Avs Game 12 Grades: For Maxy

Shane Bowers – INC

Just awful luck. Waits to play his first NHL game, almost scores on his first shift, and unfortunately, a freak injury ends his night and likely longer. Just feel bad for him more than anything.

Andrew Cogliano – C

Cogliano keeps chugging along. He doesn’t do much of anything with the chances he gets, but that’s not what he’s here for. Yet again, he left the ice in pain but managed to stick around. 

J.T. Compher – B-

Doubled his point total for the year in one period with a few assists, including a nice little pick move on the O’Connor breakaway goal. He, yet again, did not register a shot attempt.

Alexander Georgiev – C+

Felt like he was interfered with on the third Predators goal, which would explain the strange positioning. The Avs were pretty sloppy defensively early on, which meant Georgiev had to face a fair amount of shots in the first 10 minutes and stay strong.

Dryden Hunt – INC

The Bowers injury really screwed things up, because the other two guys on the line suffered because of it. One shift in the third period total.

Erik Johnson – D

Would have expected the third pair to struggle, given the makeup of the defense right now, but EJ was a bigger part of the struggle than MacDermid. Turnovers in the defensive zone and a lot of running around.

Martin Kaut – D

Followed up a great performance with a bit of a stinker. His first period was hideous, with some ghastly turnovers, and his third wasn’t much better. He had some nice moments in the second, but he did not make good decisions with the puck, including two icings because he just didn’t get to center ice.

Artturi Lehkonen – C-

The penalty on him seemed like a pretty atrocious call, and I’m not usually one to bag on the refs. Some nice work getting the puck back for the opening Avs goal. Finishing with no shots on net at even strength stings.

Kurtis MacDermid – C

He could have easily had three assists, which sounds weird. Great feed to Bowers backdoor early, and then MacKinnon was robbed on his feed in the second. I didn’t really mind the way he played the rush on the first goal, as there was poor back-checking from the forwards more than anything.

Jacob MacDonald – C+

He had some ugly turnovers in his own end, but as he usually does, finished with the highest shot share among all the defenders. We’re about to enter into the chaos zone if he’s playing some heavy minutes.

Nathan MacKinnon – A

His playmaking game is on another level right now, but he did his damndest to get on the scoreboard himself and just could not get one in. Broke Ekholm’s ankles in the first period, then went around him to hit the post in the second. On another level offensively at the moment.

Cale Makar – C+

If Girard’s injury lingers to go with Byram, he’s going to have to carry the load a good bit because the depth on defense has suddenly evaporated. Just an okay game as he spent just as much time in his end as he did on offense.

Josh Manson – C

Drifting up super high on the Johansen goal, but did play physically and after a pretty rough first period, recovered a good bit.

Alex Newhook – C-

Really disliked that line most of the evening, but the one thing I’ll say about Newhook is the swagger on the ice has changed from two weeks ago. Tonight, he was calling for the puck and wanted it on his stick. A few weeks ago he couldn’t wait to get rid of it.

Logan O’Connor – A

The move to the backhand finally worked, and it worked by sliding it between the arm and the chest of the goalie. He’s scoring at the rate he did early in the year last year, but it was the shot-blocking that was very noticeable tonight. Felt like he was in the way of every Preds point shot.

Mikko Rantanen – B+

He is really making these breakaways look easy this season. The goalie got a piece of this one, but wasn’t able to get all of it. Is this the year he hits 40 goals?

Sampo Ranta – INC

Tough to grade him because he got one short shift in the third period where his guy scored, but I liked his first two periods. Encouraging start.

Evan Rodrigues – C-

A bit of a flukey goal, but things are mostly going his way right now. Thought he lost his guy on the back check on the opening goal, and then drifted away from him again as he scored. That line seemed to get pinned in a good bit defensively.

Devon Toews – C

The replay behind him on the first O’Connor goal was a good idea at how sometimes you have to take the lane given to you, and the lane given to him was a little wide of the net, but O’Connor adjusted for it perfectly. Beyond that, not his best game, and a little sloppy with the puck.