Avs Game 39 Grades: Too good to fail

Nicolas Aube-Kubel – C-

Only got two shifts in the third period, and was a little soft on the Habs’ first goal, as he was clearly back in position, but just tried to smack the puck out of mid-air instead of maybe gloving it. In the end, it sprung a two on one and a goal. Did get robbed early in the game by Primeau.

Andre Burakovsky – C-

It’s a shame the goal got called back because the backhand pass by Burky to Kadri was very pretty. I still don’t like a lot about his game. He’s just playing…soft.

J.T. Compher – F

Way too sloppy with the puck. I counted multiple turnovers in the neutral zone, including one that completely stopped a power play breakout, and then a brutal drop pass to no one that led to a breakaway. Avs are scoring pretty well, but he has really hit a wall with the goals.

Samuel Girard – A

Girard was wheeling and dealing all night. If not for the call back on the Kadri goal, he would have finished with three assists. The patience he displayed on the Nichushkin goal was tremendous. Most players would have tried to force a pass early, but Girard knew he could distract the opposing team and find a seam.

Erik Johnson – C

Really liked a lot of what he did defensively, and continues to understand his physical play is necessary given the other guys on the blue line. Didn’t love the pinch when MacDermid was already pinching in the third when Hoffman got a breakaway.

Jack Johnson – D

Still played physical, but wasn’t a fan of his. He got way too fancy in the first trying to head fake an opposing player in front of his own net, and Kuemper had to be ready when it was poked off his stick. Failed to clear the puck a few times before the tying goal.

Tyson Jost – C+

Fourth line got more or less benched in the third at even strength, but I liked a lot of what Jost did. Hit the crossbar in the first period, and still battled. Had some decent clears on the PK.

Nazem Kadri – C+

The penalty was…whatever. He got interfered with and didn’t control his stick, which you have to do, but it wasn’t intentional. Had a goal taken away, unfortunately but still played well, and I continue to be impressed with how well he’s playing defensively. He’s making life super difficult for other teams all over the ice.

Darcy Kuemper – A-

The Avs played awful in front of Kuemper against a bad team, giving up some really high danger chances. He didn’t have to make a ton of saves but the ones he had to make were really strong. Really rounding into form.

Gabriel Landeskog – C-

Overtime winner was huge, and got robbed on a one-timer late in the game, but was not a fan of the overall game from him or his line. They were pretty sloppy in the defensive zone and ended up below 50% in shot share.

Kurtis MacDermid – B

I won’t say this much, but I didn’t hate MacDermid defensively. He stood someone up at the blue line that forced the Habs player to turn it over for an immediate rush the other way and even rushed the puck up the ice a few times himself. Like I mentioned earlier, the breakaway I put more on EJ, as he pinched when MacDermid was already committed down low.

Nathan MacKinnon – C-

Certainly had his chances, and drew a penalty late in the game, but gave up too much defensively. Lost his guy a few times in the defensive zone. First powerplay unit got shown up a bit by unit two.

Cale Makar – D+

The bar is just too high for Makar at this point, because even a blah game like he had tonight, which would be good for most NHL defensemen, leaves you wanting more. The top pair felt sloppy defensively and got burned on the first Habs goal.

Mikhail Maltsev – B

Maltsev wanted to score badly tonight, you could tell. Five shot attempts in just over seven minutes of ice time shows you that and had a really nice spinning pass to Aube-Kubel in the first that could have easily been a goal.

Alex Newhook – B+

Keep shooting, young man. In college, his spot was along the wall, but he seems to have found a home in that bumper spot. Something to keep in mind when #91 is potentially too expensive to keep this summer. Had other chances after his goal to bury the puck but just couldn’t find one. Love his development at center this year.

Valeri Nichushkin – A

Great to have you back, big guy. Re-enters the lineup and is immediately his same old self, suffocating chances in the defensive zone and the Avs were the beneficiaries, dominating the shot attempts with him out there. Continues his career year with an easy goal in front after Girard did all the work and awesome feed on the game-winner.

Logan O’Connor – D

Has definitely hit a bit of a wall offensively, with only one goal in the last 16 games, and it’s been a while since we saw him go on one of those rushes up the ice that we saw a ton of in the first month and a half. Did not notice him a lot tonight and was out there for the tying goal, which came out of a lost battle along the wall.

Mikko Rantanen – D+

Does it seem like Mikko is involved in about two or three penalties each night, both with himself taking them and the other team? He’s just involved all the time. Like his linemates, not a great night defensively and they couldn’t find the scoresheet at even strength to back it up.

Devon Toews – C

Funny night for Toews. Picks up three assists, and was involved a lot offensively, but just felt like that pair was sloppy defensively. He was really far up ice on the first Montreal goal that ended up a two on one, but another night where he eats up a ton of ice time, especially when the Avs roll mainly with five defensemen.