Pre-Game Talk: Week of Home Cooking (WPG, NJ, DAL)

[CobraAcesS]

I don't really agree, the records may be similar but last season even when we won it was lucky. This season we're competitive and stay in it pretty much every night.

I don't really feel like they're playing that well right now either. Even MacK and Mikko despite scoring havent been dominant in general. They don't seem anywhere near their peak right now. If the second line gets figured out, Varly plays respectable, and Z continues to play well. We'll likely see a bit more consistency. Hopefully Girard fights through the adversity and doesn't hit a wall.

It's been difficult for the lineup to settle out as well with all of the injuries.

 

[Foppberg]

I don't really feel like they're playing that well right now either. Even MacK and Mikko despite scoring havent been dominant in general. They don't seem anywhere near their peak right now. If the second line gets figured out, Varly plays respectable, and Z continues to play well. We'll likely see a bit more consistency. Hopefully Girard fights through the adversity and doesn't hit a wall.

It's been difficult for the lineup to settle out as well with all of the injuries.

We're not play great right now, but compared to last season? Apples and oranges. And considering what we are I don't expect many games where we play great, it'll be a lot of up and downs.

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't really feel like they're playing that well right now either. Even MacK and Mikko despite scoring havent been dominant in general. They don't seem anywhere near their peak right now. If the second line gets figured out, Varly plays respectable, and Z continues to play well. We'll likely see a bit more consistency. Hopefully Girard fights through the adversity and doesn't hit a wall.

It's been difficult for the lineup to settle out as well with all of the injuries.

Well yeah, this better NOT be this team's peak or else it's in trouble. It's a process, and so far I like the progress that's been made. I'm glad at least the all-too-familiar formula of goaltending having to bail them out in order for them to win. The goaltending has actually not been stellar and they're still eking out wins. Now they just gotta start going on an actual, real win streak. I'm hoping with them finally getting some bodies back this happens.

 

[S E P H]

Greg Wyshynski had to raise us eight spots in ESPN's power rankings, but couldn't even say a nice thing about it. What a snarky individual this guy is, never liked him.

20. Colorado Avalanche

Record: 12-9-2
Week 7 Ranking: No. 28

Blame goalie Semyon Varlamov for some elephantine goals-against totals in the past few weeks, including allowing five against the Predators and seven against the Knights.

This was posted today, but hilarious that a last "few weeks" somehow includes the Vegas game...

 

[UncleRisto]

Greg Wyshynski had to raise us eight spots in ESPN's power rankings, but couldn't even say a nice thing about it. What a snarky individual this guy is, never liked him.

I find his podcasts generally entertaining but he has that hot-takery in him that often results in ridiculous opinions on things as well as shitting on the Avs and other bad teams when it comes to them. After last season though, we've mostly gotten positive press from Wysh and Lozo, since the Avs have clearly improved from last season's debacle, and Sakic did well with the Duchene trade.

 

[Nalens Oga]

Greg is a national writer (and an east-coast one) and no national writer has a clue what they're taking about in general. They'll have some good opinions on some things but they'll always have blindspots to certain teams. It happens in a 14ish+ team league, there are too many game and too many players to watch or things to track. The only way to do it would be to watch an average of 3 games a night on the DVR/Gamecentre but even full-time hockey writers don't generally do this because they have their own life + writing + media appearances.

The problem obviously comes up when they have to talk about their blindspots.

 

[dahrougem2]

It's hilarious to listen to mainstream media discuss certain teams when you know damn well they watch that team maybe 3-4 times per season, but try to act like they know what the hell they're talking about.

 

[Avalanche]

Don't forget Wysh has a bias against the Avs as well because of Roy wiping the floor with Brodeur and the Devils in 2001.

 

[Foppa Frossa]

DAL vs CHI is going to be a 3-point game, true or true?

I freakin knew it

 

[S E P H]

Don't forget Wysh has a bias against the Avs as well because of Roy wiping the floor with Brodeur and the Devils in 2001.

He's a Devils fans? Yeah he does have some hate for us, but I never understood why.

 

[Pokecheque]

He's a Devils fans? Yeah he does have some hate for us, but I never understood why.

He's also a NY Jets fan so that might fuel some of the rage.

 

[S E P H]

Kento got his wish, MacKinnon named first star of November.

MacKinnon named NHL's First Star for November

 

[Avs_19]

Well deserved.

 

[Ararana]

Well deserved.

Thanks for the new avatar, Avs twitter!

 

[ASmileyFace]

So happy for Nate. He earned every bit of that first star.

 

[Freudian]

Faceoff wins:

MacKinnon 39.8%
Sodaberg 40.9%
Kerfoot 36.3%
Toninato 45.6%

 

[Avs_19]

Faceoff wins:

MacKinnon 39.8%
Sodaberg 40.9%
Kerfoot 36.3%
Toninato 45.6%

Not good. At least Compher isn't bad at 51%.

 

[Freudian]

Faceoffs isn't the end of the world, but you do want to win your fair share of them on special teams and during late game sieges.

 

[Foppberg]

To be fair two of those guys are rookies. Hopefully MacK can improve on the dot though.

 

[Ivan13]

Faceoff wins:

MacKinnon 39.8%
Sodaberg 40.9%
Kerfoot 36.3%
Toninato 45.6%

Toninato is encouraging, 45% is good for a rookie. Mack is highly disappointing, but I think he will get better.

 

[Avs_19]

MacKinnon is winning 56% on the PP so he has that going for him.

Soderberg and Comeau have taken the most faceoffs on the team while SH and are at 26% and 34% respectively.

 

[henchman21]

I think MacK is having issues adjusting to the new faceoff enforcement. He's never been close to this bad before.

 

[Foppa2118]

Faceoffs isn't the end of the world, but you do want to win your fair share of them on special teams and during late game sieges.

Not if you're Jared Bednar. Then you routinely start your key PK's late in periods and games with your 3rd and 4th worst face-off guys on the team in Nieto (33.3%) and Comeau (32.8%) instead of trying to get Soda (41.0%), Compher (51.0%), or even Landy (43.4%) out there to win the draw and get off the ice.

 

[Pokecheque]

If Totino's can be trusted to take D-zone draws, especially on the PK, that'll be huge. That's basically the sole reason the team went and got Jesse Winchester.

 

[cgf]

He's also a NY Jets fan so that might fuel some of the rage.

Yeah. I'd be pretty pissed off with life if I was a Jets fan to...repeating to yourself in the mirror that 'at least you're not a philly fan' only goes so far.