Morning skates can be a grind, especially a day after a practice in which you get all the lineup information and there are no injury updates coming. Today was one of those days and it was obvious the grind hit the Avalanche themselves as they decided on an optional skate today, one in which maybe eight players participated.

One of the guys who was on the ice today, and who almost never misses an opportunity to get some extra work in when given the chance, was Avalanche forward Tyson Jost. The second-year player has continued his enigmatic start to his career this season as he struggled early on, got injured, came back with a fury and scored a handful of points, then has disappeared again.

Jost’s role often oscillates between the second and fourth lines depending on how well he’s playing on any given night. His 11 points (4g, 7a) in 34 games is nothing short of a disappointment after his 22-point rookie year. What’s going wrong?

“Well, skate and be a little bit more instinctive in my opinion,” coach Jared Bednar said of his struggling 20-year-old. “He’s out there, he’s trying to do everything right, he’s just got to free himself to go play. I don’t know if he’s thinking too much or it’s just not driving his legs in certain situations, it’s hard to say. I know he means well and he wants to do the right thing and he’s trying to be perfect but I also think there’s a little bit of grit that can come back into his game. Certain nights I think it’s just a little bit too cute and when you’re struggling to find yourself in a league like this it’s difficult if you make it too cute. I think he can play a little more of a straight line game and chip and chase a little more and use his skill down in the offensive zone. That’s where I think he’s really good, down below the tops of the circles in the offensive zone. I just don’t think he’s getting there enough with the puck at this point.”

When asked about where he views his shortcomings, Jost found himself giving a similar answer as his coach.

“I’m just more involved, moving my feet,” Jost said of the times he’s playing better. “I’m involved in every play and making a difference in every shift, even if it’s not offensively, I’m around the play and making things happen. I’ve just got to get back to that and get my feet moving and just kind of get into the guts of the arena there and make things happen.”

I’m not entirely sure what it means to get into the guys of the arena but Jost sure could stand to do it tonight as the Avs play host to the Chicago Blackhawks for the second time in a week. Confidence is key for such a young player and it’s time Jost find his again.

“It’s not fun,” he told BSN Denver about his current rough patch. “It is tough but that’s part of being a pro hockey player. You go through stretches like this. Every player goes through them. I’ve just go to try to keep my confidence like I had when I came back from injury and was playing well and putting up numbers. Confidence is just a word, too, and I still have it for sure even though it’s not established I guess you could say. I know I have confidence in my abilities and I know I can play this game at a high level and I know what to expect of myself. I’m going to get back to it soon. I’m not too worried about it.”

As a guy who has not been shy about getting in his own head, I pressed him on not being too worried about his recent struggles. To his credit, he genuinely seemed to shrug them off as something that will go away when he returns to the form he needs to be successful.

“Obviously, there are certain things I’m doing and I want to get back on track but I’m not going to get too caught up in because, like I said, I do have confidence in myself. I know that I can get out of this.”

The Avs sure could use the help.

Tonight’s lineup

As mentioned yesterday from colleague Adrian Dater, the lineup will look a bit different tonight. Semyon Varlamov returns to the net and Ryan Graves will get the second NHL game of his life.

Nieto MacKinnon Rantanen
Landeskog Kerfoot Compher
Dries Soderberg Calvert
Bourque Jost Andrighetto

Girard Johnson
Cole Barrie
Graves Nemeth

Varlamov
Grubauer