Avs-Predators Game Five Grades: Next chapter

The Colorado Avalanche fought off elimination again, this time to the tune of a 2-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. Below are player grades.

Sven Andrighetto (A+) – HERO.

Mark Barberio (C) – Not quite the effort of the previous two games but he was still overall passable. He was a little shaky with the puck at times but he avoided disaster. That’s a victory.

Tyson Barrie (B-) – He was better tonight than we’ve seen him most of this series. He made a nice play to kickstart the rush on the game-winning goal. Not enough on the

Gabriel Bourque (C) – Minimal impact on this one. He wasn’t good or bad overall but I did like a shift later in the game when he was happy taking on several Nashville defenders on his own. That allowed Colorado’s top line to get on the ice with the puck still in the offensive zone. That was good. Thumbs up.

Blake Comeau (C-) – This line continues to eat big defensive minutes and it reflects in their numbers. They get beaten up at even strength basically every game this series. Colorado doesn’t have any better option so it’s not a criticism of the coaching staff. Just that it’s asking a lot from a limited group.

J.T. Compher (B) – Great job getting down the ice and the big key was he didn’t get too cute trying to make a play, he simply shot the puck and got the pass off the pads. Perfect.

Samuel Girard (C+) – Girard was really good at points tonight but the numbers came out a little brutal for him: 18-4 in favor of Nashville at ES with Girard on the ice. It was only 22-19 in CF thanks to a ton of blocked shots but there definitely was success against Girard. He stabilized well enough and was creative offensively, blistering a one-timer off the post in the first period.

Andrew Hammond (A+) – Truly special night from this guy. I’ve said a lot of not great things about his game this season but there’s no getting around the fact that he was downright special tonight. This was a performance we’ll remember for a long time.

Tyson Jost (C+) – I liked his game tonight. He was moving his feet and was involved in some good offensive chances. This was a small step forward for him in a series where he simply has been a non-factor.

Alexander Kerfoot (B-) – I wouldn’t mind seeing this guy get some more ice time. His game has risen with the intensity of the playoffs and he’s looked great at times. He wasn’t out there much tonight but I really did like his body of work. He even tried to shoot instead of pass on one rush. Good mentality.

Gabriel Landeskog (A) – Landeskog wasn’t quite the two-way force we’ve seen him be this series but his play on the game-tying goal was so good and smart. MacKinnon’s patience was great but Landeskog curling off his defender and finding the open space and getting his stick down on the pass was great awareness and hockey IQ.

Nathan MacKinnon (A+) – He was flying around all night and giving Nashville all they could handle. His patience on the goal was the stuff of legend. It takes a next-level player to do what he did in that situation. Incredible.

Patrik Nemeth (B) – He was really good tonight blocking shots and moving bodies and pucks in front of the net. Like Girard, his underlying numbers aren’t good but the eyes told the story of a player who went to battle tonight and showed well for his warrior clan.

Matt Nieto (C-) – Didn’t love the game from this line tonight. They got beat up a bit at evens and really their best shift came shortly before the game-tying goal late in the third period. It was a good energy shift but they spent a lot of time in their own end tonight.

Mikko Rantanen (B) – This is a tough one. He once again struggled with puck possession. His role on the power play was changed because of his issues. He doesn’t look quite right. And yet that pass to MacKinnon on the game-tying goal was outstanding vision and execution. Thumbs up all around.

Duncan Siemens (INC) – He played 4:11. That’s not even fair to try and grade.

Carl Soderberg (C-) – This is just a continuation of what I said for Comeau and Nieto. As a trio, they struggled. Individually, none stood out. I’m just glad he was healthy after the hit from Hartman in game four.

Colin Wilson (C) – He got moved around in the lineup a bit and responded by having another solid effort. He’s pretty consistent in what he does well even if the production is lacking.

Nikita Zadorov (C+) – Ahhh the nightly conundrum of what to do with Zadorov. I struggle more with his grades than anyone else because what he does well (hit people, intimidate and change how they attack with the puck) is consistently effective but his shot metrics are weak and his struggles (puck management and quick decisions) are glaring issues when they crop up. Tonight was more of his good than bad. I liked him overall but would say he was more steady than anything else. Given all the uneven levels of the defensemen around him, his reliability in this series has been a boon for the coaching staff.