Avs Game 34 Grades - Bad Team is Extra Bad at Home

The Colorado Avalanche, incapable of winning at home, lost another game on their own ice, this time to the Calgary Flames by a score of 6-3.

How did each player perform?  Let’s find out…

Tyson Barrie (C) – I think Barrie is slowly starting to come around at 5 on 5, but his PP play is getting annoying.  At least he didn’t score on his own net.

Francois Beauchemin (F) – Speaking of scoring into your own net…Beauch got 2 tonight!  Too bad it was in the wrong net.  The second one was more flukey than anything but the first one, he either needs to block it or let his goalie see the puck.

Rene Bourque (D) – Bourque at least puts the puck towards the net, and had a good chance early in the game on a mini break, but is very meh otherwise.

Joe Colborne (F) – This guy is pretty much awful.  It’s been half a year and he hasn’t done a thing since opening night.  He just kind of glides around on the ice and does nothing.

Blake Comeau (D) – He definitely appeared to get slew footed on the back check on the 5th goal, so I don’t blame him for losing his mind afterwards.  Other than that he had a quiet night.

Matt Duchene (D) – He won a bunch of faceoffs and was pretty quiet otherwise.  If they’re not going to break up the top line, then I have no idea what will happen with Duchene, because his wingers are pretty awful right now.

Eric Gelinas (C) – Gelinas has played pretty well the last two games, which means he’ll almost certainly be scratched for Wiercioch next game.  That’s how it usually works.

Cody Goloubef (B) – Goloubef got two assists on the night, and was probably the Avs best defenseman.  Maybe that’s why it ended up 6-3.

Mikhail Grigorenko (F) – The encouraging play from Grigorenko to end the year last year seems like a distant memory.  He’s soft, won’t shoot the puck, and isn’t creating anything when he gets it.  Now, he’s taking bad penalties.  Not good.

Jarome Iginla (C) – He scored a classic Iginla goal, and it wasn’t on the power play, so that’s…something.  Raise that trade value.

Gabriel Landeskog (A) – The captain remembered that he is allowed to shoot the puck, and good things happened.  Do it more.

Nathan MacKinnon (B) – Beautiful zone entry on the opening goal, and picked up another assist later in the game.  That line was pretty solid overall.  Why he is not the shooter on the 5 on 3 PP’s is beyond me.

Andreas Martinsen (C) – Martinsen had one of his better games in the past two months, and it was just OK.  I was hoping for more consistency from Martinsen this year but that hasn’t happened.

John Mitchell (F) – The Avs had a small chance at a comeback until Mitchell high sticked someone in the offensive zone.  No dice.

Calvin Pickard (C) – I really don’t know how to grade him.  He gave up 6 goals, but 3 of them were off his own teammates and one of them was off the end glass.  The 4th goal was a killer, though, as he had a chance to cover up the puck and couldn’t.

Mikko Rantanen (D) – Mikko is a highly skilled player, but hopefully he also realizes some day that he’s a giant man and can play physical on the forecheck.  He doesn’t do it enough.  No one is asking him to run around killing people, but use his body a little more.

Carl Soderberg (C+) – The Avs would be wise to start using him more with skilled players, as he’s starting to get his legs going a bit more, but he’s still toiling in the bottom 6.  They should swap him with Grigorenko.

Fedor Tyutin (D) – He accidentally put one in his own net and kind of got in the way on the last one.

Nikita Zadorov (D) – A good first period and then went quiet the rest of the game.  Like Barrie, at least he didn’t score on his own net.  At least they’re realizing that if this team is going to suck, they should play their skilled defenseman more.

The Avalanche hit the road to take on the Dallas Stars on Thursday.  The game starts at 6:30 PM MST.