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Weekly 5-on-5: Darcy Kuemper quietly rising, Yotes broadcast goes too far

Jesse Montano Avatar
Jesse Montano
April 4, 2022
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There’s never a dull week in the NHL. Trevor Zegras continues to do dope things, the playoffs are taking shape, it looks like Bowen Byram is on the road back, and we’ve got a pair of fifty goal-scorers. Let’s get caught up from last week in the NHL.

Trevor Zegras

This kid is something else. What I love about the way he plays, none of these CRAZY plays that he’s making seem frivolous. Zegras is making high-end, high-skill plays because that is the best play available to him in whatever situation he’s in. 

This is his most impressive play so far in my opinion. He does it all in stride, and it’s just so reactionary. First the between the legs, then the wherewithal to re-collect the rebound and recognize that it’s rolling, scoop it up and throw it AROUND SONNY MILANO. Just unbelievable stuff.

Troy Terry, Jay Beagle, and Tyson Nash

Ok, so the Trevor Zegras goal was the bright spot in a 5-0 Anaheim thrashing of the Arizona Coyotes. Late in the game, Zegras crashed the net when Coyotes goaltender Josef Korenar was attempting to cover the puck. He gave him a little poke, and Coyotes forward Jay Beagle took exception, flying in and giving Zegras a hearty cross-check right in the back. 

That prompted Troy Terry, Zegras’s 31-goal-scorer teammate, to come over and attempt to engage in some pushing and shoving. Then Jay Beagle lost his mind. Beagle threw his gloves off and just started whaling on Terry. Terry never even dropped his gloves, it was obvious he wasn’t interested in fighting. 

Look, I’m not someone who wants to get fighting out of the game completely. I think it’s in a great spot right now. Done when necessary, and gone are the days of staged fighting at center ice. That said, Beagle took it too far. He was swinging away on a player that intentionally wasn’t fighting back, then when he saw that he was hurt, he didn’t stop. 

No need for that, no place for that. 

To make matters worse, Bally Sports Arizona’s Tyson Nash essentially said that Troy Terry deserved to get jumped because his team was blowing Arizona out of the water. 

Two days later, after the internet pretty much universally agreed that Nash was pretty far out of line in basically saying that Troy Terry deserved to be injured because the Coyotes couldn’t hang with the Ducks, he spoke with our wonderful colleague Craig Morgan over at PHNX and essentially doubled down on his comments, and blamed the whole thing on Trevor Zegras somehow?

Not a great look for ol’ Nasher.

Vegas own-goal

Not much to say here other than this is one of the funnier own goals I’ve seen in a while. Great reminder that, when you’re that close to your own net and want to play a bouncing puck, you better be sure you can corral it.

50 goals

Two players reached the 50 goal plateau this week. First, it was Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday, followed by Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl on Sunday. It’s gonna be a great race down the finish for the Rocket Richard Trophy. 

Florida Panthers

Two reasons I’m bringing up Florida after the week they just had. First, they became the first team in the NHL to clinch a playoff birth after rallying to beat the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday. They currently sit two points back of the Avalanche in the overall league standings, but now have a wide enough gap in the East to guarantee themselves a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. 

Second, they had a bananas comeback over the New Jersey Devils on Saturday. Down 6-2 in the third period, the Panthers would go on to score five unanswered goals to win 7-6 in overtime. One of the crazier comebacks I’ve seen in a while. 

Artturi Lehkonen and Val Nichishkin

When the Colorado Avalanche acquired Artturi Lehkonen from the Montreal Canadians at this year’s trade deadline, many made the immediate comparison to Val Nichushkin, saying that Lehkonen played a very similar type of game: Relentless forecheck, hard on pucks, makes life miserable for opposing forwards.

On Saturday we got a little glimpse at what a line that features those two could look like, and it was beautiful. 

That’s Kris Letting, one of the best puck-moving defensemen of the last decade, and they simply gave him nothing. I can’t decide if it’s better to have them together or separate, but either way, that combination is a nightmare for the opposition. 

Bowen Byram

Quick update on Bo.

He’s completed two games in the AHL as part of his conditioning stint, getting his first game action since January 10th in Seattle. 

Most that watched the two games described Bo’s performance as “up-and-down”, which is absolutely to be expected. It’s going to take him some time to get back up to game speed, and into game shape. 

Jared Bednar said that it’ll be up to Bowen Byram himself, and Joe Sakic to decide if he was going to stay with the Eagles for this week and play in his third and final AHL game this Friday, or if he’s going to re-join the Avs on this upcoming three-game road trip.

This is speculation, but based on the way Bednar talked about it, I would guess that Byram will stay with the Eagles this week, and will likely play his first game with the Avs next Wednesday when they welcome in the Los Angeles Kings. 

Really good to see Bo doing well and progressing, and obviously his health and well-being are first and foremost, but on the hockey side of it, this could be huge for the Avs.

UPDATE: Bowen Byram was recalled by the Avalanche on Monday morning and is going on their three-game road trip. I’m expecting Byram to play on Tuesday, Bednar made it clear that the decision would be left up to Bo to determine if he was ready to play again or not. I look at this as a sign that Byram felt good in those two AHL games and feels like he can handle coming back to the NHL lineup.

Sam Girard

Another update here. 

Sammy G began skating again this week. He’s been out with a lower-body injury since March 8th. Jared Bednar mentioned, somewhat in passing during media availability one day after practice, that Girard was dealing with a lower back injury. When I asked for clarification though, Bednar just referred to it as “lower body”. So we don’t know for sure, but that’s not really important. 

Girard has been getting treatment and just rehabbing this injury that has been bothering him all season. As much as getting Byram back will be a boost for the Avs, getting a fully healthy Girard back just before playoffs elevates this Avs D-corps to a different level. 

Clinching Scenarios

While the Florida Panthers beat them to the claim of “first to clinch”, the Avs are officially in clinching territory. 

Right now the team to watch is Vegas, and the Avs’ magic number is one. They need to get one more point of clearance over the Golden Knights to be guaranteed a spot in the postseason. Meaning, the Avs either need to earn one point of their own (a win or an overtime loss), or VGK needs to lose in any fashion. 

Darcy Kuemper

Just wanted to take a second to draw some attention to how very good Darcy Kuemper has been since December. Lots of hockey left to be played, but my goodness has this guy been good. As good of a team that the Avs have, they aren’t in the same place they’re in right now without Kuemper doing what he’s done. 

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