Avalanche Game 5 player grades: On to Monday

SAN JOSE, Calif. – Well, on to Monday and Game 6. Let’s get to the grades from a disappointing Game 5:

Mikko Rantanen (C-) – Part of a first line that got outworked and outplayed. He was high-sticked to the face in the first period, which disallowed a Kevin Labanc goal. As far as contributions to the cause in this one for the Avs, that might have been his best moment. He’s probably playing at less than 100 percent, after that late-season lower-body injury.

Nathan MacKinnon (C-) – Frustrating night for No. 29, as his eight-game playoff point streak came to an end. Why didn’t he shoot on that chance he had after Cale Makar set him up with a great pass in the third period? That typified his whole night. You’re the best player on the team – shoot the goddam puck.

Gabe Landeskog (D) – Bad game. I don’t know if it’s the ice in San Jose or the weather or what, but he just seems about three steps slower than normal in games at the Shark Tank as opposed to the Pepsi Center. He was too slow in making decisions with the puck, too casual on the power play, had bad puck-possession numbers.

Alexander Kerfoot (D) – Still looking for his first goal of the postseason, despite lots of top-6 ice time. Had a golden chance in the game, but put his point-blank shot right in Martin Jones’ chest, followed by his familiar look of this postseason: up to the rafters in disbelief.

J.T. Compher (D) – He’s yet to make much of an impact in this series, which is surprising to me. I’m not saying he’s just been god-awful, turning pucks over everywhere and being lazy. I just mean that I’m surprised he hasn’t done more. As anyone who has read my stuff the last couple years would see, I’m a J.T. fan. But he’s got no points and is a minus-3 in this series.

Colin Wilson (C+) – One of the few Avs players who was on the plus side in Corsi in this one. I thought he was one of the few Avs players who, as the Corsi suggests, worked real hard out there. Or, to put it better, worked effectively. Yet, there were zeroes on his scoring numbers too. He was robbed by Martin Jones’ left pad on one chance.

Carl Soderberg (C-) – Poor Carl just can’t buy a break offensively in this postseason. He was the victim of a really weak tripping call in this one too. Is he a bit worn down at this point? I mean, it might be a fair question, but I know this: Carl is working hard out there. The numbers just aren’t there right now, though.

Matt Nieto (C) – I thought he worked hard, but this was kind of a blah game for him – like many of his teammates. He’s had a real good playoffs overall, but it’s tough for a guy like him to shine every night.

Sven Andrighetto (D) – Tough to rip on a guy who doesn’t play every night, but that excuse only goes so far in the pros. He’s playing on the fourth line, in a role that really isn’t suited for him. He was always a scorer coming up to the NHL, and now he’s supposed to be a grinder on the fourth line. It almost never works.

Gabriel Bourque (D) – He was part of the group that got outworked on that game-winning Thomas Hertl goal in the third. He seemed to maybe have injured a leg on that whole thing, too. Just a tough night overall.

Tyson Jost (B-) – Nice to see him get a goal, for the first time in the playoffs. He almost had another goal earlier, too, but Logan Couture got a stick on him at the last second to throw him off.

Derick Brassard (F) – He was benched for most of the second half of the game. He played only 6:01 overall. It’s a really weird thing, how it just hasn’t worked out with him in the playoffs. I thought he would be a great fit for this team, and a couple of times it seemed like I’d be right. But right now, it’s a bad fit.

Cale Makar (A) – Play him more. Seriously, play him more. The numbers may not show it, but I thought he made several great plays tonight, most especially that shift where he broke into the Sharks’ zone and fed MacKinnon. That could have easily been the tying goal, if MacK had just shot the puck. He’s going to be, I predict, a Norris Trophy winner in this league at some point. Why he wasn’t on the ice in the final two minutes, with the goalie pulled (but Kerfoot was) I have no idea.

Sam Girard (C+) – I’m starting to not really think of him much anymore as an “offensive defenseman”, which is a shame in a way, because I think he can do a lot numbers-wise offensively. But he’s not really contributing numbers-wise offensively. He still handles the puck a lot, though, and usually in a safe manner.

Erik Johnson (C+) – A couple of rough moments, but overall I thought he was one of the harder-working Avs in this one. It seems like he’s been a little off in these playoffs, but I know this: he cares enormously about this team and he really works hard. But working hard and playing well sometimes are two different things.

Nikita Zadorov (D) – Rought night. Was whistled for two penalties, one of which was a bad call, that “roughing” minor in the third period. He was guilty of icing the puck a few times, a couple of them with no pressure on him. He’s got to work on his first pass out of the defensive zone if he wants to get to the next level in this league.

Tyson Barrie (D) – Rough night. Not sure why he, uncharacteristically, low-bridged Evander Kane with 1:06 left in the second period. That earned him two minutes in the box, and the Sharks scored with 20 seconds left to tie the game. A huge turning point in the game.

Ian Cole (C+) – He wasn’t too involved either way in this one. Not always a bad thing for a D-man. He blocked five shots, which is a tribute to his dedication. I think he was a bit tentative in some ways, though, which might be because he’s sometimes whistled for questionable penalties when he wants to rough it up. It’s a fine line with him.

Philipp Grubauer (A-) – Another very good game. The two goals on him weren’t his fault. One was on a lucky bounce in the third period with a gassed group in front of him (how gassed? Nathan MacKinnon had to jump on the ice to play in place of the benched Brassard on the fourth line). The other was a deflection on a power play.