Avs Game 4 Grades: Took the foot off the gas

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C

The penalty, I could really go either way on. There was a good amount of interference in the matchup, but he got caught for it because it was around the puck, making it more noticeable. Made a nice play on the PK to get the puck to Graves for a good chance.

Bowen Byram – B-

For a first NHL game, there was a lot to like about Byram. He showed poise with the puck and a willingness to push the pace, something that will be a staple in his game for a long time. The penalty was not an ideal way to start, and he had a few iffy moments in his end, but a solid first game.

Matt Calvert – B-

Continue to love Calvert’s effort out there, but the finish just hasn’t been there when he’s had his chances. Had a chance to clear on the 5 on 3 but couldn’t get it out.

J.T. Compher – D

Well, it’s not two straight games where he’s been called out by the coach in the postgame, so he’s on notice. He had more jump in the first period, but faded big time after that, and that line is just generating nothing offensively.

Joonas Donskoi – F

Right now, Donskoi is a very expensive fourth liner for the role the Avs are playing him in. He didn’t even hit seven minutes at even strength, and generally did nothing.

Samuel Girard – C

This was probably the sloppiest game of the year for Girard. He did some good things overall, but the Kings seemed to really pressure him in the defensive zone into some mistakes. He also had a few chances to shoot the puck in a good spot but chose to overpass instead.

Ryan Graves – D

Not a great game from Graves, who struggled with some of his decisions with the puck overall and failed to get into the lane on the second Kings goal. I don’t like the idea of him and Pateryn together, as there isn’t enough mobility or puck movement.

Tyson Jost – C-

Again, liked the effort from Jost tonight, but the penalty was a big killer, and I thought it was the right call. Another game where he doesn’t attempt a shot at even strength. I’m happy with his game, but at some point, we need to see some sort of offense being created.

Nazem Kadri – D+

Maybe in the minority in this one, but Kadri had more jump than he did in the previous games. I really liked his start, but then he took the penalty and dipped again, but at least he was around the puck a good bit. There’s plenty more to give and he has not gelled with Saad at all.

Gabriel Landeskog – B+

How different this game could have been if he had buried a few of those chances tonight, in an otherwise great night. The two on one to start the second period could have been a real dagger, and he hit the post late in the game with a chance to tie it up.

Nathan MacKinnon – A-

He is a freak of nature, and poor Mikey Anderson is going to have to watch that over and over again on the highlight reels. His shot from a standing position was just absurd for the second goal of the game. The only reason for the minus is letting Kopitar get away from him on the game-winning goal, as it looked like he may have been cheating a bit to get going the other way.

Cale Makar – D+

The fancy stats are tremendous for Makar, but the eyes didn’t match up as much. There seems to be a lot more for him to give at both ends of the ice, but you have to remember he’s still really young. Just lost positioning on the game-winner and it cost the team.

Hunter Miska – C+

He’s a very athletic goaltender, but there’s a lot of movement in his game and it may be that’s just the way he plays, but he seemed a little wild. Still, he gave the team a chance to win and from your third goaltender, that’s all you can really ask for. The shots that beat him were pretty great on the first two.

Valeri Nichushkin – C+

Nuke was moving really well in the first period but faded pretty hard after that and I don’t remember much that he did beyond that. Had some good moments on the forecheck early in the game.

Greg Pateryn – C-

Pateryn gets a higher grade because I thought he did well on the penalty kill, which played a pretty big role overall. That being said, his penalty really hurt and ended up kick-starting the comeback. His lack of foot speed is evident but I don’t think he tries to be anything that he isn’t in terms of his style.

Mikko Rantanen – A

Loved Mikko from start to finish. He was engaged the entire night, in both the offensive and defensive end. That was the type of game where you see the total package. He had a smaller play in the second period where he laid his stick down on the ice to break up a pass and break things out for the Avs. More of that.

Brandon Saad – F

Completely invisible all night long, and didn’t register a single shot attempt at even strength. Just not a real big impact, and as I mentioned with Kadri, the chemistry just isn’t there for them.

Conor Timmins – D

It will be interesting to see what happens on Friday because I think Timmins might be the odd man out. He played very little, and the Avs got stuck in their own end a lot with him out there. Had some turnovers trying to get the puck out of the defensive zone that led to more time defending.

Devon Toews – C+

Toews played a ton on Tuesday, but the seven defensemen situation in this game really cut into his time overall, as there were a lot of bodies to spread ice time too. I really didn’t notice him a ton, which isn’t bad considering some of the rest of the defense.