A quick notebook here, a day after the Avalanche’s Velvet Elvis-level ugly performance in Las Vegas. First off, Alexander Kerfoot is OK after a high hit taken from Vegas’s Brayden McNabb. He’ll be in the lineup against Chicago tonight at the Pepsi Center (7 p.m.).
Gabriel Bourque, however, will not play because of injury. With the Avs only having 12 forwards as it was, the team recalled forwards Rocco Grimaldi and Andrew Agozzino from San Antonio. Grimaldi will play tonight, but Agozzino will be a scratch.
Here’s the other significant news: Nikita Zadorov will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game. So, this is no longer a thing where Jared Bednar just gave him one game off to think about his play and come right back to hopefully be better. He’s essentially lost his top-6 job for now. Andrei Mironov will play his second game of the season tonight, while Chris Bigras will be the other healthy scratch on D.
It’s pretty shocking, actually, that Zadorov has played his way into the doghouse so soon. I mean, I didn’t think he was terrible in the Dallas game, but clearly Bednar saw something he didn’t like and is making him pay now.
Jonathan Bernier will start in goal.
Here is Bednar’s talk after the optional skate, via Coloradoavalanche.com
0 Comments (1 conversation)
Jon
Ok, I think Bednar is finally starting to piss me off. After a game in which you get embarrassed 7-0, you can’t tell me that Zadorov is the worst defenseman you have and is worth scratching again, even after that showing against VGK. If you don’t think he’s fit for top pairing minutes, fine, but he’s not so bad that he’s not worth playing at all.
Clearly that is something which you can be told.
How long have you been coaching and what insights into player behavior, development, and practice ethos can you offer to support your outrage?
Jon
And I solicited your ‘expert opinion’ where? I didn’t. Move along.
Missing the first few days of camp just didn’t sit well with Bednar. He hasn’t felt he’s been in good enough shape since, but the clinching factor continues to be defensive lapses, concentration issues.
Jon
Then Bednar should be taking his issues up with Sakic; business is business. As far as him not being in shape, Bednar should have held him out of the games until he deemed him in game shape but he shouldn’t have played him, then scratched him and blame it on his conditioning and continue to hold a grudge against him for it. It’s his right to send a message whichever way he seems appropriate, but again, I don’t get the message to Zadorov, or the rest of that team for that matter after getting blown out 7-0. There’s plenty of other guys that need a message sent too.
Bob_W
It would appear that the message to Zadorov is to pick up his game especially the mental part. He showed tremendous potential last season before he was injured and the expectation is that he will rise to a higher level this season. Since the whole team cannot be scratched Bednar is working on some of the important pieces at this time.
Jon
That’s fair. He’s still only 22 or 23 years old though. We’re only now seeing the best out of Erik Johnson though right? He didn’t get there by scratching him. They let him play. For a team with no expectations and likely a non-playoff team, I’m not sure I see the advantage of not letting one of the best young players we have, especially on defense, play through the growing pains. As far as last year goes, there was really no one in front of him…he could take on that role as “the guy”, but they were still by far the worst team in the league so I’m not sure how much stock that holds. I do agree that his play was one of the silver linings of the entire season last year though. At the end of the day, Z needs to play and if it’s not as a top pairing guy, then he’s not ready for it but he still needs to play.
Bob_W
I would only say that Bednar wasn’t here when Johnson first came and so he has no reason to tie himself to the disciplinary practices of other coaches. Scratching is one of choices that a coach has to send a message. All players are individuals and a coach must also tailor his discipline to what he feels will work best with each player.
By offering your amateur opinion on a discussion board, you solicit the opinions of others.
If you can’t handle your opinion being challenged, perhaps you should form a more intellectual opinion, or resist offering one in the first place.
I’ll move along when I’m good and ready, thank you.