Avs Game 51 Grades: Buffalo Soldiers

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C

Not a whole lot going on for Bellemare in this one. This most noticeable thing for him was taking a shot in a very, uh, sensitive spot at the end of the second. He would return in the third period and seemed fine.

Andre Burakovsky – A+

Wow. I don’t know what else you can say about his game tonight. A beautiful snipe early in the game, and two fantastic setups in the second period to blow this game wide open. He was their best forward against the Flyers and probably was tonight, too.

Matt Calvert – C

Much like Bellemare, not a whole lot going on in this one. This was a low-energy game and that’s not the type of game where Calvert will stand out. The Avs also didn’t have to do much in the way of killing penalties.

Ian Cole – B

The third pair, once again, had the best shot metrics on the defense and have proven to be quite good together. Cole had a solid night overall and came close to joining the scoring fun in the third period when he struck iron.

J.T. Compher – C-

I will keep saying it but it feels like Compher just does not fit in with that line. It almost feels like a matter of time before Donskoi takes that spot to bring some skill.

Joonas Donskoi – B

Another solid game for Donskoi. He picked up an assist on the first goal of the game, and if it hadn’t gone in the net, he seemed to have drawn a penalty as well. They’re easing him back into the lineup because they’re deep as can be.

Samuel Girard – B-

Girard was awful to start the game. He got beat in the neutral zone for an odd-man rush and gave the puck up directly in the slot on another chance. His goal was the ultimate gift but seemed to turn his game around a bit.

Ryan Graves – B-

Much like Girard, Graves had a rough start. He turned the puck over in the slot in the offensive zone that led to an odd-man rush. He did well to keep the puck in on the opening goal, and ended the evening a +4, although he didn’t play a role in some of the other goals.

Philipp Grubauer – A

In a game where the Avs scored six goals, it’s easy to forget how poorly they played to start this one, and Grubauer was there to keep them in this one with great saves. His biggest were on the penalty kill, and another where he poked the puck away on an odd-man rush. A nice game from him, as he had some swagger going.

Erik Johnson – C-

Did not like EJ’s game in this one. He got outmuscled in the corner for the puck at the end of the first, and then just let his man go to the net with ease, which resulted in the only goal for the Sabres.

Nazem Kadri – A-

Took a penalty early in the game after turning it over behind his own net, but after that, he was golden. Nice pass to hit Burakovsky in stride for his goal, and waited perfectly for the Sabres defender to screen his own goalie for one of his own.

Tyson Jost – B-

I liked a lot of what Jost did tonight, particularly on the backcheck. I feel like that game may have been the quickest he’s looked in a long time. Had a nice chance for an assist in the third but flubbed the pass to Donskoi.

Gabriel Landeskog – C

Landy just looks off and out of it, but after blowing up a Sabres defender in the third period, seemed to pick it up, as he had a nice power move moments after and another good chance later in the third. The Avs are winning without him at the moment.

Nathan MacKinnon – C

The top line was not great in this one, but they didn’t have to be. MacKinnon should have drawn a penalty in the first period but the refs just let a lot go with him, for some reason. Picked up an assist on Rantanen’s goal to really blow this thing open.

Cale Makar – D

Picked up an assist in the second period, but the puck was really just not his friend tonight. He had three turnovers on his first two shifts of the game, and couldn’t seem to corral it all night long.

Valeri Nichushkin – A+

When you see snipes like his in the second period, you wonder how he went 90+ games without a goal. After a rough start on that second line, he’s really found some chemistry with those guys, and he had another great night defensively.

Matt Nieto – C+

A quiet night for Nieto, which is said often because he’s just a guy who goes about his business very quietly. Didn’t have to do a whole lot, but hit the post early in the game on a nice two on one rush.

Mikko Rantanen – C+

He’s slowly getting it together, as his goal was a beautiful shot, and he made a beautiful delay and drop to Landeskog in the third period that could have resulted in another point. There’s too much talent there for him to keep struggling.

Nikita Zadorov – A+

The best shot metrics on the blue line, and picked up another goal and an assist for eight points in his last six games. The key to his first assist was not giving Eichel any space in the neutral zone, which forced him to give the puck up.