Pre-Game Talk: Week of Denver does Dallas, Vegas Circumventing Knights, and Tatanka

[willy702]

How good are the Avalanche right now? Well, their current points percentage for the season of .783 is .049 points better than the second best team in the league. Their goal differential of plus-59 is No. 1, and makes them one of only three teams to be better than plus-45 for the season, and they are 30-3-3 over their past 36 games after a 4-5-1 start. They have also not lost a game in regulation in, quite literally, two months, last losing a game in regulation on Dec. 16. Their points percentage of .875 dating back to Nov. 11 (the start of that 36 game run) is .133 points better than the second best team in the league during that stretch. That gap between them and the No. 2 team is the same as the gap between the No. 2 team and the No. 14 team in the league during that same stretch.

NBC Power Rankings

And yet if you come in here for GDTs you would think half the team is trash, the goalies are minor league quality and our team is nothing but a bunch of guys with bad habits

 

[niwotsblessing]

And yet if you come in here for GDTs you would think half the team is trash, the goalies are minor league quality and our team is nothing but a bunch of guys with bad habits

And that's just from 2 regulars.

 

[5280]

And yet if you come in here for GDTs you would think half the team is trash, the goalies are minor league quality and our team is nothing but a bunch of guys with bad habits

I blame @The Kingslayer. He’s an odd bird

 

[Pokecheque]

Ohhhhh just wait until this team hits the inevitable slump at some point, I'm talking like, 2 losses in a row or something like that. Y'know, since that would be the bare minimum number of games to constitute a "slump." If you were able to plug into the energy generated from THAT meltdown, you'd stay warm the entire winter without ever turning the heat on.

Note: I am not excepting myself from this.

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

Kind of unfortunate that the Avs had to play the shit out of their top guys last night chasing the game.

Makar: 29:23
Toews: 26:23
Rantanen: 24:22
MacK: 24:14
Landeskog: 23:16

Vegas has been sitting around just waiting for this game. They haven’t played in 6 days and should have a ton of jump. Can’t really rely on out-skating them, the Avs are going to have to execute really well to get the win.

 

[Ararana]

Hard to get too upset about last night. The Avs outplayed Dallas significantly in most areas. The PK came up short and Oettinger stole one. It happens, you're not going to win them all.

I was worried about the four game stretch coming out of the all star break. Tampa, Dallas twice, and Vegas on the road was always going to be a tough stretch. I'd have easily taken a 2-1 record three games in.

Tonight is going to be annoying as hell. National media will be jacking off over Eichel coming back and a very well rested Vegas team against a tired and traveled Avs team is going to set a lot of uneducated opinions on the matchup between these two teams. I'm just grateful this isn't a nationally televised game.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Hard to get too upset about last night. The Avs outplayed Dallas significantly in most areas. The PK came up short and Oettinger stole one. It happens, you're not going to win them all.

I was worried about the four game stretch coming out of the all star break. Tampa, Dallas twice, and Vegas on the road was always going to be a tough stretch. I'd have easily taken a 2-1 record three games in.

Tonight is going to be annoying as hell. National media will be jacking off over Eichel coming back and a very well rested Vegas team against a tired and traveled Avs team is going to set a lot of uneducated opinions on the matchup between these two teams. I'm just grateful this isn't a nationally televised game.

I think the Avs will win, however it is a lose-lose for us as far as perception goes.

If we win, well of course it's because it's only Eichels first game and they are playing without stone and lehner.

But if we lose, it's because Vegas are too physical for us and Eichel was all they needed to put them over the top.

 

[The Abusement Park]

Kind of unfortunate that the Avs had to play the shit out of their top guys last night chasing the game.

Makar: 29:23
Toews: 26:23
Rantanen: 24:22
MacK: 24:14
Landeskog: 23:16

Vegas has been sitting around just waiting for this game. They haven’t played in 6 days and should have a ton of jump. Can’t really rely on out-skating them, the Avs are going to have to execute really well to get the win.

As much as I love this team I’m still quite worried about the top heavy nature of this team. Especially on the back end. It’s high end talent is probably better than every team out there, but despite all the work Sakic is done we’re one injury away from JTC in the top 6 and EJ/JJ in the top 4. Hope we don’t burn the top guys out too early.

 

[nammerus]

As much as I love this team I’m still quite worried about the top heavy nature of this team. Especially on the back end. It’s high end talent is probably better than every team out there, but despite all the work Sakic is done we’re one injury away from JTC in the top 6 and EJ/JJ in the top 4. Hope we don’t burn the top guys out too early.

Too late. EJ/Jj firmly entrenched in the top 4.

 

[Ararana]

I'm just grateful this isn't a nationally televised game.

Oh Jesus Christ, they moved it to TNT. Here comes the nationally televised blow job for the vegas golden knights.

 

[MaKarter]

I'm just grateful this isn't a nationally televised game.

It is TNT.

 

[the_fan]

I really dont understand the whole Eichel is a top 5 center in the league conversation. First of all he only played one full season 81 games in his rookie year, and he only has 2 PPG seasons.

I can name many centers better than Eichel right now

 

[Polite HKYDiscussion]

I really dont understand the whole Eichel is a top 5 center in the league conversation. First of all he only played one full season 81 games in his rookie year, and he only has 2 PPG seasons.

I can name many centers better than Eichel right now

yeah, I agree. He’s a PPG player.

the Avs have 6 of them this year, and two of them are defenseman.

 

[the_fan]

yeah, I agree. He’s a PPG player.

the Avs have 6 of them this year, and two of them are defenseman.

He was a PPG player last year and year before, and he never stays healthy

 

[The Abusement Park]

I really dont understand the whole Eichel is a top 5 center in the league conversation. First of all he only played one full season 81 games in his rookie year, and he only has 2 PPG seasons.

I can name many centers better than Eichel right now

I mean the dude played for the Sabre’s. He was a more productive player than Mack on significantly worse teams and basically has only had Reinhart as someone that was a formidable teammate. His talent level is very easily on a level similar to Mack, Matthews, Barkov and now that he’s on a legit team he most likely will prove to be at that level. The only question I have is has the surgery hampered him at all.

 

[Cake Malar]

Has anyone else noticed that EJ doesn't wear the "A" anymore and it seems like they have given it to Makar? I don't think I've seen him wear it since that game he got benched (I think Boston).

 

[Richard88]

Has anyone else noticed that EJ doesn't wear the "A" anymore and it seems like they have given it to Makar? I don't think I've seen him wear it since that game he got benched (I think Boston).

... and Sakic said "we like the guys in the room but we're trying to win a cup"...

 

[The Abusement Park]

... and Sakic said "we like the guys in the room but we're trying to win a cup"...

That would be shocking if Sakic moved EJ. It’s 100% necessary but… idk I don’t wanna over analyze that quote

 

[S E P H]

Has anyone else noticed that EJ doesn't wear the "A" anymore and it seems like they have given it to Makar? I don't think I've seen him wear it since that game he got benched (I think Boston).

I think they have different alternate captains for home and on the road. I think EJ wears the "A" on the road.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

Hard to get too upset about last night. The Avs outplayed Dallas significantly in most areas. The PK came up short and Oettinger stole one. It happens, you're not going to win them all.

I was worried about the four game stretch coming out of the all star break. Tampa, Dallas twice, and Vegas on the road was always going to be a tough stretch. I'd have easily taken a 2-1 record three games in.

Tonight is going to be annoying as hell. National media will be jacking off over Eichel coming back and a very well rested Vegas team against a tired and traveled Avs team is going to set a lot of uneducated opinions on the matchup between these two teams. I'm just grateful this isn't a nationally televised game.

I'm not all that upset about the loss, I'm hopeful that Sakic see's the holes on the team and able to address them. The team gives up so many goals around the net, the coverage there is awful. It comes from our bad players and our elite ones, so I'm thinking we need someone from outside the organization.

 

[Freudian]

I'm very disturbed by the lack of trades to address this debacle.

 

[Cake Malar]

I think they have different alternate captains for home and on the road. I think EJ wears the "A" on the road.

I did some digging and it doesn't seem like EJ has been the alternate captain since the NYR and NSH games in December. It seems like they've made Rantanen a permanent alternate at this point. And then when MacK was out only Makar was the other alternate. A bunch of home and road games mixed in there. I really do think EJ isn't an alternate anymore.

 

[dahrougem2]

I did some digging and it doesn't seem like EJ has been the alternate captain since the NYR and NSH games in December. It seems like they've made Rantanen a permanent alternate at this point. And then when MacK was out only Makar was the other alternate. A bunch of home and road games mixed in there. I really do think EJ isn't an alternate anymore.

Rightfully so, especially after the Bruins game when he got rightfully benched.

 

[The Kingslayer]

I did some digging and it doesn't seem like EJ has been the alternate captain since the NYR and NSH games in December. It seems like they've made Rantanen a permanent alternate at this point. And then when MacK was out only Makar was the other alternate. A bunch of home and road games mixed in there. I really do think EJ isn't an alternate anymore.

EJ is fine with it im 100% sure. He's not the type of guy to be hurt by something like that. In fact it wouldn't shock me if he told Jared to give his letter to the new blood.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

EJ is fine with it im 100% sure. He's not the type of guy to be hurt by something like that. In fact it wouldn't shock me if he told Jared to give his letter to the new blood.

Agreed.