Avs Game 25 Grades: No Forwards, No Problem

Pierre Edouard Bellemare – C+

Bellemare was fairly invisible for the most part, I just had two memories of him in this one, one good and one bad. The bad was the penalty 200 feet from his own net. Those are tough ones to swallow. The good was a beautiful shot block on Patrick Kane alone in the slot after a turnover, the perfect positioning from a defensive center.

Ian Cole – D

Cole played a big role in the two goals against, getting outmuscled along the boards for the puck on the first one and losing Kane on the second goal, as you could see he was watching the puck and not his man on the replays. It’s been a tough go for him defensively of late because oddly enough, I’ve found him better in the offensive zone.

J.T. Compher – A

At this point, you just need to assume Compher’s going to have a multi-point game any time there’s a game in Chicago. Three points on the evening in this one, and a much-needed goal for him, his first in nine games.

Sheldon Dries – C-

The Avs are down to their 1,000,000th forward on the depth chart, and Dries had to step into this one. I wasn’t a huge fan of the fourth line overall in this one, as they got caved in big time. What do you expect with a line like that? Dries did register seven hits overall though.

Joonas Donskoi – D

I really disliked a lot about Donskoi’s game in this one. It was too high risk, especially at the offensive blueline. Too many turnovers that led to odd-man rushes the other way, including a backhand pass to no one that created a two on one for the Blackhawks.

Pavel Francouz – A-

The Avs got really sloppy in the second period and Francouz kept the Blackhawks at bay. He was reaching a bit on the Kane goal but didn’t get any help on that first one. So far, he’s proven to be a very effective backup for the Avs.

Samuel Girard – B+

Girard has played the right side a lot with the Avs, and I really like him there because it opens up his body and he can see the ice better. Bednar challenged him tonight, pairing him with Zadorov and they went head to head against Kane and shut him down (when they were on the ice against him). I don’t love his play in the offensive zone, but he was slippery against the forecheck and very good in his own end.

Ryan Graves – A-

It’s nitpicking, but I hated the timing of the fight because the Avs had all the momentum and it could have gone the other way. Ultimately, it didn’t matter overall. His goal was a really nice read to step up into the play, and not exactly the easiest shot in the world to get off, either. Quite frankly, he looks like the veteran when you compare him and Cole.

Nazem Kadri – D

I thought it was a rough game overall for Kadri. He looked like he was on the wrong side of the puck defensively on the first Blackhawks goal, which allowed the puck to just pop out front. He just had some turnovers trying to do too much, and couldn’t even catch a pass when he had a wide-open net off a nice play by Jost. Just not his best game overall.

Vladislav Kamenev – D

Another rough one from Kamenev, whose second winger is seemingly different every night with the injuries. He bobbled the puck hard late on a rush up the ice and got caved in. I did, however, see him take a run at a Blackhawks player, and he got feisty with Toews in the face-off circle. Never hurts to see that from him.

Tyson Jost – C-

Hit the post early, and kind of faded away after that. Had the nice setup to Kadri that he muffed, but he just doesn’t look himself on the wing and all these injuries are forcing him there.

Nathan MacKinnon – A+

He had four points halfway through the game, and the Avs basically didn’t even need to play him in the third period. That’s the perfect way to start a back to back series. Oh yeah, and he gets his big right wing back tomorrow. He’s an MVP candidate at the moment.

Cale Makar – B+

I didn’t love Makar defensively in this one, but his wrist shot is just absurd on the power play, and he nearly had another highlight-reel goal in the second period but struck iron. Like MacKinnon, the Avs were able to rest him a bit in the third period.

Valeri Nichushkin – A

He flew through the neutral zone so fast on his goal that he tore Duncan Keith’s groin to shreds apparently. That goal was incredible, and shows why he was drafted so high in 2013. At this point, if Colin Wilson is ever healthy again, would you even replace Nichushkin with him? I’m not sure.

Matt Nieto – C-

Tonight was a “gut it out” night from Nieto, who clearly isn’t 100% considering he missed practice yesterday. You could see him fumbling pucks all night long and it just wasn’t his best game.

Logan O’Connor – B+

Hard not to be impressed with what O’Connor’s doing right now. I’m not sure it will last, but at the moment, he’s giving the bottom six a boost that they desperately needed with all the injury problems. He’s using his best tool, his speed, to his advantage every night.

Calle Rosen – C

Rosen has moved the puck alright for the most part, but there have been some serious muffs from him. Tonight there were two brutal plays up the middle that Francouz had to bail him out on. If he cleans those up, his puck moving will be a nice addition to the third pairing.

T.J. Tynan – C-

He struggled to get the puck out on the second goal of the evening, and that was probably the most noticeable part of his game. He did make a nice royal road pass on the power play at the end of the first period.

Nikita Zadorov – B-

Tonight, his mission was to stick with Patrick Kane, and he did so, with a 55% score-adjusted CF in over 10 minutes. He made some nice plays in the neutral zone on Kane and finished him off with some anger in the third period. Almost got on the scoresheet in the second period but hit the post. Not to jinx it, but he’s only put the team shorthanded once in his last seven games (a few matching minors in there). That’s huge for him.