The Avs, once again, played well for the majority of the game but mental breakdowns over a 128 second span in the second period was the difference, and the Penguins were able to take out the Avs 4-3.
How did each player perform? Let’s find out…
Tyson Barrie (C) – Barrie was able to pick up his first goal of the year and another assist, but I don’t think he had a very strong game, overall. He was really exposed defensively on the Penguins final goal, which ended up being the winner.
Francois Beauchemin (B-) – Beauchemin had a solid game, but he was on the wrong end of a terrible call by the referee that changed the course of the game in the second period. You would like to see him maybe communicate better with Berra on the third Penguins goal, but that one is more on Berra.
Reto Berra (C-) – I feel bad giving Berra a poor grade, because he played so well in the first, but that third goal was an absolute back breaker for the Avs and changed the game. If that goal doesn’t happen, the story tonight might be different.
Blake Comeau (D) – If there is one thing we’ve learned about Comeau in his time with the Avalanche, it’s that he’s wildly inconsistent. Tonight was not one of his good nights. If/when Mitchell returns, it would be nice to see him dropped down to the third line and be replaced by Grigorenko.
Matt Duchene (A) – Two more goals for Mr. Duchene, and the best possession numbers on the team for the evening. He’s simplified his game on the wing, and all of his goals have come from right around the net.
Dennis Everberg (B) – I feel weird giving Everberg a grade because he only played 5 minutes, but the first period for him was probably his best period of the season. He made a great chip in the defensive zone to hit Wagner in stride for a breakout, used his size in the offensive zone to clear space, and made a nice pokecheck to break up a rush on the penalty kill. Unfortunately, he barely played after that.
Brandon Gormley (B-) – Gormley seems to be getting more comfortable on the ice. He had a nice rush up the ice in the second period, and generally had a solid night. He did have a ghastly turnover in the third period where Berra bailed him out.
Mikhail Grigorenko (B+) – His possession numbers were not great, but I was impressed with his work tonight, and Roy rewarded him with ice time in all situations. He saw his first PK work of the year and performed well. He outmuscled the Penguins defender to get the puck to Landeskog before the Avs third goal.
Nick Holden (C-) – Not a great night for Holden, in what has been a strong year for him. He lost Perron on the first goal, even though it was a bit flukey, and couldn’t corral the puck on the 4th goal, allowing a pass to get by him, leading to a goal.
Jarome Iginla (C) – He had two assists, and yet I barely noticed him on the ice much. He did not produce an even strength shot on net tonight, which isn’t good enough.
Erik Johnson (A-) – Whatever was bothering EJ to start the year has gone away, as he’s flying out there, and joining the rush almost every shift. He has to be careful not to get caught too much, but his partner Beauchemin is giving him a lot of freedom to jump up.
Gabriel Landeskog (A-) – The captain returned with a team high 6 shots and 7 hits, and the top line was dominant. His assist at the end of the game to Duchene was beautiful.
Nathan MacKinnon (B) – MacKinnon had a strong night offensively, even if he didn’t pick up a point, but he took a penalty in the third and was not good in the faceoff circle most of the night. The top line isn’t going to be broken up anytime soon, and they’re going to have to carry this team.
Andreas Martinsen (C-) – I actually really did not like his game for the first two periods. He was too weak covering the points and really struggled to get the puck out. In the second period, in particular, he had one really lazy clearing attempt that resulted in 40 more seconds of zone time for the Penguins. He did recover nicely in the third period, which included a nice power rush through the neutral zone and resulted in a shot on net. Martinsen recorded the worst possession numbers on the team tonight.
Cody McLeod (C) – I really don’t know what McLeod was supposed to do on the penalty they gave him in the first. Clendening turned at the last second, and there’s no human that can stop themselves when they’re going that fast.
Zach Redmond (B) – In his debut with the Avs this season, I thought Redmond had a strong game. He made a nice play to break up a cycle in the first and lead a breakout, and had another controlled exit that period as well. He looked a lot better than Guenin has at any point.
Jack Skille (D) – I honestly don’t remember him doing much of anything tonight, which hasn’t been the case much with Skille this year. He’s usually good for one memorable rush up the ice.
Carl Soderberg (D) – Not a great night for the big Swede after a long stretch of solid play. He was -3 on the night and got smoked in the faceoff circle.
Chris Wagner (INC) – How do you grade someone who only saw 3 minutes of ice time?
The Avs continue their road trip on Saturday when they take on the Washington Capitals. The game starts at 5 PM MST.
