The Good, the Bad and the Ugly covering a rough Avalanche week

 

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The Good, the Bad and the Ugly covering a very rough week following the Colorado Avalanche, but bright spots remain.

THE GOOD

1. Movember is over!(In a week like this past one, gotta’ grab the good wherever you can find it.)

2. Samuel Henley scored his first NHL goal in his NHL debut against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Congratulations! He diligently worked his way to a big league opportunity. Hopefully, he will see the NHL again soon as he was returned to the Rampage the next day.

3. Captain Gabriel Landeskog was seen on the ice in an orange practice jersey and he is said to be day-to-day. Although, that was being said right up until they put him on injured reserve last week. Because he was assigned retroactively, the team can activate him at any time.

4. The dismal Colorado home stand has ended! The team flew out yesterday to start a four-game road trip. Everyone cross your fingers.

5. Allegedly, both Landeskog and defenseman Fedor Tyutin are traveling with the team although there is no definitive word on the date for either of their returns to the lineup.

6. Goaltender Semyon Varlamov managed to allow only five goals on 69 shots for a cumulative .927 save percent for both his appearances this past week.

7. The Colorado Avalanche actually scored a power play goal against the Columbus Blue Jackets. They went 1-7 on power play opportunities in the last three games.

8. The Avalanche penalty kill did well in successfully killing nine of ten short-handed situations. They allowed just one goal over the three games.

9. Colorado also avoided being woefully out penalized compared to their opponents, serving only two more penalties than their foes over the week.

10. Forwards Rene Bourque and Mikko Rantanen led the team in scoring over the last three games with each notching a goal and an assist against the Nashville Predators. Defenseman Tyson Barrie also managed to get on the board with two assists, one against the Predators and the other against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

11. Through their last four games, the Avalanche have won 63.2% of their faceoffs.

12. Forward and Alternate Captain Nathan MacKinnon finished November leading the NHL in shots with 61 for the month. He set a new Avalanche record for shots in November. No, not those kinds of shots. On goal, people, on goal.

13. Rookie forward Mikko Rantanen tallied 10 points in the month of November, leading the team in points earned for November and becoming only the fourth Avalanche rookie to tally 10 or more points for the month. He also tied for third (with Zach Werenksi) among all NHL rookies in scoring for the past month, trailing only Mitchell Marner and Patrick Laine. Kudos! Imagine what his points will look like once MacKinnon starts converting on more of his shots.

THE BAD

1. The Avalanche went 0-4-1 on their five-game home stand and now claim the dubious distinction of sole possession of last place among all NHL teams. While they started off looking competitive in the earlier games, that can’t be said about the game against the Dallas Stars, where they appeared to have lost all cohesion.

2. Defenseman Eric Gelinas was placed on, and then cleared, waivers last week. Due to Johnson’s injury, he is more likely to stay up with the Avalanche than be sent to the San Antonio Rampage. But one wonders where he fits with Coach Bednar’s systems.

3. Fedor Tyutin, a veteran defenseman, missed the last game due to a lower-body injury. With Johnson out for 6-8 weeks, the Avalanche likely hope for a speedy return. No word yet on whether they are sacrificing a live chicken or bringing in a bucket of chicken Major League style to improve their luck.

4. Saturday’s game against the Stars marked the third time this season the Avalanche were shut out at home, and the fifth time all season. Considering they have only played 23 games, the future looks…um…challenging.

5. MacKinnon failed to earn a point in the last three games. He has been winning the faceoff battles, just not getting goals or assists.

6. Goaltender Calvin Pickard’s play proved disappointing against Nashville, giving up five goals on 33 shots for a paltry .848 save percent.

7. The Colorado Avalanche own the exact same record after 23 games as they did last year – 9-13-1. Guess the guys are still working on implementing those new systems and developing chemistry. But hey, they came back last year to make a bid for the playoffs so anything is possible.

THE UGLY

1. Arguably the Avalanche’s best defenseman Erik Johnson broke his leg deflecting a shot in the middle of the second period against the Stars. It’s ugly the team lost a key player, it’s uglier he will be out 6-8 weeks, and ugliest when one considers how well he may or may not bounce back from the injury.

2. Colorado’s dismal play was so bad this past week…How bad was it? So bad Avalanche fans were suggesting the team trade key pieces of the core. It’s only 23 games into the season.

3. Landeskog last appeared in a game November 15. He was finally placed on IR last Wednesday, Nov. 30. He has missed 8 games and the team’s morale seems to have unraveled. Anyone want to argue about the influence the Captain has on the team now?

4. Coach Bednar stated the team had players who were merely showing up as “passengers” and that needed to change. Passengers? Isn’t this the NHL? If a professional hockey player can’t be bothered to show up for a game, he needs to get benched, reassigned to the AHL, traded or cut. Period. If he doesn’t understand it is a privilege to play in the NHL, he doesn’t deserve to be on the ice.

ASKED – AND ANSWERED

Last week, TGBU asked about Cody McLeod’s limited role on the team. Coach Bednar actually addressed the issue yesterday with the following –

“Cody has been good for us. He’s doing everything he can. He plays hard. He’s intense. When we need a pick-me-up, he’s out there stirring it up. He’s competing to win, and that’s what he does. He’s physical. He’s been doing all those things in practice and in games. He’s working hard before and after practice.”

If McLeod is the antithesis of the “passenger” player, then by all means, keep him on the team. Maybe some of the other players will catch his desire and work ethic. Thank you for answering Coach!

RAMPAGE ROULETTE

Due to the recent rash of player movement between the Avalanche and their AHL affiliate the San Antonio Rampage, a new segment debuts on TGBU, Rampage Roulette.  Spin the wheel to see which Rampage player will be called up next!

1. On December 1, the Avalanche called up forwards Sam Henley and Gabriel Bourque.

2. On December 2, both players were sent back to the Rampage.

3. December 2 saw the Rampage’s leading scorer- Rocco Grimaldi – called up.

4. Grimaldi was sent down right after Saturday’s game on December 3.

5. Late on Sunday, Dec. 4, BSN broke the news that newly acquired right-handed Rampage defenseman Cody Goloubef was called up after only playing two games for San Antonio. Likely intended to help shore up Colorado’s defense after the loss of Johnson, his recall may last longer, but consider carefully before wagering.

WHAT TO WATCH

1. The Colorado Avalanche head out for a four-game road trip over the course of six days, including back to back matches against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday and the Toronto Maple Leafs on Sunday. Since both Colorado’s power play and penalty kill feature modest improvements on the road, maybe one could hope they start finding ways to win some games?

2. Depending on how quickly Landeskog can return and how well Goloubef works out, one should keep an eye out for more Rampage Roulette.

3. Future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla should play his 1,500th game on the road trip as he has currently had 1,497 game appearances. Only three to go!