Avs Game 23 Grades: Tough luck

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C-

The fourth line created some good chances today, and Bellemare himself had yet another good chance in the slot that you can guess just did not go in. Bellemare also played a role in the first goal, as that lane in the center of the ice was just too big and the pass got through.

Andre Burakovsky – B

I just find myself incredibly frustrated with him in games, as I felt like he really struggled in the first period with poor passes and inability to get out of the zone, and then got it going from there. That powerplay is kind of designed for him to shoot, and some of his cross-ice passes were just not working, so to see him take a shot and score is exactly what you want. He came close to tying it late.

Matt Calvert – B

Really love having him back in the lineup, although watching him get his helmet knocked off in a scrum just plain makes me uncomfortable now. Couldn’t bury the breakaway right before that, which is kind of the story of his year.

Joonas Donskoi – D

Another really quiet game from Donskoi. He’s not playing with the most talented players in the world right now, but they really are creating nothing, and for the first two periods managed to spend a good chunk of time in their own end, which the Avs didn’t do a lot of this game.

Samuel Girard – B-

I actually really like him running that top powerplay unit, and it will be interesting to see what happens when Makar gets back because Girard hasn’t looked out of place at all.

Ryan Graves – C+

Graves really struggled on the breakout tonight again but hit the post early and maybe that got him some confidence to jump up again because his play on the Nichushkin goal might have been his best play of the year. Need more of that from him.

Philipp Grubauer – D

I’ll be honest and say I have no idea how to grade Grubi. He faced next to no difficult chances, and all three goals were deflections off his own men. That being said, three goals on 14 shots is an ugly stat line.

Tyson Jost – D

The lack of offense is really starting to rear its head when the Avs are down a good chunk of their talented players, as there just isn’t anybody there to step up and help out. I do think it’s telling that the penalty kills started with Jost and LOC. Maybe a sign of things changing on the PK hierarchy.

Nazem Kadri – A

Really like where Kadri’s game is at right now, and couldn’t say that 10 games ago. He’s snakebitten, but keeps firing away, and hit another post tonight. Great play on the Nichushkin goal, knowing that everyone expects him to shoot there. Arguably their best and most dangerous forward.

Gabriel Landeskog – C

The top line dominated play but seemed to get stuck in their own end a few times, scrambling a little bit, particularly on the second Coyotes goal. They were out there a good while. Loved that Landy was so willing to shoot the puck early, but kind of tailed off as the game went on. He didn’t love the penalty in the second period, but looked like the right call to me.

Jacob MacDonald – B

I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop, and outside of the weird defense on a goal in the Ducks game, it just hasn’t. Think he hit the post in the first on a shot that seemed to surprise Kuemper.

Jayson Megna – D

This was a little bit more of what I expected, as that line did nothing at all today. Megna at least bounced back with a good face-off game, but even with all the injuries that we should probably be used to, it’s really jarring seeing Megna suddenly on the ice in 4 on 4 play.

Valeri Nichushkin – A

That’s now three games in a row of great work from Nuke, and the offense is suddenly back? At least someone in that bottom six group has stepped up.

Logan O’Connor – C

I really don’t think he should ever leave the lineup again, but this was a bit of an uneven effort from him. Created a great chance in the first, but he had some tough moments exiting his zone that led to the Avs getting stuck a bit.

Great Pateryn – F

Somehow in that game, he was the only negative shot share defenseman, and some of those breakouts were ugly, including a failed pass in the second period that led to an icing.

Mikko Rantanen – C+

Created some good looks, including a great setup to Nichushkin that started with him rushing out of the defensive zone from his own goal line, but he passed up some shots on the powerplay, and when he did shoot, got down way too far for it to be of any danger. Did surprisingly well in the face-off circle.

Dan Renouf – C-

For two periods, I didn’t really notice him, but his lack of puck skills and skating reared its ugly head in the third period, with him taking the team offsides, and failing to break the puck out on the game-winning goal.

Brandon Saad – B

Didn’t get a ton of chances, but they were good ones and drew a penalty that led to the Avs tying the game up. Looked like there was a bit of a scare on a shot block but ending up coming back.

Devon Toews – C-

Possibly harsh, but I think that was one of Toews’s bigger struggle games. He had a chance to get the puck out on the second Coyotes goal and didn’t, which led to them getting stuck running around a bit.