in 1 game last night. Mackinnon not hitting 15 goals and the Avs winning their division is a real possibility lol.

I think he'll start to score a bunch. It's only a matter of time

 

[The Kingslayer]

I think he'll start to score a bunch. It's only a matter of time

I think we are going to say this until April and its never going to happen. 15 goals might be generous the way things are going for him. Watch him get something like 12 goals and 70 assists. Avs win division.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I think we are going to say this until April and its never going to happen. 15 goals might be generous the way things are going for him. Watch him get something like 12 goals and 70 assists. Avs win division.

I mean it's looking like Mack is going for a Thornton like season. 15-90 for 105pts lol.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I mean it's looking like Mack is going for a Thornton like season. 15-90 for 105pts lol.

I wouldnt complain but I be lying if I said I didnt want him to score alot lol.

 

[The Abusement Park]

I wouldnt complain but I be lying if I said I didnt want him to score alot lol.

Whatever gets this team to a cup final.

 

[AvsFan29]

I think we are going to say this until April and its never going to happen. 15 goals might be generous the way things are going for him. Watch him get something like 12 goals and 70 assists. Avs win division.

He's shooting at 3% (didn't look it up, just assuming), which won't continue. He'll hit 20 goals I'd bet.

 

[dahrougem2]

Who knows, maybe teams stop trying to key in on MacKinnon as the shooter due to his lofty assist numbers and he starts getting prime opportunities again

The 3-on-1 last night was a perfect example. MacKinnon was passing the whole way, yet Gibson overplayed the shot and it was an easy finish for O'Connor. Goalies are still uber fearful of his shot.

 

[The Kingslayer]

He's shooting at 3% (didn't look it up, just assuming), which won't continue. He'll hit 20 goals I'd bet.

I dont see him getting 20. Funny enough I can see him getting 20 in a playoff run or close to it.

 

[AvsFan29]

I dont see him getting 20. Funny enough I can see him getting 20 in a playoff run or close to it.

If we go the distance yah I could see it.

 

[Lemonlimey]

Wild lost 5 in a row, St Blouis Lose pretenders imo. We might be about to have a fun January.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Watch Helm’s coverage on the PK goal given up yesterday. There’s a reason Bednar doesn’t really trust him defensively. He’s generally ok on the 4th line but that’s probably not what they had in mind and they really could do better.

As far as MacK, he is shooting pretty much 4% but I don’t think it’s as simple as oh yeah it’s just bad luck it will regress up. His low shooting percentage at 5v5 which was about around 5% was the story of his career until his breakout in 17/18 where he shot 13% but it’s declined every year since and was just over 6% last year. He’s getting more shots blocked and shooting from further away. If it’s a means to an end where guys like Mikko, Landy, Cale are scoring more and he’s getting 70+ assists then it’s just how his game has changed but it’s not nothing either. On the PP is where I think he’s getting unlucky if anything, shooting under 4% there even with how the unit is frustrating at times definitely won’t continue. I’m not sure he clears more than 20 goals this year tho.

 

[The Merchant]

A MacKinnon appearance!?

 

[dahrougem2]

Watch Helm’s coverage on the PK goal given up yesterday. There’s a reason Bednar doesn’t really trust him defensively. He’s generally ok on the 4th line but that’s probably not what they had in mind and they really could do better.

As far as MacK, he is shooting pretty much 4% but I don’t think it’s as simple as oh yeah it’s just bad luck it will regress up. His low shooting percentage at 5v5 which was about around 5% was the story of his career until his breakout in 17/18 where he shot 13% but it’s declined every year since and was just over 6% last year. He’s getting more shots blocked and shooting from further away. If it’s a means to an end where guys like Mikko, Landy, Cale are scoring more and he’s getting 70+ assists then it’s just how his game has changed but it’s not nothing either. On the PP is where I think he’s getting unlucky if anything, shooting under 4% there even with how the unit is frustrating at times definitely won’t continue. I’m not sure he clears more than 20 goals this year tho.

Helm did nothing wrong on the PK there. He took away the slingshot pass, he effectively made it a 3-on-3. It's not Helm's fault Erik Johnson became brain dead and decided to chase - miserably I might add - Cam Fowler and put his defensive partner in a horrible position on that goal.

 

[Freaky Styley]

Someone was excited when we signed Helm? I was shocked he was still in the league. In a perfect world, he's not in the lineup.

One guy I'd look at when (if?) the Jets get healthy is Yevgeni Svechnikov on the waiver wire. I haven't watched him a tonne, but he's got some skill and size and could maybe be a Nuke light. Plays the body and could be a nice low-key reclamation type. I'd certainly prefer him over Helm, who we really don't need on the PK (though him and LOC have some nice chemistry.)

 

[forsbergavs32]

Its actually insane how good the Avs record is when you consider Mackinnon has 3 goals. 3. Mika Zibenejad matched Mackinnons entire season output in 1 game last night. Mackinnon not hitting 15 goals and the Avs winning their division is a real possibility lol.

I was concerned with the scoring depth to start the year but this team has been really good at getting depth scoring. Every regular except Murray and MacDermid (He's played 16 games so thats regular to me) have at least a goal while 7 of our guys already have 20+ points. Its been nice to see, seems like they have some good chemistry (also helps with Nuke, LOC, and Newhook majorly stepping up)

 

[AvsFan29]

 

[Metallo]

Watch Helm’s coverage on the PK goal given up yesterday. There’s a reason Bednar doesn’t really trust him defensively. He’s generally ok on the 4th line but that’s probably not what they had in mind and they really could do better.

As far as MacK, he is shooting pretty much 4% but I don’t think it’s as simple as oh yeah it’s just bad luck it will regress up. His low shooting percentage at 5v5 which was about around 5% was the story of his career until his breakout in 17/18 where he shot 13% but it’s declined every year since and was just over 6% last year. He’s getting more shots blocked and shooting from further away. If it’s a means to an end where guys like Mikko, Landy, Cale are scoring more and he’s getting 70+ assists then it’s just how his game has changed but it’s not nothing either. On the PP is where I think he’s getting unlucky if anything, shooting under 4% there even with how the unit is frustrating at times definitely won’t continue. I’m not sure he clears more than 20 goals this year tho.

I'd like if Bednar experimented with Mack at the top of the umbrella instead of Cale. We know he can one time better than Cale and have Cale closer to the net for wristers could be deadly.

 

[Ararana]

Wild lost 5 in a row, St Blouis Lose pretenders imo. We might be about to have a fun January.

The Wild are starting to average back down to the mean, as expected. The Avs actually have a pretty favorable January schedule. It would not surprise me one bit to see them at the top of the Central come February.

10 home games/6 away games
7 against a current playoff teams/9 against non current play off teams
8 games against bottom feeders (CHIx3, SEA, ARZx2, MTL, BUF)

St Louis has much tougher teams in their January schedule with 3 less games.

I still think the Central finishes Avs > St Louis > Minnesota > Nashville > Winnipeg