SAN JOSE, Calif. – The curse of the Shark Tank is no more. For one day, at least. Big win today at the SAP Center for the Avs to even the series at one game apiece. Let’s do some grades:
Alexander Kerfoot (C-) – It’s just been a tough postseason for No. 13. I mean, the Avs are winning and it’s been a fun story and all, but Kerfoot has yet to really take part in the party. He was a minus-5 in the first two games in San Jose, with no points, and was a little too careless with the puck.
Nathan MacKinnon (A-) – Scored the empty-netter (which proved the game-winner) and assisted on another goal. He had seven shots on net and had a decent day in the faceoff dot. He started off the last round fairly slow before getting it going in Game 2. The Avs can only hope he’ll be as good the rest of this series as he was against Calgary.
Gabe Landeskog (A) – He got the scoring started for the Avs with that great tip, and he added an assist in an overall quality performance. He also won 11-of-17 faceoffs.
Colin Wilson (B) – No points and a minus-1, with negative puck possession numbers. But I actually thought he was pretty good today. He had some strong puck-carrying moments and was active around the net.
Carl Soderberg (B-) – I thought Carl was, at the very least, looking a bit more like the regular Carl today. He’s still kind of snakebit offensively, but I thought he skated pretty well and was a bit feistier than normal. He offered a lot of physical puck support along the boards and defensively, and that matters.
J.T. Compher (B) – He had a nice Corsi day (16 for, 6 against) and did some nice work on the PK. Not many offensive chances so far in the series for him, but you know he’ll keep working at it.
Matt Nieto (A) – That was a uuuuuuge goal he scored in the third period, making it a 3-1 game. He just stood his ground at the net and jammed home a loose puck. He’s got four goals now in these playoffs.
Mikko Rantanen (C+) – He got an assist, but had negative puck possession numbers and no shots on net. He was kind of quiet here, but I expect the full Rantanen to show himself in Denver.
Matt Calvert (A+) – Two assists, great puck-possession numbers and he showed heart by taking one for the team at the end on that big Brent Burns hit. While Burns was more concerned with leveling the smaller Calvert, the puck escaped the Sharks zone and led to MacKinnon’s empty-net game-winner.
Gabriel Bourque (B-) – Played a reasonably good fourth-liner type of game. I admire how he’s just kind of hung in there all year, despite plenty of criticism, and keeps battling.
Tyson Jost (D+) – Didn’t love his game. Bad puck-possession numbers (Corsi 5-17), and he lost five of six faceoffs. Also, a minus-1 despite playing only a little more than eight minutes.
Derick Brassard (D+) – Played only a little more than seven minutes, not much at all to speak of offensively. He just hasn’t really carved out a role with this team yet. Maybe we’re seeing more why two teams traded him this season.
Cale Makar (A) – He is just so cool, fast and efficient, isn’t he? I thought he was sublime out there, even if the stat sheet may not show it. He passed the puck well, skated with it well and just did a lot of nice things opposite Sam Girard.
Sam Girard (A) – After that awful Game 1, he was back to spinnin’ Sam. He was great today, skating the puck out of pressure at will and really moving it well. He and Makar will be together a long time I think.
Tyson Barrie (A+) – One goal, two assists, four shots on net. That goal he scored, which made it 2-1, was quite an amazing shot, because the puck that came to him on a rebound of a Gabe Landeskog shot was just bouncing on edge. Somehow, he got the stick blade on it just the right way and put it over Martin Jones’ right shoulder.
Erik Johnson (B-) – A much better showing than in Game 1, but it still seems like he’s been a bit off his game for some reason. He played a pretty clean game, though, opposite Ian Cole.
Ian Cole (B) – At 23:23, he had the most ice time of an Av in the game. I thought he was, for the most part, fine.
Nikita Zadorov (B) – Not the greatest Corsi numbers, but I thought he added good things to the win, particularly his Z-Smash of Evander Kane. He was called for boarding, but the Avs PK unit did a nice job killing it off.
Philipp Grubauer (B+) – He made some really good saves, especially that glove stop on Logan Couture in the third period. He allowed a pretty juicy rebound prior to the Sharks’ first goal, by Kane, but he kept the Avs in it after that, allowing them to get into the second period down just the one goal.
0 Comments (6 conversations)
avsfan444
Hit the nail on the head with these grades. Thought Grubauer was outstanding– stoning Logan Couture on that Cole puck misplay that bounced into the slot was enormous! And Barrie! Holy smokes was he amazing in this game.
Mikko’s game has hit a bit of a roadblock – his puck handling and dominance/facilitation down low has not been what it used to be. Hoping you’re right and he rebounds at home. I actually thought Jost played decently today – he was fast to pucks and I thought was solid defensively (except on faceoffs).
JDC15
I thought EJ, Brassard and Jost were awful. EJ has to be hurt or something because I didn’t like really any of his game outside of his offensive zone pinches and for the love of god can he just get a shot on goal that doesn’t get blocked or rim out the other side? Jost is young I get it, but 10th overall picks need to at least “talent” their way into the top 3 lines, and honestly he was the least noticeable Av all night long.
Mapletreemarty
EJ looks like crap out there. Maybe he can call up Burns in the offseason so he can help teach him how to get puck through from the point… dude isn’t even close.
gtq
A few things:
1. Glad we didn’t trade Barrie. We wouldn’t be in the playoffs without his play down the stretch. He’s been even better in the playoffs. He even looks like a good defensive defenseman.
2. We supposedly picked-up Calvert and Cole for playoff grit. During the season it seemed like at times what we picked up were two mediocre journeymen. Turns out management did actually know what they were doing.
3. With the injuries we had to high profile players down the stretch it seemed like we struggled most when Nieto was out of the lineup. He’s come up big in the playoffs and one could argue his goal in game 2 vs. Calgary was the turning point in that series.
4. There is no doubt Zadorov is a huge physical presence out there. I thought he had a very impactful game. His mistakes tend to be ones of judgment and effort. Not skill. He is a really talented guy.
I think what my observations point out (to me anyway), is that the hockey season is a long one. There will be nights when each and every player does not play well. It is easy to over-react and say trade him, release him, don’t re-sign him, etc. Sometimes it is best to just shut up and let things play themselves out.
HolidayHippie
Agree on all. I thought the Z penalty was total bullshit, and it just poured fuel on the fire that is my hatred of most of the talking heads at NBCSN. They went on and on about how it was a dangerous play and a bad penalty, but what is Z supposed to do there? He started moving into the hit when he was facing the guy’s shoulder, then he turns into the boards and Z catches him in the back. That’s not Z’s fault; that’s like leaning into a pitch and blaming the pitcher.
Apollo
Agree completely, it’s all the rage today in the NHL. I see so many players do it, knowing they’ll draw a call.
JD16
That’s interesting The CBC panel all thought it shouldn’t have been a penalty and that the Sharks player was at fault not only for turning his back but for trying to make a reverse hit.
HolidayHippie
Heh, you don’t reverse hit Z.
You just don’t.
Lefseeter
Didn’t Las Vegas play a similar style as the AVs in their series with SJS?
Pucklehead
We would be up 2-0 if we had traded Barrie…why doesn’t he get dinged for scoring for SJ