Avs Game 37 Grades: In the face!

Pierre Edouard Bellemare – A

The man loves going back to play in Vegas, apparently. Two goals in this one, including one where he dangled through Shea Theodore, which I didn’t know he was capable of. It had been over a month since he had scored, so he was in need of a few to bounce his way.

Andre Burakovsky – B-

It felt like a relatively quiet night for Burakovsky in this one, other than the fact that his face was beaten up multiple times by the Vegas defenders, but his possession numbers were dominant. He took not one, but two sticks up high, one of which seemed to chip his tooth and the other cut his chin. Not a fun night for him.

Matt Calvert – B

Calvert didn’t come away with any points in this one, but a hard-working game from him. He looked like he was in pain at one point in the first period, but stuck around the entire game. The team cannot afford to lose him again with how he’s played.

Ian Cole – B+

Death, taxes, and Ian Cole picking up a few pluses and a random secondary assist. His career-high in points is 26 and he may top that this season. Had the best possession numbers on the defense.

J.T. Compher – A

Talk about a guy who needed a bounce-back game, and he started early. Two saucer passes led to goals in the first period and one of which he created after knocking a puck out of mid-air shorthanded. I thought this was his most focused defensive game in a long time.

Joonas Donskoi – B-

That whole second line seemed to have a bit of a redemption game, as they were all good and kept the puck out of their own end. Donskoi’s only slip up was an offensive zone penalty, something he’s done a little too much this year.

Pavel Francouz – B

I don’t want to get into a goalie controversy argument here, but Francouz was good again in this one. It still feels like there’s a ton of rebounds being left out there, and one of them burned him on the second Vegas goal. Still, the save he made on Stone in the second period was absurd, and he, sadly, had to bail out a bad power play a few times tonight.

Samuel Girard – C

I thought he, like Z, had a really rough first period, but he bounced back after that, at least at even strength. The power play was a mess all night, yet picked up two goals, one of which he’ll pick up an assist on. Makar coming back will be huge for his game, I believe.

Ryan Graves – B

I didn’t notice Graves a ton in this one, which is good, except when he was launching pucks at will towards Fleury. Both he and EJ led the team with six even-strength shot attempts. Not ideal offense overall, but you’ll take it.

Erik Johnson – B

Like Graves, they both went about their jobs very quietly in the defensive zone and tried to contribute in the offensive zone. I swear at one point in the third period the Vegas players just kept passing it to EJ at the blue line for him to keep putting it on net.

Nazem Kadri – A

They really needed a bounce-back game from him, and he gave it to them. Two drawn penalties, to up his total to a team-leading 18 on the season, and a huge goal off a nice forecheck. He got a lucky bounce, but you’ll take it. He also had some swagger in this game, with a nice pick up off the boards between his legs for a chance in the third.

Tyson Jost – C

A relatively quiet game for Jost overall. I feel bad because the only time I really noticed him was in the third when he took a big hit from Reaves behind the Vegas net. Give him credit, though, because he delayed just enough for his teammates to get on the ice and help out on the forecheck.

Gabriel Landeskog – D+

Landy scored a power play goal in this one, but it needs to be said that line was really bad, particularly in the neutral zone and defensively. Landy was probably the best of them all, but it was an ugly showing from the top line in general.

Anton Lindholm – B

Lindholm, in his four games, has made sure that he’s not noticeable a lot of the time, and for him, that’s good. I haven’t minded him at all. That being said, I won’t miss him when #8 comes back.

Nathan MacKinnon – D

The man still racks up points, as he had two in this one, but that was a tough night. I don’t know what he was trying to do on the second Vegas goal, as he tried to dangle through Mark Stone, one of the better defensive forwards in the league, and the failure led to a goal.

Valeri Nichushkin – A

A Gordie Howe Hat Trick from Nichushkin, although it’s pretty apparent for as large a human being he is, he really doesn’t know how to fight. That’s fine, though. Clearly nothing hurts him as he scored a goal off his forehead in the third period and could only smile afterward.

Matt Nieto – B+

There are so many times when Nieto misses these glorious chances, and then he gets shorthanded breakaways and goes bar down like it’s nothing. He did it in the playoffs and did it again tonight. That goal was big because the Avs didn’t play particularly well in the first period, so the extra cushion helped.

Mikko Rantanen – D-

Some times I think Mikko is getting better in the defensive zone, and then I watch him on the first Vegas goal tonight and I don’t know what to think anymore. He still managed to score one of the flukiest goals you’ll ever see.

Nikita Zadorov – D

Z was really rough in the first period. I don’t know what to think on the first goal, because he normally doesn’t even get his stick on those pucks in front of his own net, but he did on that one and the Vegas guy used it against him. I had a bigger issue with his puck decisions in the first. After that, he settled down a bit, as he ended up going 50% on CF in the final two periods, but still not a great showing from him.