Pre-Game Talk: Week of 2020 | vs WPG, vs STL, @NJ

[Metallo]

That's certainly... different...

That 4 forwards 4th line is brilliant. The extra foward should help a lot, like a mini-PP everytime the 4th line is on the ice! Bednar for the Adams!

 

[Metallo]

Kadri needs to wake the f*** up. He’s been doing a great impression of Casper out there lately. Mikko looks drunk and Bura is a lost puppy.

 

[Avs9296]

Bednar basically called out the skill players and said he's putting the hard workers with them to see if they can get them playing better defensively and all around.

Good. The skill players (save MacKinnon) should be embarrassed with themselves and how they've been severely outplayed by our grinders (specifically that 3rd line)

 

[Metallo]

That's certainly... different...

Looking to bury other teams with that graves maker tandem!

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Yep, these lines are essentially telling Mikko and Bura that it's time to start putting in some real effort again, while also rewarding a couple guys for the continued hard work on both sides of the puck.


Calvert/Kadri/Nuke could be a real effective line.

 

[Balthazar]

Yep, these lines are essentially telling Mikko and Bura that it's time to start putting in some real effort again, while also rewarding a couple guys for the continued hard work on both sides of the puck..

All fair except for Bellemare.

 

[Foppa2118]

I think Bednar's a very good coach, and don't want the Avs to fire him any time soon. That said, he hasn't been pulling his weight in a few areas this season either.

I really think he has them drill the 5 on 5 play so much that other areas of their game suffer because they don’t spend enough time on them. Last year it was the 3 on 3. This year it’s the 4 on 4. It's looked bad all year.

Avs tied the game against the Jets, and immediately go on the 4 on 4, and look completely out of sync. Guys swiveling their heads back and forth because they don't know where to go. MacKinnon decides to cover nobody and leaves Scheifele wide open in the slot to give the Jets the lead right back.

Again I like Bednar as a coach, but certain areas of his control are contributing to losses because he’s overly stubborn about certain things and ways of doing things.

Not calling timeouts when the game is starting to get out of control. Benching Zadorov and Rosen in the 3rd and overplaying Cole so he makes a mistake on the game winning goal. Not pulling Francouz with the game in reach, when he looks terrible and gives up three bad goals. Then he loses it for them with more bad goals as they battle back. Not practicing the 4 on 4 and face-offs enough (my speculation) which leads to big goals against.

Avs for all intents and purposes lost the last two games giving up quick goals off loss face-offs on the PK (Compher and Bellemare). Face-offs, 4 on 4, and the PK are all very coachable aspects of the game to make improvements on.

 

[The Kingslayer]

For some reason I can see them beating the Blues and then losing to the Devils.

 

[Metallo]

I think Bednar's a very good coach, and don't want the Avs to fire him any time soon. That said, he hasn't been pulling his weight in a few areas this season either.

I really think he has them drill the 5 on 5 play so much that other areas of their game suffer because they don’t spend enough time on them. Last year it was the 3 on 3. This year it’s the 4 on 4. It's looked bad all year.

Avs tied the game against the Jets, and immediately go on the 4 on 4, and look completely out of sync. Guys swiveling their heads back and forth because they don't know where to go. MacKinnon decides to cover nobody and leaves Scheifele wide open in the slot to give the Jets the lead right back.

Again I like Bednar as a coach, but certain areas of his control are contributing to losses because he’s overly stubborn about certain things and ways of doing things.

Not calling timeouts when the game is starting to get out of control. Benching Zadorov and Rosen in the 3rd and overplaying Cole so he makes a mistake on the game winning goal. Not pulling Francouz with the game in reach, when he looks terrible and gives up three bad goals. Then he loses it for them with more bad goals as they battle back. Not practicing the 4 on 4 and face-offs enough (my speculation) which leads to big goals against.

Avs for all intents and purposes lost the last two games giving up quick goals off loss face-offs on the PK (Compher and Bellemare). Face-offs, 4 on 4, and the PK are all very coachable aspects of the game to make improvements on.

Your discussion about coaching lead me to reflect on the practice report that we get from media. It rarely goes beyond the lines at pratice and if one player is ready to come back. We almost never get something deeper like what they practice. Is it because the media does not understand what goes on in said practices in order to convey it?

 

[Foppa2118]

Your discussion about coaching lead me to reflect on the practice report that we get from media. It rarely goes beyond the lines at pratice and if one player is ready to come back. We almost never get something deeper like what they practice. Is it because the media does not understand what goes on in said practices in order to convey it?

I would say a big part of it is laziness. I think most of reporters that cover the Avs feel like it's only their responsibility to be there to see if there are any injuries to report, or if anything big happens.

I don't think they really pay attention during practices, and many don't even go.

 

[The Merchant]

For some reason I can see them beating the Blues and then losing to the Devils.

I'd be cool with that

 

[Metallo]

I would say a big part of it is laziness. I think most of reporters that cover the Avs feel like it's only their responsibility to be there to see if there are any injuries to report, or if anything big happens.

I don't think they really pay attention during practices, and many don't even go.

That also. But I’m pretty sure that they have on average, a pretty low understanding of the game. In fact I don’t think any one of them really knows hockey (except the ex-players but they don’t write/report much).

I understand that we don’t the bests to cover hockey in a town like Denver but honestly it’s really poor coverage.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Liking those lines for a wake up call to Mikko and Bura. They’re similar to a lineup I posted the other night. Hopefully it works and gets guys moving.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

All fair except for Bellemare.

True, PEB deserves more minutes as well but as a Center its trickier to move him up much.

 

[klozge]

That's certainly... different...

Bednar seems to be more interested in sending messages than in improving the team's play right now.

 

[Freudian]

The message was sent last game, when he demoted Burakovski and Rantanen to the second line. Message wasn't received, so he's sending a stronger one.

 

[Pokecheque]

Bednar seems to be more interested in sending messages than in improving the team's play right now.

How is this sending a message and not trying to get the team to play better? He kept Mikko on the top line for weeks and he’s been terrible. He demoted him to the second line and he was still terrible, so he’s promoting the guys who are effective and bumping Mikko down until he can find his game.

 

[Raucherhusten]

Agree. He tried to get Mikko going for weeks but he's still slumping. Landy found his game (sort of) and Bura at least is trying hard but Mikko is a no-show game in and game out. Give those guys more ice-time who are working their asses off every shift - and those guys are Calvert and Nicu.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I have no issue with what Bednar is trying to do with this lineup. He gave Mikko and Bura plenty of time to turn it around. A little tough love could go a long way to helping them finding their game again.

I actually like these lines. Nuke and Calvert certainly deserve the promotion. Two very very hard working guys hopefully will show Kadri how he should be playing.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Bednar seems to be more interested in sending messages than in improving the team's play right now.

Of course?


The teams play is fine.

Its individual breakdowns and average or slightly below average goaltending that are costing the team right now.

 

[Tralfamadore]

Of course?


The teams play is fine.

Its individual breakdowns and average or slightly below average goaltending that are costing the team right now.

Arguable but I get where you're coming from.

They scored 4 goals in 2 of the last 3 games yet still lost. Don't think that's very likely to be on the back of individual breakdowns but there certainly have been plenty of brain farts in this stretch.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Arguable but I get where you're coming from.

They scored 4 goals in 2 of the last 3 games yet still lost. Don't think that's very likely to be on the back of individual breakdowns but there certainly have been plenty of brain farts in this stretch.

That's exactly what it is on the back of.


They're scoring enough goals to win, but its individual mistakes in the defensive zone(And some goaltending issues) that are costing the team right now. Especially in that last game against the Jets. You dont get a 66% shot share percentage and 63% xGF percentage off of poor team play.



To break it down further, the Avs last 5 games look like this:



Chicago game - Lose 5-3, CF% of 48.89%, xGF of 2.00, xGA of 0.99, xGF% of 66.75%.

Vegas game - Win 7-3, CF% of 54.90, xGF of 2.11, xGA of 1.88, xGF% of 52.91

Wild game - Lose 6-4, CF% of 52.13, xGF 2.42, xGA of 2.34, xGF% 50.90

Stars game - Lose 3-2, CF% of 58.65%, xGF 2.26 xGA 1.67, xGF% 57.57

Jets game - Lose 7-4, CF% 66.67, xGF 2.40, xGA 1.37, xGF% 63.64


Basically, the Avs have been the better team that on paper deserved to win each of the last 5 games at even strength. That generally means they're playing pretty good hockey overall. And they are outscoring the xGF rate in all but one game in that span as well which means they're scoring goals at a good rate. The problem is individual breakdowns defensively are costing the team and we aren't getting good enough goaltending to come up with an important save when we need it most.


EDIT: Special teams would definitely be an area of "concern" so to speak right now, in that it is costing them games more often than it is winning them. But I'm not concerned about the PP at all as we have far too much skill and firepower for it to have a negative impact long term. The penalty kill needs some work though, and perhaps some of that has to do with goaltending as well. I think Gruby especially has had some issues tracking shots from outside lately. But the PK in general needs improvement. Adding a guy like Pageau would go a long way in helping this situation though.

 

[Pokecheque]

All fair except for Bellemare.

I think that’s more about lightening PEB’s workload than any sort of “demotion.” He’s definitely battling something, people have said it’s a leg injury of some sort.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

Let’s put forth the same effort against the Devils eh?

 

[McMetal]

I think Bednar's a very good coach, and don't want the Avs to fire him any time soon. That said, he hasn't been pulling his weight in a few areas this season either.

I really think he has them drill the 5 on 5 play so much that other areas of their game suffer because they don’t spend enough time on them. Last year it was the 3 on 3. This year it’s the 4 on 4. It's looked bad all year.

Avs tied the game against the Jets, and immediately go on the 4 on 4, and look completely out of sync. Guys swiveling their heads back and forth because they don't know where to go. MacKinnon decides to cover nobody and leaves Scheifele wide open in the slot to give the Jets the lead right back.

Again I like Bednar as a coach, but certain areas of his control are contributing to losses because he’s overly stubborn about certain things and ways of doing things.

Not calling timeouts when the game is starting to get out of control. Benching Zadorov and Rosen in the 3rd and overplaying Cole so he makes a mistake on the game winning goal. Not pulling Francouz with the game in reach, when he looks terrible and gives up three bad goals. Then he loses it for them with more bad goals as they battle back. Not practicing the 4 on 4 and face-offs enough (my speculation) which leads to big goals against.

Avs for all intents and purposes lost the last two games giving up quick goals off loss face-offs on the PK (Compher and Bellemare). Face-offs, 4 on 4, and the PK are all very coachable aspects of the game to make improvements on.

Agreed, and I would add that we have yet to score a 6 on 5 goal all year, and have only rarely looked remotely dangerous like that. I get that as a coach you never want to be in a position where you have to pull the goalie, but sometimes you have to and there should be some more practice time dedicated to that aspect.

I think I remember Roy dedicating a bunch of practice time to 6 on 5 play his first year as coach, and the Avs were just lethal tying games left and right all year, including in the series against Minnesota.