Avs Game 29 Grades: Running back a beatdown

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C

Didn’t love the fourth line today. It wasn’t a bad game, just a pedestrian one. Bellemare was at his best in the faceoff circle, where he won nine of his 13 draws. He was solid on the PK and had a clean breakaway but couldn’t finish. An average night for PEB.

Andre Burakovsky – B

Didn’t score but was active all over the ice. After a very quiet game two nights ago, I thought the second line was back to their tricks. Burakovsky is certainly the most enigmatic of his linemates but he was actively engaged tonight and the coaching staff had to be loving some of the work he did defensively today as he created havoc on multiple occasions with smart defensive reads.

Bowen Byram – B+

Usually I keep from giving out high grades when guys don’t record points but I thought Byram was awesome. He lights up when the puck touches his stick and while he’s still a little too apprehensive to shoot for my liking, he doesn’t just waste possessions. He uses his skills to either create a scoring chance or delay and find a teammate who can do something with the puck. He values the process and when that starts to result in offense, his game and confidence are going to shoot through the roof.

Matt Calvert – C+

I love his game and energy. He just goes to work every single game. Had a breakaway on the PK again and again came up short. Eventually, one of these things is gonna drop and Calvert will get his first goal of the season. It wasn’t today but Calvert was solid again.

J.T. Compher – C

Is it great that Compher came back into the lineup and the fourth line immediately struggled in a way it hadn’t in a while with Logan O’Connor there? No. Is it great Compher came back and posted a negative shot share? No. Is it entirely Compher’s fault? Absolutely not. First game back from injury, I’m giving every guy some leeway. He wasn’t very noticeable and shouldn’t have a long leash but I’d probably give him another game to see if he can jumpstart his season.

Joonas Donskoi – A

Spoiler alert: I loved the third line today. Donskoi was probably the guy I was least fond of but it was no knock against him. He played his role and did the things he regularly does at a high level, like carry pucks through the neutral zone and enter the zone with speed and possession. That translated to another strong game for him.

Samuel Girard – C+

It’s been a while but I thought Girard really fought it today. He wasn’t as clean getting out of his own zone as we’re accustomed to seeing and I thought some of Minnesota’s pressure ate him up at times. Still, the suppression was excellent and the scoring chances were heavily in his favor (9-2). A mediocre game from Girard, something that has become a rarity this year.

Ryan Graves – A+

I thought the 27 train was rolling today big-time. One his best games of the year and it had nothing to do with two assists, though that certainly makes it easier to make my case. He was all over the place and his ability to block shots is important on a PK that is asking him to be the sole man in a key shooting lane. Today was a healthy mixture of everything good about Graves.

Philipp Grubauer – A+

31 shots, 31 saves. Bailed out once by Jacob MacDonald but otherwise did all the heavy lifting on his own. He’s in one of the best grooves of any netminder in the NHL this year. The Vezina talk will get louder and louder as the year goes on.

Tyson Jost – A

Five shots on goal, including a ripper of a one-timer that beat Kaapo Kahkonen for his second goal of the season, two blocked shots, a key role on a good penalty kill, and he won seven of 10 faceoffs. That’s the type of all-around play the Avs envisioned back on draft day in 2016. It would be foolish to expect this to become the norm but games like this are a reminder of just what this guy is capable of on his best days.

Nazem Kadri – B

I loved Kadri in this entire series, even as his line went quiet on the scoresheet. He remained active and a consistent force on offense. Just another three shots on goal for him as he keeps up his strong year of driving play.

Gabriel Landeskog – A+

Really got the Avs running downhill towards another blowout with the second goal of the game as he drove the net and got a little lucky on the shot. Added two assists for a three-point night to go along with good shot metrics.

Jacob MacDonald – B+

Maybe the quietest game he’s played for the Avs and he still made a highlight-reel play when he stopped a sure goal as Grubauer was scrambling to get back into position. That kind of defensive impact is going to go a long, long way to keeping him in the lineup. It was more reserved than normal and scoring chances at 5v5 were still 8-0 COL when MacDonald was on the ice. Ahem.

Nathan MacKinnon – A+

Guy is special. Three assists and also led the team in hits with four? He was playing with that classic MacKinnon anger today. Minnesota just does not have an answer for MacKinnon when he’s locked in.

Cale Makar – A

Puts on the usual show against Minnesota. Got the scoring early with his second of the year and added an assist later in the period…and then was able to gear it down. Not that he did, as he was still gripping the stick after deking some defenders and getting a clean look in front of the net. Even casual dominance isn’t acceptable for Makar when he’s going as he was today. A special talent.

Valeri Nichushkin – A+

I love love love when Nichushkin plays as he did today. Just a physical beast and a huge mismatch problem for whatever third-pairing defenders opposing teams try to throw at him. Was part of Colorado’s best line at even strength next to Jost and Donskoi. Used his size and speed throughout the game but especially on his drive to the net. After a glacial start offensively, he’s suddenly on what would be a 31-point pace in an 82-game regular season.

Mikko Rantanen – A+

Guy is on fire right now. Just the one goal today but he moved into the top five in the NHL in goals scored. His shot is why we’ve constantly talked about him as a player who had even another level he could get to. He would be on a 48-goal pace in an 82-game season.

Brandon Saad – A

I love his all-around work. His defensive work kickstarted the Toews goal. A lot of what Saad does is unspectacular and his game can be downright sleepy at times. He just does what he has to without exerting maximum energy all the time. He’s very good at those things. He brings his lunch to work every day and that attitude is just so important for a team as skilled as this one.

Devon Toews – A+

Toews is awesome. He’s played great lately and couldn’t seem to buy a goal. Today, that frustrating streak of “close but not quite” ended as Toews took a MacKinnon centering feed and smashed it home. His five goals now are just one shy of tying his career-high.