Another game, another Avalanche overtime loss. Honestly, has there ever been a worse team in overtime than the Avalanche of the last two years? It’s gone beyond embarrassment at this point to Avs fans. It’s just a Scarlet A of shame at this point. Just a horrible outcome – again – when that extra point was on the line.
Let’s get to the individual grades. It won’t be pretty:
Matt Nieto (F) – He was given a “great opportunity”, as he put it the day before, playing on a line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. And, he proceeded to go out and play like the Matt Nieto we’ve seen all year, which is invisible. Let’s cap this experiment at one game.
Nathan MacKinnon (B+) – A goal and seven shots on net, 57% on faceoffs. A fine game – but not a superstar effort. When does MacK win a game by his own talents again? He used to do that.
Mikko Rantanen (B) – He scored the Avs’ other goal, and he was totally screwed by a bad non-call late in regulation, when he was bear-hugged behind the net. He’s got to be better on the power play again, though. Too slow with his moves around the net.
Alexander Kerfoot (D) – Another game, another penalty and scorelessness on the sheet. Seems like he has kind of compartmented himself into a player only capable of good things when the rest of the team is doing well. Unimpressive.
Gabe Landeskog (D) – An OK game until 1:12 left in regulation. A nice screen on one goal. Then, in the offensive zone, the captain of the Avalanche wiped all that out with a double-minor high-sticking penalty. That’s just beyond dumb. It’s undisciplined. It cost his team the game.
J.T. Compher (B) – Worked very hard, as always. Had five shots on net. Couldn’t convert on anything. Part of the reason why the Avs got a point, at least, tonight.
Sven Andrighetto (C+) – A secondary assist on the MacKinnon goal that tied it up late in the second. So, that’s something. Is it too much to ask for a goal once in a while, too?
Carl Soderberg (D+) – Not much to speak for from Carl. Won some faceoffs, but that was about it. The chemistry exhibited on his new line, with Calvert and Dries, was close to zero.
Sheldon Dries (C+) – Was credited with four hits, worked hard overall, especially on defense. But, nothing much to speak for offensively, and last I checked goals mattered.
Gabriel Bourque (D) – Another “If a tree falls in the forest, does it make a sound?” game.
Tyson Jost (F) – Didn’t even play eight minutes. Nothing on the scoresheet, won 2-of-6 faceoffs. It’s just going real bad right for him. Fifteenth straight game without a goal.
Matt Calvert (F) – He keeps taking at least one penalty a game, and hasn’t been the penalty-killing dynamo we were all promised. He’s making too much money to keep giving fourth-line numbers.
Patrik Nemeth (B-) – I can’t for the life of me figure out why Jared Bednar keeps playing him in overtimes. Bednar did it again tonight, and all Nemeth could do was fish the puck out of the net when the game was lost. He was actually pretty good before that. Stop playing this guy in situations in which he’s not suited.
Ryan Graves (B) – I would have liked to have seen him play more tonight, quite frankly. He’s big and moves the puck to safe areas.
Erik Johnson (C) – Blocked five shots. But I keep noticing this about him this year: He doesn’t seem engaged. I believe he’s unhappy at not getting any power-play time this year. That’s between him and the coach to work out.
Sam Girard (D) – Only played 13 minutes. Just not noticing him much these days. He has to keep augmenting his game offensively, but he’s not doing it.
Ian Cole (B+) – Played 24 minutes, was good with the puck when he had it. He was one of the better players on the ice tonight for Colorado.
Tyson Barrie (C+) – Got his assist. All in all, though, just nothing special. When does the Barrie re-emerge, the one who creates real problems for the opposing D, especially on the power play?
Semyon Varlamov (D) – I know the numbers might suggest he was better than this grade deserved, but I just was unimpressed. He’s not scaring anyone anymore. He hasn’t bailed this team out of a game in a good, long time. Yeah, he shouldn’t have to bail his team out all the time, but is it too much to ask for just once in a while anymore
0 Comments (16 conversations)
Avsfan29
Varlamov getting a D must be a bad joke
BHGodlyGovt
Remind me, when was the last time he gave up less than 3 goals in a game?
B
He stood on his head tonight. Could have easily been 7-2. Duh.
BHGodlyGovt
Still though. Aren’t you just a tad frustrated that he can’t seem to keep the puck out of the net? Not denying he played very well tonight, but the fact still remains. Too many goals against are being scored when he is on the ice.
Adrian Dater
AuthorDefinitely don’t think he stood on his head
Icenine
He made one fantastic save on DeBrincat that probably got us a point. I think the problem is coaches have adjusted to our transition game and Bednar doesn’t have a solution.. yet.
Cerveau
I totally agree!
Cerveau
Meaning… I agree with dkirish that other teams have adjusted to our game and our team has not bedn able to readjust accordingly.
jbame
I fully agree with these. Finally some accurate grades. This team is complete trash right now; so frustrating to watch. Didn’t you and Jesse say in the pod that you MUST get 4 points out of these first two home games? That’s not going to happen now. So what’s going to be done? Trade Barrie? Fire Bednar? Please do something and soon. This is ridiculous.
B
Premature on all of the above. Yikes
JDC15
Maybe a stint in the AHL is what Jost needs.
Arguably the Avs 3 biggest problems right now are, PP, PK, and OT play what do they all have in common? Coaching.
Hozfu
Pretty hard on Calvert… thought his speed was noticeable
Icenine
Is this Varly sucks tirade like your trade Stastny rant your rode for 3 years? Semyon wasn’t the problem tonight.. D is a bad grade.
Adrian Dater
AuthorI thought the saves he had to make were mostly routine.
B
The grades above are mostly harsh grades.
5 observations:
1 Jost is Yakupov 2.0. Send him down and give Greer 2nd line. Or Nieto’s spot.
2 Landeskog move was good, thought he’d fight down 2-0. Draws penalties on the 2nd line. Don’t hate the 1st line split.
3. If not Landeskog, put in Compher, Greer, or Ghetto. They’re also fast and forecheck.
3 Calvert is good. His shift in the 1st where he drew a call changed the game.
4 Refs hate the Avs
5 Altitude is no longer an advantage. Avs are slow.
B
That dude played great tonight. Why would you deny that?
Markk
I don’t think we were watching the same game tonight. Thought Jost looked good, Varly gave the team a chance, and the Landeskog “penalty” was BS. Horrid officiating and bad breakouts were pretty big factors.
alexcgarza
Jost looked good??? Yikes
I hope the best for the kid- but he is in a huge rough patch currently.
GPRend12
Landeskog 100% earned that penalty. Get out of here with that. One of the most undisciplined and stupid things he’s ever done. Aside from that he’s had a great year. needs to be more level headed. Avs desperately needed that win and as soon as he took that penalty it was game over
Av65
Unfortunately I’m gonna totally agree with this one. The fact that our captain put himself in the situation to get this penalty is unacceptable. He knows it! We needed those 2 points.
Bob_W
The reason I do not like grades is that they are not consistent. When AD does them he uses his bias to form his opinion when AJ does them he uses his bias to form his opinion. The criteria are different depending on who is grading and apparently how that person feels that night. Grades should be more objective than that in my opinion. I can’t compare or generalize about overtime when this time they were down 4 to 3 in manpower while other times it is 3 on 3 which is a totally different situation with different personnel. Nemeth was out there this time because it was a penalty kill.
I do not see how people can expect them to bring Greer up and put him on the second line based on his AHL performance. No NHL coach does that. The lines shake up lasted one period. Landy was back on the top line at the beginning of the 2nd.
Nels
No, no, and no.
Maybe we should use a machine to do the grades. No thanks.
Go watch Boston kill the Sabre’s entire OT PP and then beat the Sabres in OT.
What makes you think Jost should be in the NHL instead of Greer? Or Nieto who was just tried on the top line?
B
He let in 2 unstoppable one-timers – one on the PP.. You can’t give the entire defense c/d grades then give the same to Varly. He played outstanding. Go back and watch.
BigDee
Adrian, it seems the refs are calling fewer stick violations as the season goes on. I watched Rantanen get mugged many times tonight with no call. I’m wondering if this is what’s leading to the drop off in scoring on the first line. Things are just tightening up and scoring seems to be leveling out a little. At least for the Avs. Their young talent just isn’t developing to where they’re expected to be so far.
jpwheels
Wow, did Varly steal your candy or something?
He was solid…much better than the grade you gave him.
Avs099229
Fire Bednar and bring in coach Q . Last time Avs passed the first round in the playoffs was with him . They need his experience with the young guys.
gtq
At the beginning of the season I thought the team did little to improve itself personnel wise. Apparently all the improvement was supposed to be based on people being a year older. Well, it isn’t working. Right now the only thing that will improve this team is Ottawa finishing last.
AD, you have played with having a head coach’s grade in the past, and I think you should be consistent and grade our coach each and every game. Perhaps it will better reveal his marginal capabilities. Let’s take a quick assessment of Coach Bednar.
First year he inherited a bad situation but instead of taking a team that was disjointed and bringing the team together over the season, the slide in the 2nd half of the season was worse than the first half, so he failed to bring the team together in his very first year.
Second year allowed the team to unite under Lande’s leadership after the Duchene trade. It was a very good bounce back year but to justify a one year contract extension through 2020? I think not. Did it justify fulfilling Bednar’s final year of his contract. I think so.
Third year has shown continued inconsistent decisions and lack of leadership by the coach. His style is not suited to the 2nd youngest team in the NHL. Lande and EJ can lead in the locker room and on the ice only so much – we need a coach the players respect and has the pedigree of a Stanley Cup champion.
The current and future team is Super Joe’s team, not Bednar’s. For good reason, Bednar has been absent during the draft and ongoing player evaluations. With the recent slide over the last 12 games, we need Super Joe to make a tough decision and take advantage of the opportunity at hand and hire Coach Q.
Avsolutely
I know they won’t do it, but Jost definitely needs some time in the A. It was a mistake to keep him as a rookie. Should’ve had the Mikko path.
Av65
Thank you!! Yes it was nice to see him last spring but look at rants development!