Avs Game 49 Grades - Kneel Before Zad

The Colorado Avalanche won a rare home game, outplaying the Winnipeg Jets on their way to a 5-2 victory.

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

Mark Barberio (B-) – He had a really good first and second period, but looked a little shaky in the second, including a near turnover right in front of Pickard.  His speed is very much welcomed on this blueline.

Francois Beauchemin (B) – He had some bad icings and a poor penalty in the third, but for the most part he played really well.

Joe Colborne (C) – A very quiet game from Colborne, which we’ve seen almost 90% of the time this season.

Blake Comeau (C+) – He made a surprisingly smart play to basically let Iginla get the puck and take up a defender just prior to the Soderberg goal.  A strong game overall from him.  I don’t know what he was trying to do with the net empty, though.

Matt Duchene (A) – A 3 assist night for Duchene, and a crossbar to go with it.  Duchene, as the third star, coming out for the interview on the home ice was a little suspicious though.  Maybe he knows his time is nearing it’s end here.

Eric Gelinas (D) – Just a day after clearing waivers, he managed to do absolutely nothing on the Jets first goal and barely saw the ice the rest of the night.

Cody Goloubef (D) – Goloubef had a rough night, with turnovers all over the place and a few minor penalties to go with it.  His start to the second period was a mess.

Mikhail Grigorenko (B) – Grigs had a rough start but really picked it up as the game went on.  He made some really strong plays defensively in the second, including multiple breakups on a penalty kill.

Jarome Iginla (A) – For one night, the Avs got a brief glimpse into what Iginla used to be like.  His goal was a perfect wrist shot with a little back pressure on him, and he made a great pass to Soderberg on the goal that sealed the game.  Trade him while his value is high?

Gabriel Landeskog (B) – Landy made a smart play on MacKinnon’s goal to not only shoot the puck, but to crash the net right after, which caused the rebound to pop out to MacKinnon.

Nathan MacKinnon (B) – Mack Had a good game, and the goal he scored right in front is one you’d like to see more of.  He was on the brink of an even better game, but he seemed to fumble the puck a bit through the neutral zone.

Andreas Martinsen (B) – Martinsen played the simple game that he needs to play more consistently.  He created zone time for the Avs with some strong physical play on the forecheck, including a nice hit on Trouba in the second.

John Mitchell (B) – Was this the game where all the trade bait came out to raise their value?  Mitchell had his best game in forever, and hit the post on a breakaway in the opening period.  He’s still stuck at one point.

Matt Nieto (A) – Is it awesome or sad that the 4th forward the Avs protect in the expansion draft might be a waiver pickup?  Nieto has been a breath of fresh air with his speed and forechecking ability.

Calvin Pickard (B) – I thought he had a sloppy start, and got bailed out on a bad rebound by the goalie interference in the first.  He really settled down the rest of the game, and was steady for the team.

Mikko Rantanen (B+) – Rantanen didn’t have a standout game, but he did a lot of small, tremendous things.  He was really good on the forecheck all evening long, and even outmuscled Byfuglien just prior to MacKinnon’s goal.

Carl Soderberg (C) – Soderberg scored a goal, but it’s almost like it didn’t phase him.  He’s never been an emotional guy, but it would have been nice to see at least a little after his first in 24 games.

Patrick Wiercioch (C) – Wierdo had a quietly solid game without any huge mistakes.  At this point, that’s all you can really ask for.  He’s been a lot more up and down since the start of the year.

Nikita Zadorov (A) – If you wanted to see a player physically dominate a game, you saw it today with Z.  He threw 4 massive hits, and was in the Jets heads all day.  He took over the game, and how often have you said that about an Avs defenseman?  If not for his phantom penalties, he would have come close to 30 minutes.  Fantastic game.

The Avalanche are at home again on Tuesday night, taking on the Montreal Canadiens.  The game starts at 7 PM MST.