Avs-Kings player grades: Secondary scoring, you say?

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Player grades from the Colorado Avalanche’s beatdown of the Los Angeles Kings.

Sven Andrighetto (B) – Nobody getting poor grades in this one as nobody really played poorly. That said, Andrighetto wasn’t the most noticeable Av on the ice tonight.

Tyson Barrie (A) – A goal and an assist and I don’t care if they were points on goals five and seven. He was awesome tonight, like most of the Avs were. 

Matt Calvert (A+) – He scored a goal but he got an A just for playing in this game. He dealt with family issues on his two days between games and got back to LA to play in this one. His goal was just icing on the cake.

Ian Cole (B) – He’s pretty, pretty good. Solid. Defense wasn’t really the star tonight.

Sheldon Dries (B) – He played again! Have to think he’s the most obvious replacement candidate when Compher makes his return and through no fault of his own. I’ve had zero issues with the way Dries has played.

Samuel Girard (B) – Got the third assist on Colorado’s first goal, which of course doesn’t count but it matters when you watch the tape. He’s been a fantastic PP QB this season.

Erik Johnson (B) – It wasn’t really a very notable night for EJ on either end of the ice. He was one of the few Avs not to get involved in the scoring.

Tyson Jost (A) – Two secondary assists tonight. Jost has continued his hot scoring since his return against Winnipeg. He has been tearing it up and tonight was more of the same.

Vladislav Kamenev (B) – He scored a goal that was really more about the great passing that came before it but he finished it and he earned it. Beyond the goal, he played a very solid all-around game. He’s coming on strong at the right time.

Alexander Kerfoot (A) – Two more assists (Note: he had three). He just keeps working his way to the league’s quietest 60-point season.

Gabriel Landeskog (A) – I love watching him play every night. He’s just so good all-around and he fits perfectly next to two uber-skill players.

Nathan MacKinnon (A+) – He’s been outrageously good lately, even with some obvious hiccups. The point of the game is to score goals and right now he’s on pace for a 50-goal season. Good luck, NHL.

Patrik Nemeth (B) – He scored! His goal was so close to getting deflected but it found its way through traffic untouched and he nabbed his first goal of the season. Good for him.

Matt Nieto (B) – He got an assist! I didn’t really notice him a lot beyond that. But hey, it counts!

Mikko Rantanen (A+) – Lots of good gravy to be had tomorrow for Thanksgiving but the best sauce of all was the one Rantanen served up for Colin Wilson’s goal. That was the best of the best.

Carl Soderberg (A) – Another game, another two points…Soderberg just might hit that 40-point mark anyway despite being flanked by wingers who are more suited for 20-point seasons.

Semyon Varlamov (B-) – The first goal took a real odd sideways bounce on him and Clifford just happened to race in and bang it home. In a closer game, it might be more scrutinized but the offense made Varly mostly irrelevant. That’s just fine.

Colin Wilson (B+) – His puck retrieval on the PP was excellent. He was on pace for 23 goals after his goal tonight. Regardless of whether he gets there or not, he’s had the kind of start Colorado definitely needed from him.

Nikita Zadorov (B) – Two penalties that could have helped the Kings get back in it tonight but ultimately they didn’t score and the penalties were nothing. He scored an awesome goal that helped put the game away in the third period.