Avs Game 2 Grades: Shellacking

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – A-

The Avs were up so much in the third that Belly was running the powerplay. That should tell you about all you need to know about this. Great game for him defensively and on the PK.

Andre Burakovsky – A

I mean, at this point, he should be shooting the puck, like, all the time. Goalies can’t keep up with his release and it’s a little unfair. Three is not enough. I want five a game at least. Shame on the Blues for giving him so much time and space on his goal.

Matt Calvert – A-

Sliding to block shots and get the puck out of the zone in a 6-0 game in the third period. It’s just what you come to expect from Calvert. He only knows one gear and that’s why you love him.

Ian Cole – B-

The only guy who had some tough moments in this game on defense, and it was pretty minimal, where he got beat on a longer shift in the second for a breakaway. Beyond that, he was quite good, especially on the PK. A nice presence for Timmins tonight.

J.T. Compher – C+

Hard to complain about an 8-0 beatdown, but another game where he creates next to nothing offensively at even strength. No shot attempts from him outside of his PK rush. Some nice work on killing penalties though.

Joonas Donskoi – B

Nice to see someone from that line get on the board. Offensively, Donskoi is probably the one guy on that line who can drive the bus. He had a solid night and is starting to get used on the penalty kill more and more, which increases his value for the club.

Samuel Girard – A+

What a machine. The Blues are probably already sick of seeing him this year, as he’s left so many of them in the dust these last two games. I love him on the right side, and he’s the guy who will anchor that second pair until Byram is ready. Nice to see him pick up a few points as well, with the second unit having a new look with two defensemen. His stick work in the defensive zone is probably unmatched on this team.

Ryan Graves – A

Now that was a great game from Graves, stepping up onto the second pairing after the defense really struggled on Wednesday. He had one of his better games on the penalty kill in the NHL, breaking up a lot of passes and getting in lanes defensively. Love what I saw from him.

Philip Grubauer – A+

A completely different game than Wednesday, where he saw a ton of action in the first and got into it immediately. That wasn’t the case here, as he really only saw a few tough chances in the first two periods. It kind of reminded me of his games against Arizona last year, where he mentally kept himself in the game without facing a lot of shots.

Tyson Jost – B+

He’s really embraced his new role and running with it. The penalty kill looks like a natural fit for him, and he’s engaged every second he’s on the ice. He took a penalty, but it might have saved a goal against.

Nazem Kadri – B

The first period was a little rough for Kadri, but it seemed like he got into it physically with Krug at the end of the period and that may have gotten him going. The second line looks like it might be some moving parts this year, with him up the middle, so he’ll need to anchor it. Big surprise, a positive night in the face-off circle too.

Gabriel Landeskog – A+

Back to the top line and back to scoring goals. Those goals are kind of what the top line misses when he’s not there, as he goes to the net and does the dirty work that others might not. That’s an element that Burakovsky doesn’t necessarily give because that’s just not his game.

Nathan MacKinnon – A+

Ho-hum, three-point night, and drawing one penalty and should have been more. You knew he was going to bring it tonight, that’s just who he is and why he’s one of the best players in the league. Poor Ville Husso, not the guy you want to see coming down on a breakaway in your first period in the league.

Cale Makar – A+

An incredible game from Makar, really, at both ends of the ice. Made a fantastic poke check to break up a 4 on 2 in the second period when the game was still 0-0, and just had it rolling all night. Three assists from him, and easily could have had a few goals as well.

Valeri Nichushkin – B+

That was more like the Nuke we saw a lot of last year. Tenacious on the forecheck and driving the other team nuts. And I love that they are using him on the penalty kill this year.

Mikko Rantanen – A+

We’re two games in and Mikko is shooting the puck a lot more. I love it. A really strong game from him, starting with putting his shoulder into Krug in the first period to set the tone. The pass from behind the net to Landeskog is something very few players can do in this league, with not just the pass, but holding off the defenseman like it’s nothing.

Brandon Saad – B+

Still some issues with the puck, but he was around the puck all night long and that’s a sign of an engaged player. The move he put on Justin Faulk in the second period to beat him for a breakaway caught everyone off guard.

Conor Timmins – A

Best game in the NHL for him. Composure at all times, and just smart decisions all over the ice. Had some really great plays on the penalty kill, a spot where he can make a niche for himself on this team this year and maybe take a job from a veteran when this team is healthy. That’s something you can build off of.

Devon Toews – A+

This guy is going to eat a ton of minutes for this team. That much is apparent already. He’s an effortless skater and contributes a lot at both ends of the ice. The pair with him and Makar looks like it could be a legit number one pair as this season goes on. They were in control all night long.