Nicolas Aube-Kubel – C- Giving him the slight bump for his goal despite it being as lucky as it was. He seems to do all of his damage early in games and then totally disappear. Some of that is usage, of course, but it’s interesting the way he fades during games. Andre Burakovsky – A A goal and an assist.…...
Pavel Francouz – B The truth here is that his play in regulation wasn’t great. Two of the goals that got by him had issues and the other my main problem was that he wasn’t even close. Then he was stellar at the end of regulation, in overtime, and locked it down in the shootout. What more can you ask…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – B He brought a physical presence, didn’t take a penalty, was fine in shot metrics and tallied an assist. Exactly what more could you be asking for from NAK? Darcy Kuemper – B- The first goal is off the skate of his own player, the second off his own face, and the third beat him cleanly but…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – C- He was really amped up and it showed. That manifested in some good ways but also some bad with him taking another needless penalty, this one in the offensive zone, and it led to a goal against and helped Philadelphia briefly climb back into the game. Justus Annunen – C- Claude Giroux’s goals were bombs. The…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – C- His penalty was his fourth in eight games in Colorado. That’s too many. He can’t seem to string together games without doing something dumb. The penalty tonight you feel bad for because he thought his star player had just taken an elbow up high and he was defending him. When it turned out to be friendly…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – B- He took another penalty but it was completely made-up nonsense. He also scored a goal, the seventh to make it 7-0, so it’s not like I’m giving him tons of credit for that. A fine performance after a mess of a first game. Something to build from. Andre Burakovsky – A+ I’ve always been harder on…...
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – F Is this too harsh for the new guy’s first game? Definitely, but welcome to a team that has expectations and standards. He was a total non-factor in the role in which he started and his biggest problem, taking penalties, showed up as he took the first Avs penalty of the game in which the Canucks used…...
Andre Burakovsky – C Better than his game two nights ago but still not what the Avalanche needs from him. He missed an open net on a backdoor tap-in off a centering feed from MacKinnon. That’s what he needs. Something to build some confidence from, something to go right for him. It didn’t happen tonight and he remains a player…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C Didn’t love the fourth line today. It wasn’t a bad game, just a pedestrian one. Bellemare was at his best in the faceoff circle, where he won nine of his 13 draws. He was solid on the PK and had a clean breakaway but couldn’t finish. An average night for PEB. Andre Burakovsky – B Didn’t…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – B- I liked his game. It was completely fine. Jump right from the hop set the tone for the game. That’s what you want from the fourth line. Seriously, though, some production would be nice. No complaints about PEB today. Andre Burakovsky – C- In a game where the Avs were swarming the Wild for about 85%…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C+ I thought Bellemare was thoroughly overshadowed by his linemates today but that is by no means a knock on him. He played a consistent and effective game. He’s an offensive black hole, though, and his one shot on goal was once again a high-danger chance that did not go in. At some point he has to…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C Very low-event performance. His best shift was arguably the penalty kill shift late in the third period where he aggressively attacked the puck in the neutral zone and forced Anaheim back before going ham on the forecheck. Offensively, Bellemare is not remotely dangerous right now. Bowen Byram – B- Lacked the highlight-reel plays from the last…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – B Really solid game from Bellemare, and that line really went to work down low in the third period, killing the puck on the cycle and not giving the Stars any chance to break out. As bad as the Avs were in face-offs in the first, guys like Bellemare turned it around to even it up in…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – A Heck of a game from Bellemare, who got the party started early in the first period and the Avs never looked back. Great play by him to one-time that across his body, and not let Bishop get set coming across. He was buzzing all night long. Andre Burakovsky – A That’s one way to stick around…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – D Bellemare’s line was fine at even strength in terms of numbers. His penalty kill work, however, was less than ideal, as he was out there for all three of Dallas’ power play goals. He even managed to toss in a penalty of his own. Andre Burakovsky – D Burky picked up a couple of assists on…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – B- The Avs PK had some high-effort shifts, led in part by Bellemare with some key face-off wins and some diving clears to get the puck out and get a line change. Andre Burakovsky – A I loved everything about Burakovsky’s game. He was moving his feet, carrying the puck with confidence, and most importantly, letting the…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – C- The fourth line was okay. They looked better with Nichushkin on it than it did with Namestnikov. Bellemare, unfortunately, lost the face-off right before the Pavelski power-play goal that changed the game. Andre Burakovsky – F Burakovsky is a shooter who had the most inopportune times refuses to shoot the puck. His pass to Compher in…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – D The fourth line was missing a big part of it today, and it showed. They failed to grind out anything offensively and Bellemare looked a little slow. As you’ll see with these grades, he certainly wasn’t alone… Andre Burakovsky – F Sloppy all over the place. The second line was a negative pretty much all evening,…...
With the Avalanche wrapping up their series against with a win over the Arizona Coyotes, instead of game grades, I’m doing series grades as the Avs are on to Round 2. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – B This was a solid series for Bellemare. The offense isn’t really there but that isn’t why they got him. He did his job well in…...
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – A As far as back to back games from Bellemare, I don’ know if it gets any better. He was all over pucks again and had some big shot blocks on the penalty kill, especially the one at the end of the first. Nice to see that line get rewarded with a goal. Andre Burakovsky – B+…...
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