CALIFORNIA – Remember last Saturday? No? Let me rewind:
That day, the Colorado Avalanche went into Nashville and shut out the Predators 5-0, not even 17 hours after they’d gone in to Chicago and beaten the Blackhawks in their barn. The Avs played aggressive, smart, team hockey, with a roster specked with some youngsters who really helped add to the cause. Guys like Ryan Graves. Guys like A.J. Greer. Guys like Andrew Agozzino.
Guys who had yet to taste much success in the National Hockey League, but who have all persevered for it in their own ways. It was a happy team, a team suddenly believing in itself again.
Then came Monday, trade deadline day. Out went Greer and Agozzino, in came veteran Derick Brassard. Then came later in the week. Out went Graves and in came veteran Ian Cole. Also in came veteran forwards Gabriel Bourque and Colin Wilson.
The record since that amazing win in Nashville: 1-2-1. Coincidence?
I don’t know, but I know what a lot of you out there think, when I posed this exact question on Twitter today:
Last Saturday, Avs shut out Nashville on road to go 5-1-0 with a lineup mixed more with eager youngters like Graves, Aggie, Greer. They are 1-1-1 since with vets like Bourque and Wilson and Cole, and down 2-0 to bad Anaheim team. Coincidence?
— Adrian Dater (@adater) March 3, 2019
Take a look at some of the responses. No, Jared Bednar’s latest roster moves have not gone over too well.
And look, I’m not a massive second-guesser of coaches. I’ve always judged things more on what I see in front of me, from the players, than what I might not see as much from behind the scenes, and a lot of that is coaching.
But, yeah, count me among the people who just don’t get it when it comes to playing a guy like Gabriel Bourque anymore. Gabriel Bourque played 4 minutes, 18 seconds today. He took a hooking penalty at 8:45 of the second period, which led to Cam Fowler’s power-play goal. That was also, it would turn out to be, the game-winning goal.
Bourque never played another shift after that. So, yeah, fair question: Why do you keep playing Gabriel Bourque, coach Bednar? Why was A.J. Greer sent down to make room for this guy? Or, Agozzino? Is it all about saving on the salary cap?
If so, OK then. You get what you pay for.
Because that penalty and subsequent PP goal was a major factor in the Avs falling further behind in the playoff chase, with only 17 games to go. A playoff appearance is generally considered to mean at least $1 million per game in pure profit for the owners, maybe a bit more now. So, that savings of Greer being down in the minors, in favor of paying the one-way ticket to Bourque?
Starting to look pennywise and pound foolish there, Messrs. Bednar, Joe Sakic and Chris MacFarland.
Even Sheldon Dries would have made for a better and more justifiable roster play today against Anaheim, than the non-producing, penalty-prone Bourque. But after what I thought was a pretty decent game by Dries in San Jose, out he goes in favor of Bourque.
You get what you pay for.
Look, I get why Graves got the short end of the straw vis a vis the return of Ian Cole. Cole is a veteran, a big-ticket guy who has won Stanley Cups. If he’s healthy enough to play, logic says you have to play him. But the fact is, the Avs are now 0-2 since the return of Cole, and on Sunday in Anaheim, No. 28 certainly did NO favors to the team with his play.
He only played 7:21 overall. Why? Because he chose to stick out a knee on Anaheim’s Devin Shore and send him tumbling to the ice in major pain. That earned Cole a 5-minute major game misconduct. While the Ducks didn’t score on the PP, the Avs had to play the rest of the game – from the 13:52 mark of the second period on – with only five defensemen. That’s never good. especially for a team playing from behind.
I think Cole will be suspended by the league for this one. So, that will probably get Graves back in the lineup. But that’s not how you want it to have happened.
The re-insertion of Colin Wilson to the lineup has done absolutely nothing for the team. He’s too slow, period, end of story.
In short: Avs management and coaching tried to fix what wasn’t broke. They didn’t realize well enough, probably, that some of the resurgence had to do with youngsters, hungry for success, bringing new energy to the team. But when the older guys came back? It looks like they’re just punching a clock.
At this point, the Avs just look like a team that doesn’t deserve the postseason. The players don’t seem to want it bad enough.
And the coaches/management don’t seem to have a handle on what their best options are.
OBSERVATIONS AND OTHER NOTES
- You just have to watch this clip of Anaheim’s first goal to see how poor puck decisions by Avs players in the neutral zone continue to haunt them. Alexander Kefoot here tries to make a risky backhand lead pass into the Anaheim zone, only to see it intercepted and fed to Jakob Silfverberg, who skates past a flat-footed Kerfoot and beat Philipp Grubauer for the first goal of the game:
An example of the kind of poor hockey sense Avs have had all day. Kerfoot makes bad lead pass, then caught flat-footed when puck goes other way pic.twitter.com/2L6gcWuYhH
— Adrian Dater (@adater) March 3, 2019
- There was word before the game that Nathan MacKinnon was nearly scratched because of the flu. Avs PR, though, denied it was that close of a thing that could have happened.
When the opposing team’s scoring chances in close resemble an avocado on the heat map? You know it was a bad day. So it went for Anaheim’s close-in chances compared to Colorado’s.
- Sam Girard made a great play late, breaking up a breakaway by Daniel Sprong, to keep it a 2-1 game.
- Is it me, or does Tyson Barrie seem kind of tired? Where are the big rushes through the neutral zone? Where is the creativity with the puck off the rush or on the power play? He’s gone 16 straight games without a goal.
- To me, this look from Jared Bednar on the bench today said it all:
0 Comments (22 conversations)
Rich
Great article! Dater you hit the nail
on the head! Unfortunately, due to all the great points and observations you brought up in your article is the reason why this team will not make the playoffs this season… I guess it is time to start reading the mock drafts – this team will most likely have two picks in the top 10-12.
Tleewilson3
This season has been maddening from the OT suffering, the hot start and subsequent deep freeze and now just trying to sneak in. Avs will look back at the 12 points lost in OT as the biggest reason they will miss out. Win half of those and you’re in comfortable.
Colorado_Gary
After 3 straight, eerily similar, OT losses you’d think it would be time to make adjustments loooong before the futility reaches 2 for 14. Whether it’s personnel, scheme (or lack thereof) or whatever, this falls squarely on Bednar’s shoulders. I agree, they will look back and realize the OT futility kept them out.
DNVR
Wow, great work. Really makes up for Jesse’s terrible writing. Thanks for the analysis!
ColoradoCartography
If call-ups keep coming up playing well…to be sent back down…what message does that send to them?
Work hard and get to the NHL, play well then you’ll be rewarded with…being sent back down. Very demotivating and hurts development.
Who cares about draft picks when we can’t develop from within. We don’t draft well, we don’t develop who we do draft so what’s the point.
We have like 5 picks in the 1st 60 but…outside of Ottawa’s and maybe our own…I’m not so excited about drafting.
Duchene, O’Rielly, Elliot, Picard, Siemens, Heard, Bigras, Bleakley, Meloche. High draft picks that don’t play with the Avs.
Nels
so true
Unit5
This exactly the article I would have written if I were literate. AD, you have plumbed the depths of my soul …… and so on (not literate, remember). I guess the team philosophy is that if you can’t break through the brick wall with your head, start from farther back and run faster. At this point, I don’t even want them to win another game unless they bring those young guys back.
Anyway, so much for that. Thanks AD and keep up the good work
Hockeyhead
Listening on the radio, you could tell they had no fire and desire, they were flat. Not a trade mark of a team fighting to get into the playoffs. Hard to be excited about their chances when they play like that. I was amazed Bourque was back in. Wilson and Cole have become liabilities as they are out of game shape due to recent injuries and are playing poorly. I agree with you Dater, why did they tinker with the success of their last good run? Mack and Girard seemed to have developed chemistry on the PP and then Mack is back with Barrie. What is Bednar thinking, and for that matter Sakic. I liked getting Brassard, but they should have kept Greer, Aggie and Sven 10 together and Brassard steps into Nieto’s spot. If you have to play Cole, then maybe scratch Nemeth and play Graves. Play the young guys who have some fire and desire! On that first goal, yeah Kerfoot’s play was bad, but what about Nemeth letting the ducks skate right in and shoot the puck from the face off circle, how about challenging the guy with the puck a little sooner and not giving them so much time and space to make plays. At this rate, they don’t deserve to be in the playoffs.
Eidolon
Uhh, because it was a 2-on-1? His job was to take away the pass and let the goalie worry about the shooter. Kerfoot’s decision was terrible and it immediately ended up in the back of the net. Nemeth got put on an island by Kerfoot. Stop apologizing for him just because he’s part of the youth movement.
Av65
A good point was made about guys coming up from lovland, excelling only to sent back down. Look at Greer. Bednar says he wanted more out of him? Im here to tell ya Beds, we expect more from you!
tkredbrewer
Do you ever ask bednar these questions? I would really like to know his thought process behind playing these guys, even if it is all cliches
Cerveau
I’ve been feeling this way for a while now:
– the coaches are constantly trying to fix what ain’t broke, and…
– the Avs play well against the good teams (SJS notwithstanding) and poorly against the poor teams.
– the Avs get beaten by teams with less talent but who have worked their systems out.
To me that all points to the problem being the coaching.
So even if we get better players next season, what good will it do if the coaches can’t get their act together?
Nels
Well said
jbame
Great article. I am so frustrated with this damn team and especially the coaching. There is ZERO reason Bourque should ever only another game for this team. Also why did Bednar play Cole over Graves? It’s insane, like they’re trying to tank on purpose.
Fsmcnab
Patrick Roy fell in love with his veteran players and it set the team back. Bednar is skating down the same path. Play the kids already.
DP10
I like Bednar, but you can tell, he is still learning his craft as well. I recall that a game earlier in the season during which he pulled the goalie at the most untimely moment, with several minutes remaining just prior to a neutral zone face off resulting in an easy short-handed goal. Then you have all these losses to lower-ranked teams, like the loss at Ottawa, that really killed the team’s momentum and confidence. And then of course, all those times when the Avs allow multiple goals in quick succession, the lack of discipline resulting in the second (?) highest number of penalties and all those OT losses. While the players should shoulder most the blame, you wonder why Bednar has such a hard time coaching out those deficiencies?
bjjones05
Why do they keep trying to put players out there that you know won’t perform? And we have plenty of players who are healthy scratches who are much better than those on the ice? Is management just wanting to tank this year so we can justify getting rid of all of these passengers? This is crazy!!
NoMoreRats
Can you make this article free so we can bombard Avs Twitter with it?
Jost hasn’t scored in a couple games so I’m sure they’ll start fucking with him also just like they did when the team was playing well in the beginning of the season.
I wish Cole would have been healthy enough to trade at the deadline – maybe he has an NMC anyway, I don’t remember. He’s lazy and kind of a dirty player. I’ve personally had enough of him.
Greer needs to ‘bring it every night’ but Bourque never needs to bring shit. Are we sure Bourque never played in the CBJ organization? That has to be why he gets preferential treatment.
Nels
Well said NMR. Also Greer WAS bringing it every night.
jpwheels
Lots of pissed off folks in the Avs’ fan family after this loss. I both agree & disagree with some of the reason behind those feelings.
But rather than get into all of that right now, I’ll just say this — If the Avs started every game on time, they’d wouldn’t be anywhere near the tough spot they’re in today. And that’s on the players…full stop.
Chris DeMott
Mostly agreed, I do think the Brassard move made sense and I would take him over Aggozino. Unfortunately, on the first goal Kerfoot was trapped with a late change. His only other option is to reverse and ice the puck.
gtq
I really sense they (management) don’t care if they make the playoffs. They are committed to “staying the course” to the point that even when they have enough talent to make the playoffs they don’t prioritize it with their personnel decisions. I’m getting older, tomorrow is not promised to anyone. Wasting good years from MacKinnon, Rantanen and Landeskog, while they are in their prime, is a major lost opportunity. It looks like yet another year without play off hockey.
mladen
Dater, I agree 100%. I just don’t understand what their thinking is.. Cole, Wilson, Borque need to be gone as fast as possible. Only good point was that Grubie wasn’t too bad.
Jap18
Excellent article Dater. I couldn’t agree more, and as a fan if bednar, I really am mad about his decision making. Why break up the line up when you have a 4 game winning streak for the first time in forever. Everything was clicking, I was a fan of the Soderberg/Ratenen line it was such a big body line. It seems Mackinnon over complicates his game while playing with rantenen. Greer needs to be back in this lineup ASAP and Bourque should never wear an Avs uni again.
MJW80013
I thought that when they brought in Greer and angozzino, and broke up the first line, that they actually played decent balanced hockey and skated all 4 lines.
Then they sent those guys down and it all went to crap. And I’m just a casual observer.
I don’t think sports are rocket science why do the “experts” over think it.
Colorado_Gary
AD, you couldn’t have done a better job of penning my thoughts to paper, except, although I know you’re calling him out in this article, I think you’re too easy on Bednar. Just as there are many lifer AHL players who can’t make the next level there are coaches who can’t either. Bednar is learning to be an NHL coach at the Avs expense and for what? If he improves, he will have become a serviceable NHL coach but I doubt he will ever be an upper-echelon coach (system sucks, it’s exhausting when other teams counter what you’re trying to do and there are no adjustments). Having said this, I don’t know what the Bednar/Sakic dynamic is when it comes to playing guys like Wilson, Cole or Bourque, but it seems like they are afraid to rock the boat by upsetting some veterans and messing up team chemistry (I’m guessing Bednar since he’s closer to the heat) but how’s that working out? (for reasons stated by many of the commenters here).
This team could be in the upper thick of the playoff race with better decision-making and coaching that can scheme and make adjustments. Seems like the Avs are squandering valuable career time of their stars who have entered their prime.
But the Avs aren’t going to fire Bednar so I hope he proves me wrong.
Joel2133
good opportunity to win three games this week then we should be in good shape again