Avs Game 65 Grades: Depth prevails

Nicholas Aube-Kubel – B

Easily his best game in a very long time. Maybe it had to do with playing his old team, but he seemed to have the puck on his stick a lot. He didn’t generate a ton of high-end chances but he shot the puck a lot and even got moved up to the third line because he was moving well.

Andre Burakovsky – B-

I asked him to hit the net. He at least did that tonight. Created some good chances as the puck was just working with that line.

Andrew Cogliano – B-

Picks up his first assist in an Avs uniform off a nice face-off play. Thought he was going to disappear with an injury when the skate of a Flyers player caught his torso but seemed to be okay.

J.T. Compher – A

They desperately needed someone to break through from the middle six, and Compher was the guy tonight. Picked up his first assist since January on the opening goal, and then buried one of his own on a little bit of a fluky play. Also had some other good looks.

Pavel Francouz – C

Rebound control has always been a problem with him, and it bit him on two of the three goals, just kicking juicy rebounds right back into the slot.

Darren Helm – B

He’s not a center but has had to impersonate one for a few games while the Avs wait for Lehkonen to return. He did decent in the face-off circle and won the one right before the MacDermid goal. Loved that he was still battling late in a game with a three-goal lead.

Erik Johnson – A

Picked up a few assists in the first period and got some swagger back, so much so that he looked like he wanted to take the wheels for a spin in the second period when he went around the world one and a half times in the offensive zone. Looked like a younger EJ.

Jack Johnson – B-

He didn’t like the penalty call on him in the second period but he did bite pretty badly on a move to the inside and seemed to clip the Flyers forward. Beyond that, his shot share numbers were outstanding. I do think some passes got past him that maybe he’d want back.

Nazem Kadri – A+

Three points in the first period, including a much-needed even-strength goal to get things started. I always get weary of your big guns getting in fights in blowout games, but Kadri can hold his own and he wanted that Gordie Howe hat trick.

Kurtis MacDermid – B

He flubbed a puck at the blue line to give up a breakaway in the second period, but moments later was able to pick up a goal of his own. The smiles on the faces of everyone on the bench tell you all you need to know about how he’s liked in the locker room.

Nathan MacKinnon – B-

The Avs scored six goals without MacKinnon having to be a superhuman. That allows the coach to play him less than 18 minutes. It’s a win-win.

Cale Makar – C+

In the offensive end, he was superhuman, blowing by guys at the blue line and scoring two goals of his own. Also hit the post pretty early in the evening. Defensively, not a good night at all, as he was burned on a few of the goals himself, and even beyond that, got beat wide a few times. But I guess it evened out?

Josh Manson – B-

Other than getting completely walked by Sanheim early in the game, played a solid game himself and you could tell he was more involved when he tried to rush up the ice on his first shift of the night. Threw a few nice hits as well.

Alex Newhook – C

He was getting some chances in the second period but nothing really came all that close to going in and he ended the night with zero shots on goal. Would be nice to get some guys back to get him to his natural position of center again.

Valeri Nichushkin – B-

Found himself again with some high-end scoring chances but unable to bury anything. Got his big body in front of the net on the first Makar goal.

Logan O’Connor – C

Found himself moving between the third and the fourth line, and I actually liked him more on the fourth line, as the trio of Cogliano, Helm and O’Connor is a lot of speed to handle. Still nothing offensively.

Mikko Rantanen – B

Another casual two-point night for Rantanen, as his goal was a little fluky with him trying to hit Nichushkin back door and it getting deflected in. 32 goals and that was somehow his first game-winner. 10 points in his last six games.

Nico Sturm – B

Tried his hardest to get a highlight-reel goal in the second period with a diving poke of the puck at Hart, but Hart was able to cut off the angle to stop it. He has pretty much come as advertised and had a dominant night in the face-off circle.

Devon Toews – C

Missed a wide-open net in the first period, and was looking a little lost on the third Flyers goal, as he lost a guy on the backdoor. Was on the ice for all three goals against.