Avs Game 19 Grades: Avs give up eight in the 6ix

Jack Johnson – (D-) – This bottom pairing was seriously problematic tonight, which is really tough to imagine given that these are both guys that were legitimate top-four defensemen and Olympians somewhat recently. They got absolutely caved in tonight.

Bowen Byram – (D) – Probably his worst game of the year, if not the worst game of his very young career. He made a couple of glaring errors, one leading directly to a goal in the first period. He, unfortunately, had a big hand in this game getting away from the Avs early.

Erik Johnson – (F) – It’s just not good enough. If you’ve listened the DNVR Avalanche podcast, or read any of my recent game grades, this shouldn’t be a shock to you. Erik Johnson is riding the struggle bus right now, HARD. He was directly responsible for at least one, if not two, goals against tonight by just purely being so far out of position. He also shot two pucks on his own net in one shift.

Devon Toews – (C+) – The Avs top pairing was the only pair that played a steady game tonight. Toews had the highest corsi percentage on the team for tonight at 62.86. He did a good job of not spending all night in his own zone and helped the Avs (briefly) climb back into this game.

Cale Makar – (C) – A rare pedestrian game from Makar. Like Toews, he was one of the only Avs defensemen to play fine, no real glaring errors, but he just didn’t do the things we’ve seen him do SO MUCH of the last month. With that said, it is completely unrealistic to expect that every single night.

Jayson Megna – (C-) – While he continues not to hurt you directly, his line got caved in tonight, and he was exposed a few times tonight.

Val Nichushkin – (B) – I love this guy. Today was his first time back on the ice after missing a few days with an illness, and he just continues to roll. He is using his size and speed better than he ever has. Drew two penalties and had an assist on Kadri’s first goal. Well, it wasn’t so much of an assist as it was him propelling Kadri’s stick for him.

Nicolas Aubé-Kubel – (C) – We talked about it during our live stream, there are so many nights over the course of an 82 game season where guys just *exist* over the course of a game, and that was NAK tonight. 

Tyson Jost – (D) – Woof. I thought maybe breaking through in garbage-time against Nashville would give him a little bit of a confidence boost. Then he gets demoted down to the fourth line, and they got crushed all night long. He wasn’t winning battles, and he was running around his own zone all night. 

Alex Newhook – (C) – I liked him in the second. When the Avs were buzzing, he had a few opportunities that he just couldn’t quite cash in on. Definitely wouldn’t say this was a “step forward” game for him, but he was fine.

Logan O’Connor – (C+) – I’m telling you, LOC is becoming the new Matt Calvert. His motor never stops and because of that, he generates SO MANY chances. He just can’t finish right now. There was a shot of him on the bench after getting stopped on a breakaway, and you can tell by the look on his face that he knows, he’s this close to being a bonafide middle-six NHLer if he can just find a way to start putting those ones home.

Nathan MacKinnon – (B) – First game back after a month off and I thought he looked… good. Two assists for MacK, and I thought he looked dangerous in the offensive zone. Could definitely see some signs of rust, but overall I thought his game looked pretty solid. He and Mikko are going to need to make sure they figure out who is playing where in the D-zone though. 

Darren Helm – (D) – Talked about it with Jost and Megna, this fourth one just has to be better. I know it’s a fourth line.. but it can’t be as detrimental to have them on the ice as it was tonight.

Sam Girard – (C+) – he gets the “+” because he scored on a nice one-timer at the end of the first, other than that, it was a bit of an up and down night for Sammy G.

Nazem Kadri – (B+) – He got the Avs within one goal in the second period, and the team just couldn’t get it done for him. Two goals on the night as Kadri keeps chugging along. 

Gabriel Landeskog – (C-) – I keep waiting for Landeskog to come alive. I know he will, but he has been a passenger far too often recently. He had a really nice look to set up Kadri for his second of the game, but other than that, I honestly don’t remember much else of what he did. That can’t be the case for a player like Landy in a game like this.

Andre Burakovsky – (C-) – Ok, I’m going to be *that* person right now.. SHOOT THE PUCK. Too many passed up opportunities for a player with Burakovsky’s shot. He is a streaky player who struggles when he lacks confidence, and he looks like he lacking hard right now.

Mikko Rantanen – (C-) – I don’t like using the term “too cute”, but there were a few times tonight when I thought Mikko did a lot of good things to get himself into position to be dangerous, then just made questionable decisions right at the end. He was fine otherwise, but I feel like this game could’ve been more competitive early on if he just changes one or two things.

Jonas Johansson – (F) – *sigh* I hate doing this to the guy because it is tough to be a goalie, but yikes. This was a rough night for ol’ JoJo. I’m by no means saying all eight goals rest squarely on his shoulders, but he got beat clean way too many times tonight. The Avs had made a game out of it in the second period, and then Johansson gives up a goal that you just cannot give up in that moment.