Avs Game 21 Grades: The wins keep coming

Pierre Edouard Bellemare – C+

The French veteran was clearly not 100%, as you could tell his energy levels were a bit low in this one, but his line, decimated and all, ended up posting strong possession numbers. The only issue with Belly tonight was getting smoked in the face-off circle, something he’s been getting better and better at this year after a slow start. At 17:11 in ice time, he’s playing far too much but the Avs are low on bodies.

Andre Burakovksy – A+

I can’t say I expected this. Burakovsky looks more comfortable than I could have ever imagined and is making a lot of people, myself included, eat crow. The first goal was a perfect example of finding dead ice, but the second goal was special, and basically created something out of nothing. He even set up Zadorov in the slot in the first period for a great chance as well. The Avs may have hit a home run here.

Ian Cole – B

He had a tough last shift where he was gassed and took a penalty, but I thought Cole was really solid tonight, playing strong defense and actually showing some patience with the puck in the defensive end. If that Cole shows up more, the Avs are good.

J.T. Compher – B-

Where did this playmaker come from? His passing ability has always been an issue of mine but he’s proving me wrong this year, as his lack of finish has been a bigger issue. That pass to Kamenev was perfect and ended up being enormous. He got smoked in every face-off he took and I really didn’t like him on the PP, but the pass alone made his night.

Joonas Donskoi – B

I mentioned the other day I’d like to see Donskoi be the third wheel on the first line, as he has skill to keep up but can’t be a driver out there. Tonight, he kind of played that role and did it well. When everyone comes back, it’ll be interesting to see what Bednar wants to do with the top 6.

Samuel Girard – C

I really liked Sam’s first period tonight, but that pair was the only one that seemed to struggle consistently getting stuck in their own end. EJ put Girard in a really tough position on the first goal with a bad pass but I know Sam can make a better play there. I really thought his offense might take a step this year after his start, but he’s now got zero assists in his last nine games. For someone expected to push the pace offensively, that’s not good enough.

Ryan Graves – B

Tonight, Graves got back to basics and kept things simple. What got him in trouble the past two games was taking some chances and getting out of position. He’s not a good enough skater to do that. I liked his game in this one, and when you don’t notice him a lot that evening, that means he’s doing his job.

Philipp Grubauer – B+

Man is it good to have this guy back. His left pad is still working just fine, as Lucic found out in the second period. This was a good game for him to get back into, because the Avs kept the Flames to the outside for the first two periods, allowing him to get back into a rhythm. A 31-save return…not bad.

Erik Johnson – C-

Like Girard, I didn’t hate EJ’s first, for the most part. He had a screw up with the puck that forced Compher to take a penalty, but that puck was also bouncing like crazy. The bad pass on the Flames first goal just can’t happen, and is too easy a play to mess up. It was Classic EJ at the end, though, putting his body on the line to secure the win for his team.

Nazem Kadri – C

Another good night in the face-off circle, but that line struggled to get a ton of momentum going, especially early. I know Kadri was at the end of his shift, but you’d really like to see him tie up the much smaller Mangiapane there on the second Flames goal in front. He’s better defensively than that.

Vladislav Kamenev – B+

Kammy likes playing in Calgary, I guess. For a guy playing very limited minutes, four points in ten games is some strong production. He won all three face-offs he took, and obviously got the game winner. I liked that line overall, too, as they gave the Avs important minutes. All three of them worked well on the boards.

Nathan MacKinnon – A

Everyone in the world expected MacK to shoot on the first goal, but for the second straight game, he pulled up and found Burakovsky for an easy layup. A superstar like that just makes other teams focus on him, and he took advantage there. MacK isn’t the best faceoff guy, but a big win on the second goal for him.

Cale Makar – A

The Flames tried to take their runs at Makar tonight, but it didn’t matter. They got him a few times, including one when he pinched down low, but the man does not stop. That burst on the Avs first goal is something you can’t teach, and quite frankly, teams aren’t going to be able to defend. He just keeps humming along, and once again, a great night defensively.

Jayson Megna – C

You don’t want Jayson Megna on your third line for any extended period of time. He didn’t hurt the team at all tonight and had strong possession numbers overall. This is the ultimate stop-gap solution.

Valeri Nichushkin – B+

It’s less than ideal to have a guy with zero goals in the last 1,000 games in your top six, but Nichushkin, once again, just kept plugging away tonight. His motor is a lot better than I anticipated and he has really improved as the year has gone on at getting the puck in and chasing. A nice play to set up the third goal.

Matt Nieto – C

Nieto has definitely slowed down a bit as he’s been forced into a bigger role. We all could have seen this coming. I think it’s been a while since he showcased his speed down the wing and that’s something I’d like to see more of.

Logan O’Connor – C+

Used his speed to negate an icing in the second period, and battled hard on the boards all night. I don’t have high expectations for what he can be in the NHL, but I think tonight is a good indication of what he can provide if he does make it full time. A guy that can skate like that will always get looks, even if it’s in short spurts. He made a nice setup to Kamenev in the first period as well.

T.J. Tynan – C+

He has limitations, but I really have liked Tynan’s game overall. He had a nice shift after the Avs killed a penalty in the first and didn’t look completely out of place on the ice with MacKinnon. I can see why he has so much success in the AHL. This may not be a long term thing and shouldn’t be, but he’s been effective at even strength.

Nikita Zadorov – B+

Z had some puck issues in the third period, but that may have been his best defensive game of the season. He was engaged all night and made Gaudreau’s life miserable every time he was out there with him. After a great poke check on him in the second, Z helped spring the Avs on the game-winning goal. He’s looked “in control” since coming back from the jaw injury. Z seems at his best when he’s got a job of making someone on the other teams life miserable.