Pre-Game Talk: Week of 3 hockey matches and the beginning of WWIII... (maybe)

[Tralfamadore]

Noone should be surprised. Girard has been shit for the majority of the season. He has the odd good game but can't string together any consistency.

 

[Gatorbait19]

It certainly helps that of right now there isn't any pressure on them.

There are no MUST-WIN games atm. Even if they lose a few they are
still running away with the Division/Conference.

That will of course change 2 month from now. We'll see how they do when it really matters!

It’s certainly nice wrapping up the division, conference and presidents trophy at the beginning of March. But I just don’t want us getting complacent or losing our edge.

Despite our success so far, I think our boys are coasting a bit at times, which is fine at the moment. But there aren’t going to be any easy outs this year in the playoffs and we’re gonna have to be ready, focused, and hungry outta the gate in round 1.

 

[Raucherhusten]

It’s certainly nice wrapping up the division, conference and presidents trophy at the beginning of March. But I just don’t want us getting complacent or losing our edge.

Despite our success so far, I think our boys are coasting a bit at times, which is fine at the moment. But there aren’t going to be any easy outs this year in the playoffs and we’re gonna have to be ready, focused, and hungry outta the gate in round 1.

That's the point, right?

I mean everybody in here is enjoing the run they are on and the success they have. But i'm pretty sure
that also everyone here (except sea eagles, bless you brother) is a bit concerned, that by dominating
at least the West, they could develop some bad habits that might cost them in May/June.

Only time will tell if they learned from last years Vegas series or not. They blew it once, lets hope,
they don't do it again.

 

[Pokecheque]

It was a good move to try a reshuffling of the top six as that finally appears to have woken up Burakovsky, but I hope we see the top line back together. Swapping out 95 and 92 unfortunately made the MacKinnon line really suspect defensively.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[MaKarter]

 

[The Abusement Park]

See ya next year Val :/

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Wonder if it's Nuke's wrist that's still bothering him? I know early this year, after he returned from injuring it, he had said that it still was bothering him. Probably a good time to "let it heal"

 

[Pokecheque]

Noone should be surprised. Girard has been shit for the majority of the season. He has the odd good game but can't string together any consistency.

No, he hasn't been. He's the third-best defenseman on the best team in the National Hockey League, averaging nearly 22 minutes a night and playing in all situations. Just because his numbers have taken a big hit this year does not mean he's "been shit for the majority of the season." If he were "shit" the Avs would not be the best team in the NHL.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Noone should be surprised. Girard has been shit for the majority of the season. He has the odd good game but can't string together any consistency.

He had a stretch of really solid play for about 2 weeks in January I think. A lot of up and down. He needs help. Playing alongside EJ or JJ aint helping matters.

 

[El Travo]

I feel like Girard would be better if he isn't the "go-to" guy on his line. Unfortunately, those guys are Toews and Makar who already have to babysit the other defenders when not paired together. Adding another defender who can drive the transition would be great, but I'd imagine they aren't cheap to acquire.

 

[cccoltsicehockey]

That bottom 6 is rough. Happy to see Newhook get some time on the second line.

 

[Pokecheque]

Again, he hasn't been *shit*, but he is definitely not having the year he had previously. I still say there's an injury there, but mostly I think it's a combination of a garbage bottom three on the Avs defensive chart (getting either MacDonald or Byram back for the postseason would be just as good as a deadline acquisition) and possibly the relative ease of the schedule last year. I'd have to see what his numbers were vs. legit teams like Vegas (yes I know, he didn't look great in the playoffs against them but he was hardly the only one, nor was he the worst) vs. creampuffs like Anaheim last year, to see how much of the Tyson Jost Effect was in play.

Losing Graves should not have hurt this top four the way it did, but the guys they had in place to replace him have been injured for a majority of the season, their two depth acquisitions have been really bad, and EJ is no longer even capable of middle-pairing minutes.

Ideally they still try and get a rental defenseman capable of playing that #4 slot, my vote is either Kulak or Pysyk, and that way even if they get Byram back, they still have the depth necessary for a deep playoff run.

 

[Freudian]

Girard has simplified his game and tries to move the puck quickly. I guess it can be that he lost his confidence in handling a forecheck. I just don't see the same swagger anymore, but I don't think he's bad.

I bet if someone had the patience to dig into zone exit and zone entry numbers Girards would be fine.

 

[The Kingslayer]

Again, he hasn't been *shit*, but he is definitely not having the year he had previously. I still say there's an injury there, but mostly I think it's a combination of a garbage bottom three on the Avs defensive chart (getting either MacDonald or Byram back for the postseason would be just as good as a deadline acquisition) and possibly the relative ease of the schedule last year. I'd have to see what his numbers were vs. legit teams like Vegas (yes I know, he didn't look great in the playoffs against them but he was hardly the only one, nor was he the worst) vs. creampuffs like Anaheim last year, to see how much of the Tyson Jost Effect was in play.

Losing Graves should not have hurt this top four the way it did, but the guys they had in place to replace him have been injured for a majority of the season, their two depth acquisitions have been really bad, and EJ is no longer even capable of middle-pairing minutes.

Ideally they still try and get a rental defenseman capable of playing that #4 slot, my vote is either Kulak or Pysyk, and that way even if they get Byram back, they still have the depth necessary for a deep playoff run.

I tend to think its who has been partnered with the majority of the season. If you were playing with JJ you would overthink every play on the ice because JJ is just going to do his own thing. Makar is having the season hes having in large part because he knows Toews is going to have his back if he makes a mistake and vice versa. If G makes a mistake or a bad pinch hes f***ed and that's never easy to play through when you don't have that piece of mind. I think a guy like Kulak, Manson, Braun, Pysyk or Murphy can remedy that.

 

[AvsFan29]

I'm not too concerned about day to day injuries at this point. We've won the west and we can sit guys without issue. We don't need Nuke against Arizona

 

[MaKarter]

See ya next year Val :/

I hope to see him Saturday against the Flames!

That bottom 6 is rough. Happy to see Newhook get some time on the second line.

Good thing our bottom 6 will match up just fine against Arizona's bottome 6

I'm not too concerned about day to day injuries at this point. We've won the west and we can sit guys without issue. We don't need Nuke against Arizona

Definitely not worried. I would like to give the Johnson's more nights off. We need Bo and MacDonald to get right again to do that.

 

[AvsFan29]

I hope to see him Saturday against the Flames!


Good thing our bottom 6 will match up just fine against Arizona's bottome 6


Definitely not worried. I would like to give the Johnson's more nights off. We need Bo and MacDonald to get right again to do that.

My guess is that Byram starts practicing with the team next week. Macdonald may be kept out of the lineup due to cap reasons.

 

[Pokecheque]

I tend to think its who has been partnered with the majority of the season. If you were playing with JJ you would overthink every play on the ice because JJ is just going to do his own thing. Makar is having the season hes having in large part because he knows Toews is going to have his back if he makes a mistake and vice versa. If G makes a mistake or a bad pinch hes f***ed and that's never easy to play through when you don't have that piece of mind. I think a guy like Kulak, Manson, Braun, Pysyk or Murphy can remedy that.

I think the lack of depth on the back end has led to the "Big Three" getting overplayed. And I think Bednar knows this too, especially since he prefers to use depth defenders on the PK but can't afford to because they suck at killing penalties. So a lack of a consistently good partner and too many minutes are really taking a toll on poor Sammy.

Even Toews and Makar have looked a little off at times down the stretch. Just ONE more top four guy would make a gigantic difference.

 

[Pokecheque]

And while I still believe it was the right move to move on from Graves (cap forced them to do so anyway), we should be a little more appreciative for what he brought. Dude was indeed a legit top-four option, flaws and all. And while I believe the coaches REALLY messed him up on the PK, they're really hurting on the left side D without him there. They keep trying EJ on that side when killing penalties, and that just isn't working.

 

[TruePowerSlave]

I think the lack of depth on the back end has led to the "Big Three" getting overplayed. And I think Bednar knows this too, especially since he prefers to use depth defenders on the PK but can't afford to because they suck at killing penalties. So a lack of a consistently good partner and too many minutes are really taking a toll on poor Sammy.

Even Toews and Makar have looked a little off at times down the stretch. Just ONE more top four guy would make a gigantic difference.

The most Girard has played in the last two months is 23:18 + he is playing less than last season

 

[Pokecheque]

The most Girard has played in the last two months is 23:18 + he is playing less than last season

Well, I suppose 23 minutes with a majority of time alongside guys like Toews vs. 22 minutes alongside mostly EJ/JJ is a world of difference, but thank you for pointing that out (no sarcasm implied here BTW).

Also, the schedule was softer last season, fewer games, less travel, and exclusive play in a weaker division. May have played a bit of a role...certainly did with Jost.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The most Girard has played in the last two months is 23:18 + he is playing less than last season

You think his little body can handle 23 minutes of burly men pushing into him? No way. To much.

 

[sethro109]

I miss him so much.

 

[S E P H]

I miss him so much.

I wonder if they're going to give him a return video like they've done almost everyone else. If my recollection serves me well, I believe it was Varlamov's first time back in Denver last game against the Islanders and Avs gave him nothing (probably because he's Russian).