Pre-Game Talk: Week to Find a Road Win (@CHI, @CBJ, ARZ)

[CobraAcesS]

Now the real key is if he's shooting pucks or just gingerly pushing one around the ice with one arm.

 

[Raucherhusten]

Now the real key is if he's shooting pucks or just gingerly pushing one around the ice with one arm.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

Sounds like he'd be about a week away at least.

Still, if we could get him back in 1-2 weeks and still in the playoff picture, that's a huge plus for this team. Like ridiculously huge. I think our team has felt the effects of losing him more then they felt the effects of losing Mack.

Our Defense is significantly less skilled both offensively and defensively when EJ is out of the lineup. And that has a big effect on the forward as well. We spend longer parts of the game without the puck on our sticks.

 

[Raucherhusten]

I think the f*** the Wild game on Tuesday is to early for EJ but if he wears a Full Contcat Shirt on Mondays practice i think there is a good chance he could return as early as Thursday at St. Louis.

 

[dahrougem2]

Jonathan Bernier starting vs Arizona tomorrow per BSN.

 

[Bubba Thudd]

Doesn't mean that there is a god.

Is he vertical? Awake and aware? or just "on the ice"...

 

[Balthazar]

 

[UncleRisto]

Is he vertical? Awake and aware? or just "on the ice"...

His corpse is temporarily placed on a slab of ice to keep it from composing.

 

[The Abusement Park]

He's stepped up to the best of his abilities IMO. Has what 13 points since EJ's been out? I know points aren't the whole story and he has his deficiencies but he's put in a valiant effort IMO.

 

[forsbergavs32]

He's stepped up to the best of his abilities IMO. Has what 13 points since EJ's been out? I know points aren't the whole story and he has his deficiencies but he's put in a valiant effort IMO.

That's how i feel about it. He's doing what he can again the top competition, he's never going to be a shutdown guy as much as we'd like him to be.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That's how i feel about it. He's doing what he can again the top competition, he's never going to be a shutdown guy as much as we'd like him to be.

If he was able to consistently shutdown opponents top lines, he’d be one of the ~5 best defenseman in the league.

 

[5280]

Sounds like he'd be about a week away at least.

Still, if we could get him back in 1-2 weeks and still in the playoff picture, that's a huge plus for this team. Like ridiculously huge. I think our team has felt the effects of losing him more then they felt the effects of losing Mack.

Our Defense is significantly less skilled both offensively and defensively when EJ is out of the lineup. And that has a big effect on the forward as well. We spend longer parts of the game without the puck on our sticks.

Plus he’s an anchor for Zad’s brain when he needs it

 

[tigervixxxen]

Wait....this news hasn't made it here yet?





I bet he plays tomorrow too.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Plan the f***ing parade.

 

[Avs71]

That’s because Barrie is trying to be a difference maker, and pushing the play. Obviously last year was a write off, and Barrie had a long stretch this year where he wasn’t really engaged. When he tries to make something happen every shift like he has been, he is elite offensively. It would be great to see him play like this in 22-24 minutes of ice behind EJ.

One area you really have to give him credit is the ability to play his game for 26 minutes in a night. He travels a lot of ice up and down, and at a fast pace too. To do it for 26 minutes is remarkable. EJ doesn’t have the build or skating ability to do it. I don’t think many do.

 

[Goulet17]

Wait....this news hasn't made it here yet?

I bet he plays tomorrow too.

The fact that he was called up leaving SA to play with only 5 D yesterday, as you mentioned, certainly supports the idea that he will be in the lineup IMO.

Bednar may have had enough of the the lack of puck skills with the Siemens-Lindholm pairing.

 

[cgf]

The stigma on Russian players is self-fulfilling. The big issue is that they will leave quickly if they don't get handed NHL time, and that they are not willing to put in the work in the AHL to earn that NHL chance. Team are leery because they want to develop and they want good players, but they also need results. They can't always keep up a worse Russian player over a better Canadian player just to keep the Russian happy. That gets GMs, scouts, and coaches fired over the long haul. It happens in some instances (even happened here with Mironov), but they don't usually happen over the course of years. On the other side, the Russian players tend to have options that pay them 4-5-6 times what they make in the AHL. I get why you wouldn't want to stick around the AHL when you can be making absurdly more money.

A much different way of looking at it is like a long-term investment. Is it better to take a guaranteed 400-500k a year for the next 6-7 years, or is it better to make 162k a year for 2 years with a 50% chance of making 900k to 1.5++m for years after that?

Some are, some aren't. Zads put in his time, Kamenev has spent years in the AHL, and the same for Boikov. Mironov was already an established KHL Allstar, which is where the difference lay. Not in his nationality.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Some are, some aren't. Zads put in his time, Kamenev has spent years in the AHL, and the same for Boikov. Mironov was already an established KHL Allstar, which is where the difference lay. Not in his nationality.

One of the ones that I always find interesting is Galchenyuk. Hes American, but is also stamped with the Russian factor lol.

There is a few players on that Habs team I'll be really curious to watch once they leave that organization.

Colorado has had some pretty good success with their Russians in general. So I don't really care much what Mironov says.

Varly, and Z are great examples, and Kamenev will be another. I doubt Mironov will have any impact on others coming over if that's what people are worried about.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Only two points behind DAL and we own the tie breaker.

 

[Cypher]

Kamanev has been sent down.... guessing that means he's healthy

 

[Freudian]

Chances are when EJ comes back, Alt will be waived and claimed by Flyers who sends him to AHL without playing a single game.

If that happens, anyone with an Alt Avalanche jersey will be my hero.

 

[tigervixxxen]

Alt can't be waived, he's here for the duration.

 

[dahrougem2]

So 1-0-2 this week. 4 out of 6 possible points, not bad. Sucks that it could have been 6 of 6 though if they figured their **** out in overtime.

 

[klozge]

If he was able to consistently shutdown opponents top lines, he’d be one of the ~5 best defenseman in the league.

He'd be the best dman in the league this year.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

So 1-0-2 this week. 4 out of 6 possible points, not bad. Sucks that it could have been 6 of 6 though if they figured their **** out in overtime.

Yeah, though we also didn't deserve even 1 point against Columbus.


Actually, thinking about those 3 OT losses in a row I think they actually balanced out pretty even. IMO we fully deserved the 2 points against Nashville, only deserved the one point against Chicago, and didn't deserve any points against Columbus. Should have been 1-1-1 over those 3 games and instead were 0-0-3. Same total points, although we did lose out on one extra ROW that we could have gotten by going 1-1-1, but otherwise I think it balanced out to how we played in that stretch.


1-0-2 this week was solid. I was hoping for 5/6 points and we got 4/6. If we keep getting 4/6 the rest of the season we'll be in the dance come April month.