Karen Cherrett, Author at The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/author/karenc/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Sat, 09 Mar 2024 06:25:27 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Karen Cherrett, Author at The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/author/karenc/ 32 32 136660061 Nichushkin nets the game winner against the Wild https://www.the-rink.com/nichushkin-nets-the-game-winner-against-the-wild/ https://www.the-rink.com/nichushkin-nets-the-game-winner-against-the-wild/#respond Sat, 09 Mar 2024 06:25:27 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28858 The expectation was for the Colorado Avalanche to win against the Minnesota Wild in this back-to-back game. It happened, but not as easily as expected. Philip Gustavson’s standout performance kept... Read more »

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]]> The expectation was for the Colorado Avalanche to win against the Minnesota Wild in this back-to-back game. It happened, but not as easily as expected. Philip Gustavson’s standout performance kept the Avalanche at bay until overtime’s end. The Wild had sticks in lanes and did their best to close out Nathan MacKinnon. But, it was Valerie Nichushkin putting a bouncing puck in the net that gave the Avalanche the win in overtime.

Takeaways

— Penalty kill unit two looked strong with adding Yakov Trenin and Valerie Nichushkin back. There were a lot of penalties during the game. The Avalanche either had opportunities or had to hold strong and defend. No power play goals tonight, but the penalty killers defended keeping the Wild scoreless too.

— Nichushkin was back. He will settle back into his full strength the more games he plays, but his presence on the second line seemed to give the team strength. He and the four other new players, picked up before the trade deadline, contributed.

— Casey Mittelstadt at second line center was noticeable. Sean Walker was strong in defense and he, too, made his presence felt. Brandon Duhaime and Trenin kept up with the Avalanche speed and showed the skills that had them added to the team.

— The Avalanche looked to start the game strong, but were outshot in the second period eleven to seven. During several games this season, they then out shot their opponents during the third period. Tonight was no different.

— Alexandar Georgiev stood strong when it was most needed. He came up strong with phenomenal saves, including a penalty shot.

Summary

The game was hard fought with the Avalanches lines shaken up and the Wild’s back up goalie, who had a three point goal against average, in net. The Avalanche’s new team members proved their worth in strengthening this already formidable team. Mark Rycroft commented during the third period that the Avalanche needed to “play sticky, greasy hockey” and they did.

The upcoming road trip will allow the lines to gel and find chemistry. Then Coach Jared Bednar with have the job of deciding which lines will work best together. Colorado Avalanche play the Calgary Flames on Tuesday in Calgary, the first of four upcoming games on the road.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/nichushkin-nets-the-game-winner-against-the-wild/feed/ 0 28858 Makar’s defensive breakdowns lead to Predators’ win https://www.the-rink.com/makars-defensive-breakdowns-lead-to-predators-win/ https://www.the-rink.com/makars-defensive-breakdowns-lead-to-predators-win/#respond Sun, 03 Mar 2024 02:53:02 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28739 The game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators had an energetic first period, making it appear close. That was not the ultimate outcome. In the second period, the... Read more »

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]]> The game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Nashville Predators had an energetic first period, making it appear close. That was not the ultimate outcome. In the second period, the Avalanche faced difficulty in getting the puck and the third period completely shut them down. The Predators did a good job of closing down and restricting Nathan Mackinnon and the Avalanches’ top line, thus limiting their chances. The team noticed the absence of Kurtis MacDermid after they traded him during the week. Nashville played a hard checking game that was physical. Colorado’s division rival would win with ease 5–1 to end the Avalanche road trip.

Takeaways

— Zach Parise had a strong game even after being dumped down hard on the ice by Luke Schenn during the first period. He was tenacious on the puck and got himself into that corner spot on the net, ready for the rebound or a tip in. Insufficient quality shots led to the unfavorable outcome.

— Cale Makar’s defensive lapses resulted in goals for the Predators, costing the Avalanche. Along with Mikko Rantanen not contributing to the top line, the inconsistency is not helping solidify the Avalanche’s position in the Central Division.

— The Avalanche were out shot by the Predators, 26 shots on goal to 36. They only won 47% of the face offs, which doesn’t lean towards winning the game. Only Nathan MacKinnon scored, using an unusual shot for him.

Summary

The Avalanche failed this test. The second period was odd. Despite winning more face-offs, they played scrappy hockey, giving the Predators more control of the game momentum. It wasn’t that the Avalanche were not playing their game; it was that the Predators played to the Avalanche’s game to limit their ability to play and score. And with the Colorado not able to turn the game around and score during the third period, the game slipped away from them. Colorado’s road woes continue on, but they head home to meet the Blackhawks on Monday night in Denver.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/makars-defensive-breakdowns-lead-to-predators-win/feed/ 0 28739 One point gained as Avalanche lose to Red Wings https://www.the-rink.com/one-point-gained-as-avalanche-lose-to-red-wings/ https://www.the-rink.com/one-point-gained-as-avalanche-lose-to-red-wings/#respond Fri, 23 Feb 2024 04:26:11 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28633 One point is better than none for the Colorado Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings. But it wasn’t the best game outcome at this end of the season. Why didn’t... Read more »

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]]> One point is better than none for the Colorado Avalanche against the Detroit Red Wings. But it wasn’t the best game outcome at this end of the season. Why didn’t they get two points?

— The power play – tonight the Altitude broadcaster Marc Moser mentioned not once, but twice, “the Avalanche are two of their last 28.” That shows that there is an issue with the power play. The penalty kill was strong, so it’s not a ‘special teams’ issue.

— No rebound luck – the Avalanche picked up very few rebounds. When they did, they had no luck putting the puck in the net.

— Missed Passes – Poor timing of passes resulted in missed goal-scoring chances.

Takeaways

– Justus Annunen in only his fourth game as starting goalie for the Avalanche was strong in net. The one goal that got past him flew through bodies and sticks. It was impossible to track. His biggest save of the game came with .06 seconds left in the third period. Former Avalanche J. T. Compher was trying to push the goal and Annunen denied him.

– After his last game, the coaches elevated Ryan Johansen to 2nd line center tonight. He has won 53.8 percent of his faceoffs so far this season. That contributes to game wins. His game was back to what we had seen early in the season from him, after he joined the Avalanche.

– Jack Johnson has elevated his game recently to assist the team with scoring. Tonight he gained his fourth point in three games. His game is solid defensively, which is a bonus. Mark Rycroft from Altitude TV commented that “he knows his own limits and plays to them.” That contributes to predictability, something the Avalanche have been lacking lately.

– Both Josh Manson and Samuel Girard were again noticeable. Manson and Girard played powerful roles during the penalty kill. They held the Red Wings to scoring on one of four their opportunities. Overall, both players contributed tonight. Girard is now a plus-11 in his last 20 games since returning from his break. That makes a difference. Prior to the break he was -7. And Manson is not only contributed defensively but with scoring opportunities too.

Summary

You will notice the absence of talking about the Avalanche’s top line tonight. Mikko Rantanen had a dreadful night. Cale Makar now has no points in his last six games. Whilst the top line can’t be the only ones to carry the team, as previous game writeups have noted, other teams have worked out how to shut down Nathan MacKinnon. That does impact game outcomes.

Marc Moser summed up the last half of the game when he said “The Red Wings defense has gotten more stingy as this game has gone on.” The Avalanche couldn’t find the way to break through that.

Was this loss terrible for the Avalanche? No. With the minor mistakes cleaned up, they could have come away with two points rather than one. The Avalanche now go back home to meet the Maple Leafs on Saturday.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/one-point-gained-as-avalanche-lose-to-red-wings/feed/ 0 28633 Strong win for the Avalanche against the Capitals https://www.the-rink.com/strong-win-for-avalanche-against-capitals/ https://www.the-rink.com/strong-win-for-avalanche-against-capitals/#respond Wed, 14 Feb 2024 04:18:58 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28518 Because of changing up their game, the Colorado Avalanche reaped the benefits and scored a win against the Washington Capitals. The team’s work in the locker room was apparent from... Read more »

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]]> Because of changing up their game, the Colorado Avalanche reaped the benefits and scored a win against the Washington Capitals. The team’s work in the locker room was apparent from the beginning. The Avalanche played as a cohesive unit. Clear, crisp passing and a score on the board early. Artturi Lehkonen showed why he is a valuable part of the Avalanche team in helping with the six goals to three win.

Takeaways

— Joel Kiviranta was noticeable on the ice tonight. He was strong in defending and taking away the puck when needed. Being noticeable is a good thing. He appeared to have stepped up his game. He has been a great addition to the team since being signed to a two- way contract.

— Samuel Girard and Josh Manson were strong in their defensive roles again tonight. If it wasn’t Manson taking the puck, it was Girard putting on speed to skate the puck down the ice. Manson played a physical game once again, attempting to keep Tom Wilson at bay.

— Despite a brief lapse, the Avalanche rallied in the second period. They continued with the mental attitude of teamwork for the rest of the game. It was what bought about the win. Playing to their strengths and not getting bogged down in trying too hard to score. The Avalanche kept the puck away from the Capitals to stop their opportunities.

Summary

This was a much needed win for the Avalanche. Scoring came from the top lines. The power play delivered. Even though there were some defensive breakdowns, players stepped up. And the face off wins were close to 50 percent. Overall, it was a team effort to gain two more points, keeping the Avalanche only two points behind the Dallas Stars in the Central Divion. Next game is Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Let’s see if tonight’s play continues then.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/strong-win-for-avalanche-against-capitals/feed/ 0 28518 Devils out skate the Avalanche to win 5–3 https://www.the-rink.com/devils-out-skate-the-avalanche-to-win-5-3/ https://www.the-rink.com/devils-out-skate-the-avalanche-to-win-5-3/#respond Wed, 07 Feb 2024 04:34:45 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28442 The Colorado Avalanche lost their second game in a row. In the game against the New Jersey Devils tonight, they had only temporary control. The Devils corralled Nathan MacKinnon for... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche lost their second game in a row. In the game against the New Jersey Devils tonight, they had only temporary control. The Devils corralled Nathan MacKinnon for most of the game. He tried playing his game. It did not work. A scoreless game for him is unusual. Concrete skates seemed to play for a big part of the game. Whilst two quick goals helped tie the score, it wasn’t enough.

Takeaways

— Throughout a lot of tonight’s game the Avalanche’s skates seemed full of concrete. Not only the defensive core, but most of the players struggled to keep their feet moving. Did the long break contribute to it, or the fact they played last night? Only the players will know. Whatever the reason, it created problems, giving the Devils more opportunities than they needed.

— Winning faceoffs was an enormous problem for the Avalanche. When you only win 35 percent of the face offs, you cannot hope to win a game. Face off wins create puck possession. Not winning the puck draw gives your opposition an advantage. An advantage the Avalanche did not need to give the Devils tonight.

— There were stand out players. Samuel Girard, Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen. The second line of Logan O’Connor, Ross Colton and Miles Wood again made their presence felt. Zach Parise did his part in only his second game with the Avalanche.

— Whilst Justus Annunen was tighter in net than in his previous NHL start, it is clear to say the Avalanche have a back up goaltender problem. Annunen let in five of 31 shots. We cannot blame a lack of defensive support for all of them.

Conclusion

The Avalanche’s playoff hopes hinge on certain players improving their game. The defensive game is still lacking. Other players must step up for the Avalanche when the top line is shut down. Depending on only Alexandar Georgiev, in net is unfeasible. The back up goaltender situation needs to be addressed. With a day off to regroup the Avalanche next face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday That won’t be an easy match.

 

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/devils-out-skate-the-avalanche-to-win-5-3/feed/ 0 28442 Why Nathan MacKinnon is such an elite player https://www.the-rink.com/why-nathan-mackinnon-is-such-an-elite-player/ https://www.the-rink.com/why-nathan-mackinnon-is-such-an-elite-player/#respond Sun, 28 Jan 2024 00:01:11 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28372 People consider Nathan MacKinnon as one of the best hockey players in the world today. You hear hockey commentators mentioning that often. For several reasons, he commands high respect and... Read more »

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]]> People consider Nathan MacKinnon as one of the best hockey players in the world today. You hear hockey commentators mentioning that often. For several reasons, he commands high respect and admiration from fans, analysts, and fellow players.

His Skills

First, MacKinnon’s incredible skill set is undeniable. MacKinnon is currently the top point scorer in the NHL. He possesses a rare combination of speed, agility, and strength, allowing him to make plays that most players can only dream of. His puck-handling abilities are stunning. He has the uncanny ability to skate through entire teams quickly. His shot accuracy and power are also top-notch, making him a constant threat to score from anywhere on the ice.

His Work Ethic

Second, MacKinnon’s work ethic is unmatched. He is a gym rat and spends countless hours honing his skills and improving his physical fitness. His dedication to his craft is evident in his on-ice performances, as he always seems in top form. He’s also a team player who’s always willing to lend a helping hand to his teammates and lead by example.

His Winners Mentality

Third, MacKinnon has a winner’s mentality. With a burning desire to win, he’s a fierce competitor who will go to any lengths to help his team succeed. He’s won several individual awards, including the Calder Trophy and the Lady Byng Trophy, but he’s always focused on team success. He’s been a critical player in the Colorado Avalanche’s recent success, leading them to the playoffs in the last three seasons.

His Leadership Skills

MacKinnon’s leadership skills are also noteworthy. Despite his young age of 28, he’s already proven himself as a leader both in the locker room and on the ice. His teammates and coaches respect him, and his positive attitude and work ethic are infectious.

Colorado Avalanche’s coach, Jared Bednar, has commented on MacKinnon’s dedication this past week.

His Dedication and Commitment

During a post-game interview, Jesse Montano asked coach Jared Bednar about his daily interaction with MacKinnon. He responded,

“Same way I always do,” Bednar said. “Same way I do when he’s not rolling, to be honest with you. If I hadn’t, like I tried to leave Nate alone and on certain days if I have information for him, I think that can help him and I don’t have to do a lot because now the iPads and like he’s so in tune with everything like they’re looking at it constantly. And if I’m seeing something repeatedly, habitually, that he’s doing, I think he could change to give himself a better chance to help produce offense or on the defending side of it.”

MacKinnon’s one-hour post-game routine always results in the team being slow to leave an away game arena. And he is okay with that.

The Avalanche coaching staff has discovered the ideal approach to maximize MacKinnon’s potential. This season, he has broken several records and looks set to continue.

Conclusion

Nathan MacKinnon is an elite hockey player for several reasons. His combination of skill, work ethic, winners’ mentality, and leadership abilities make him one of the best players in the game today. Watching him brings joy while opponents dread him; he will dominate the NHL for years.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/why-nathan-mackinnon-is-such-an-elite-player/feed/ 0 28372 Avalanche strong victors over Kings https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-strong-victors-over-kings/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-strong-victors-over-kings/#respond Sat, 27 Jan 2024 06:04:24 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28360 Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche showcased a convincing performance with all four lines contributing both offensively and defensively, leaving the Los Angeles Kings no chance to find their rhythm. With Logan... Read more »

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]]> Tonight, the Colorado Avalanche showcased a convincing performance with all four lines contributing both offensively and defensively, leaving the Los Angeles Kings no chance to find their rhythm. With Logan O’Connor opening the scoring for the Avalanche, they remained strong for the entire 60 minutes, despite taking several penalties. Alexandar Georgiev was again unstoppable in net, making 25 of 26 saves. It was a testament to the way the Avalanche played. They kept the Kings to under 30 shots on goal in the 5–1 victory over the Kings.

Takeaways

— Logan O’Connor and his 2nd line team mates really have chemistry on the ice. With their combined speed and hockey IQ, they find ways for the others on the line to score. Tonight it was O’Connor. After a hat trick last two games ago, the team were passing to him in the last minutes in hopes he would put the third goal in the net, but it wasn’t to be. O’Connor now has an impressive seven goals in the last 12 games.

— Alexandar Georgiev is playing some amazing hockey, making key saves when there are defensive breakdowns. It was noticeable that he did not let many rebounds go back to the Kings for further scoring chances. Showcasing the work he has put in this season to up his game and be one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.

— Each of the Avalanche’s four lines contributed tonight. Whether that was with scoring or strong defensive players on every line were noticeable. Artturi Lehkonen, in only his second game back, had some good scoring chances, similar to his last game. Josh Manson stood up in defense and scored a goal. The top line was dynamic, as usual. Coach Jared Bednar would have to be happy with all the contributions.

— It was fortunate that Colorado’s power play units were dialed in. The Avalanche took several penalties, seven in total tonight against the Kings. Kurtis MacDermid was not happy with several of the calls.

Conclusion

Tonight was O’Connor’s night with Georgiev, a close second. I’m unsure if it is a good thing that the Avalanche get another long break now, because of the bye week and the All Star game. For some players battling niggling injuries, it might help as the team begins the push to the playoffs. Following the win and gaining two more points, the Avalanche now lead the Central Division. Colorado will not play again until February 5th against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-strong-victors-over-kings/feed/ 0 28360 Avalanche bring their A game to beat the Flyers https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-bring-their-a-game-to-beat-the-flyers/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-bring-their-a-game-to-beat-the-flyers/#respond Sat, 20 Jan 2024 22:07:59 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28317 This game, which marked the last game in a five-game road trip for the Colorado Avalanche, could have gone either way against the Philadelphia Flyers, as the Avalanche had two... Read more »

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]]> This game, which marked the last game in a five-game road trip for the Colorado Avalanche, could have gone either way against the Philadelphia Flyers, as the Avalanche had two wins and two losses leading up to it. As the NHL commentators said, “The Avalanche bought their A game today.” The Avalanche were up at the end of the first period and that became the standard for the remaining two periods. Two lines performed outstandingly today — the top line, as you expect, and the third line, fast becoming a productive line. Three players were on hat trick watch, Nathan MacKinnon, Logan O’Connor and Mikko Rantanen. They were today’s main goal scorers. With the convincing win of 7–4, the Colorado Avalanche came away with three wins and two losses on this road trip. A pretty good outcome for a still depleted team.

Takeaways

— Today was Alexandar Georgiev’s 38th start this season. When they needed him, Alexandar Georgiev stood up tall and made some key saves. Kevin Weekes from the NHL commentary team mentioned how straight and tall Georgiev was playing and how that makes a difference. He has become the backbone of this team. It is now time to find him a strong backup.

— The Avalanches third line is proving to be a dynamic trio. Ross Colton, Miles Wood and Logan O’Connor have a chemistry that has shown through during several games to provide depth scoring. This line is tenacious, fast and difficult for opposition teams to play against. Today O’Connor scored his first career hat trick after a very unselfish pass from MacKinnon, who was also on a hat trick watch.

Today’s tally from the third line was – Logan O’Connor (three goals), Ross Colton (three assists) and Miles Wood (two assists).

The stats for today’s game show that the opposing team beat the Avalanche on the ice. They had 25 shots on goal to the Flyers 40. The Avalanche won only 36% of the faceoffs, took two more penalty minutes, but had 16 hits to 14 and more importantly blocked 28 shots to the Flyers 12. I used to say that the team that won the faceoffs won the game, that is not proving valid this season. The Avalanche’s scoring ability putting seven shots out of 25 through the net showed that ultimately that counts.

Conclusion

After suffering a terrible loss on Thursday night, the Avalanche came to play today. It wasn’t an entirely straightforward game with the Flyers team showing their determination to come back in the third period, when the Avalanche’s defense looked tired and beaten. It was MacKinnon that stood up and kept the team moving forward to seal the win. Colorado will finally be back at home on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals to start a brief home stand.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-bring-their-a-game-to-beat-the-flyers/feed/ 0 28317 Annunen helps Avalanche to 7–4 win over Senators https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-helps-avalanche-to-7-4-win-over-senators/ https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-helps-avalanche-to-7-4-win-over-senators/#respond Wed, 17 Jan 2024 04:20:11 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28277 A back-to-back game after a loss, tonight’s game for the Colorado Avalanche against the Ottawa Senators was a big unknown. Miles Wood returned from the flu and was a bonus.... Read more »

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]]> A back-to-back game after a loss, tonight’s game for the Colorado Avalanche against the Ottawa Senators was a big unknown. Miles Wood returned from the flu and was a bonus. After calling up Justus Annunen from the Colorado Eagles, he got the job of starting goalie. Ping-pong scoring was the nature of the game throughout the first period. The Avalanche were behind heading into the third period but scored four unanswered goals to win convincingly. Mark Rycroft from Altitude Sports said it “No one took a shift off”. On a back-to-back game that says a lot about where this team is currently at. They played hard and played a great comeback game, winning 7–4.

Takeaways

— Throughout the game, Annunen showed focus and made key saves at critical moments. He held on to the puck, not giving up rebounds. The Avalanche players backed him up in net during the third, showing their support of his efforts in the game. He faced 40 shots on goal from the Senators, only giving up four and was very impressive.

 

— Sam Malinski is proving the type of defenseman you want on your team. His defensive play is solid and offensively he is on the board scoring goals. His team mates are passing to him, so he can shoot the snipe shots. With one called back goal and one that was good, he played a noticeable part in this win.

— Everyone could feel Miles Woods’ presence. During the first intermission interview with Katie Gaus from AltitudeTV, he commented on doing short shifts, as he still was not feeling well. You wouldn’t have known it. His speed and tenacity were what we’re used to seeing. His return helped the Avalanche achieve the win tonight.

— The other two unsung heroes on the Avalanche team at the moment are Logan O’Connor and Samuel Girard. O’Connor is fearless. He pestered his Senator opponents and went in for the hit to slow down the opposition, no matter what. His game tonight was relentless, and he had a goal to show for it. Sam Girard is the quiet achiever. Both his defensive and offensive games are solid. Despite not being mentioned a lot, his presence on the ice strengthens the defensive core.

Conclusion

The Avalanche added another two points to their tally. So far, they are two wins and one loss on this road trip. Time for the team to have some much needed rest tomorrow before facing the Boston Bruins on Thursday night. Artturi Lehkonen is with the team, so we may see him in one of the upcoming games. And Bo Byram may be close to returning too. Both players will add value.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-helps-avalanche-to-7-4-win-over-senators/feed/ 0 28277 Avalanche start slow but finish strong against Leafs https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-start-slow-but-finish-strong-finish-against-leafs/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-start-slow-but-finish-strong-finish-against-leafs/#respond Sun, 14 Jan 2024 04:45:24 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28230 Game Summary The Colorado Avalanche did not have a good first period to start their first matchup of this season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Avalanche made up for... Read more »

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]]> Game Summary

The Colorado Avalanche did not have a good first period to start their first matchup of this season against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Avalanche made up for that with a strong second period in which they scored two unanswered goals. Their third period continued the push to dominate the game and take back control, ending with another two goals.

The Avalanche top line dominated the game, especially in the second period. With a further power play goal, Colorado continued to add points to their tally. Jack Johnson has a lower-body Injury (LBI) so fans will have to wait to learn how long he will be out of the lineup.

In – Josh Manson #42

Out – Valeri Nichushkin #13 and still no sign of Miles Wood

First Period

At the end of the first period, with the score Avalanche–0 and Toronto–3, there weren’t many positives to talk about. Valeri Nichushkin’s net front presence was missed as he was absent from the lineup. Josh Manson, back in with his strong defensive habits, was having a positive impact. The score could well have been Toronto Maple Leafs with five goals had Alexandar Georgiev not made several really sound saves.

The Avalanche started the game with strong forechecking, but they just couldn’t beat the strong Maple Leafs defense and goaltender Martin Jones. Midway through the first period, the Avalanche top line had a strong shift with play that showed their determination to win the puck, keep it and score. The problem was they didn’t score.

Logan O’Connor had several really strong chances, as we have seen from him over the past weeks. There is a reason he is playing on the 2nd line, and yes with Nichushkin out he was the obvious choice to be elevated.

Avalanche SOG 8  Maple Leafs SOG 14

In that period the Avalanche got out muscled and out shot.

Second Period

The Avalanche top line (Mikko Rantanen – Nathan MacKinnon – Jonathan Drouin) ramped up their intensity level in the second period. The result was two goals scored. Alexandar Georgiev looked strong in the net to shutout some very strong shots from the Maple Leafs scorers. It was the Avalanche’s commitment to level the score that had each of the lines performing and having more of the overall play during the period. The top line forced a 5 on 4, then 5 on 3 power play and whilst Jonathan Drouin scored during the first power play, the second provided no score. Ross Colton, Logan O’Connor and Drouin had several good scoring chances.

With Logan O’Connor called for a penalty, the concern was, would the one goal advantage for the Maple Leafs become two goals again? The Avs penalty kill stayed strong to shut down the Leafs and keep the score at 1–3. It was then Mikko Rantanen that put home the second goal for the Avalanche. Jonathan Drouin is showing the value of having him on the top line with MacKinnon and Rantanen by continuously offering scoring opportunities, or putting the puck in the net.

Avalanche SOG 20  Maple Leafs SOG 23

A much stronger period by the Avs in the 2nd.

Third Period

The Avalanche came out strongly in the third period, continuing their push from the second. With the Avs on the power play, it was Andrew Cogliano who tied the game. It was Cogliano’s first score in 23 games. He was due. The goal came from a great over the shoulder shot on the Leafs goalie, with a good screen in front of the net. Again, as has been clear in recent games, the Avalanches power play was strong. The power play put four shots on the net during their two minutes in the third period.

Colton tried twice to score the empty netter with less than a minute to go, and only scored on his second try. A great pass by Ryan Johansen set up the goal.

The Avalanche defensive play and Georgiev’s strength in net allow the home team, the Maple Leafs, to remain scoreless. The Avalanche’s four unanswered goals showed their focus on winning.

Part way through the third period, the news came through that Jack Johnson would not return. Jack Johnson hadn’t started the third period and reports state that he has a lower-body injury. We will have to wait to see how long that will keep him out of the game.

Avalanche SOG 33  Maple Leafs SOG 29

The Avalanche had a strong third period to finish out the game.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-start-slow-but-finish-strong-finish-against-leafs/feed/ 0 28230 Avalanche beat Blues for much-needed win https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-blues-for-much-needed-win/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-blues-for-much-needed-win/#respond Fri, 29 Oct 2021 16:10:36 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=21039 What a difference a game makes. The Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 4–3 in regulation on Thursday night. Right from the start of the game, the energy from... Read more »

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]]> What a difference a game makes. The Colorado Avalanche beat the St. Louis Blues 4–3 in regulation on Thursday night. Right from the start of the game, the energy from the Avalanche was different. That in itself was interesting given that the line combinations practiced Wednesday needed to be shifted up again due to an injury to Mikko Rantanen sustained at Thursday’s morning skate.

Some Avs fans were confident that the team could bounce back from the string of recent losses, while others did not think a win was possible at all.

What changed in this game? The whole team effort went back to being one where the players finished their checking, they were communicating, passing was more on point and there were three or more players together working to take the puck off the opposition.

That overall combined team chemistry appeared to be back. Given the situation in the past few games where it has been hard to name more than one or two players that contributed all game, Thursday was a different story.

Sure, some people who watched the game would comment that a number of the players did not do much. Nathan MacKinnon would be one of those named players. He still seemed off his play for most of the night, and yet, he contributed in key situations, not scoring the goals himself, but supporting the play that led to the goal.

Thursday’s contributors

Logan O’Connor

Head Coach Jared Bednar has a lot of confidence in Logan O’Connor, and for the right reasons. O’Connor has been a standout player for most of the games the Avalanche have played so far this season. O’Connor started the season on the fourth line and last game was moved to the third line. During the week, Bednar moved O’Connor up to the second line, and he commented that it was because he likes his play, something Bednar has been commenting on for a number of weeks.

O’Connor played his usual gritty game, stopping pucks, annoying both forwards and defenseman from the Blues alike and being a strong contributor with a number of close shots on goal that unfortunately did not go in the net. Opposition players are starting to try and rough O’Connor up because of his speed and tenacity on the puck. They are recognizing he is a force to be reckoned with.

Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray came to Colorado in the offseason from the New Jersey Devils. Not only is he a smart defenseman, but he also plays special teams, something the Avs needed to shore up after losing both Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert in the offseason.

Murray was present in the past six games, just not in the same way as in this game. It seemed that Murray found his feet with the Avalanche’s system in this game. He was visible and created strong opportunities leading to two assists on the goals from J.T. Compher and Nazem Kadri.

Marc Moser from Altitude TV commented that he thought it was Murray’s best game yet in an Avalanche jersey.

The D core (Murray, Bowen Byram, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Kurtis MacDermid and Cale Makar)

Of this list of six players, Kurtis MacDermid was the only player that did not make a consistent contribution all night. Erik Johnson struggled a little at times, but the others played very strong games for all three periods. Murray had his best game of the season so far. Jack Johnson made key plays and was shooting pucks at the net, when he could, on a number of occasions. Bowen Byram showed again during this game that he is not to be messed with, standing up to a much bigger player, as he has done in the previous few games. He is showing opposing teams that he is a defensive player who is going to hold strong on his position and do what he has to do to protect his team.

Jacob MacDonald

MacDonald has been benched for the last two games, so Thursday was a chance to see him on the ice. The big difference was that instead of him playing in his usual position on defense, he was on the wing, playing on the fourth line. Whether it was simply the fact that he got to play with the Avalanche again, after playing games last season, or the fact that he was moved into a different position, MacDonald played with strength, determination and fire that has not been seen from him before. He was a big contributor in a number of different situations. It was great to see and will now be interesting to see what Bednar chooses to do in the next game, which is back home in Denver on Saturday.

Overall thoughts on the game

Something changed with the team on Thursday. They came out with a fire that had not been present in the last five games. The overall TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) effort was evident for most of the game.

The young players contributed. Overall, the team gelled more against the Blues than they have so far this season. It was evident that the Avalanche had talked about putting pucks on net, as they ended up with many more shots on goal than the Blues at the end of the game with a lopsided 42–18 margin. Quite a difference.

For most of the game, the Avs dominated the face-off win percentage. That only shifted in the very latter part of the game. It is always evident when the Avalanche are playing well that it starts with them winning a larger amount of the face-offs.

The Avs had five power play opportunities and scored on one. While there was an improvement in their special teams effort, it could still do with some work.

Darcy Kuemper was again strong in net. A couple of the Blues goals were from crazy bounces, and another from a defensive breakdown by the Avalanche, something he cannot be blamed for. Overall, he contributed to the win.

People might call me out for not mentioning Compher as a standout player. Again, he made a few strong players and notched up two goals, which makes for raving fans. For this writer, there were still too many instances where he made bad plays or did not do what he was supposed to, and those outweigh the one or two brilliant things for me.

After this game, the Avalanche are now 3–4–0, not the start you would expect from the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners.

The Avalanche face the Minnesota Wild at home on Saturday. Let’s see if the team can remember Thursday’s contributions and bring it again on Saturday night.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-blues-for-much-needed-win/feed/ 0 21039 Avalanche beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champs https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-the-reigning-stanley-cup-champs/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-the-reigning-stanley-cup-champs/#respond Sun, 24 Oct 2021 15:16:50 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=20969 The game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning played in Tampa on Saturday night October 23 wasn’t pretty by any means. Coach Jared Bednar mixed the lines... Read more »

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]]> The game between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning played in Tampa on Saturday night October 23 wasn’t pretty by any means. Coach Jared Bednar mixed the lines up again before the game and that had little positive impact during the game. The one change was that Martin Kaut was sent back to the Colorado Eagles and Jason Megna was recalled.

Here’s the rundown of the game.

1st Period

Mark Rycroft after the first period said the Avalanche need to “Keep it simple and throw everything on the net” “No fancy passing like Forsberg and Sakic.” This was what was happening though, the fancy passing again that was getting the Avalanche nowhere. Sure Gabriel Landeskog put one goal in the back of the net, with a bit of a fluke shot that went five-hole on the Lightening’s netminder.

The only really good thing about the Avalanche’s performance during the period, in comparison to the last couple of games, was that the Penalty Kill had improved somewhat. I’m not going to say it was great, and after the past few games, it needed to improve measurably to even be considered okay. Well, it was nearly there.

Fans hate to see one of their favorite players in a different team’s jersey. Tonight Avalanche fans had to watch one of their very favorites in Pierre-Edouard Bellemare wearing a Tampa jersey. He was creating problems with blocking the Avalanche. How dare he! And later in the game, it was noticeable that the Avalanche players were not going at him when he had the puck. Must be strange for them, as much as it is for fans.

Darcy Kuemper was solid in net during the period making some strong saves and keeping the Lightening from scoring.

End of the 1st  the stats were SOG Avs 7 TBL 12  FO% Avs 48.1%  TBL 51.9%
In the period break, Marc Moser from Altitude TV interviewed Gabriel Landeskog and he said “We had a good period.” Watching it as a fan, I wouldn’t have described it that way.

Stand Out Players

Logan O’Connor again was one of the standout players in the period. He is strong and determined on the puck. He doesn’t let up and again showed the way during the period with some strong offensive play.

Samuel Girard was the other noticeable player who was strong on defense. He was getting hit and bashed, and kept going, no matter what, to fight for the puck and get it out of the zone.

Score at the end of the period – Avs 1 TBL 0

2nd Period

What can you say about Bowen Byram and his ability to stand up to guys that are not only taller but also heavier than him? He did just that with a number of the big-name veteran Tampa Bay players. The message from Byram is “Don’t mess with me.” It was so great to see and the Altitude TV commentators even commented on it and how it would dissuade other players from having a go at him. He is truly showing he is not a defenseman that can be messed with.

The top line did what they are supposed to do. Put together an end-to-end play and scored. Nathan MacKinnon to Mikko Rantanen. It was the first play of the last four games where the top line looked like they were playing as they should.

Again, in the second period, Darcy Kuemper had another solid period. It was as if he had a point to prove. He is the Avalanche’s number one goalie and in this game, he was out to prove it.

Score at the end of the 2nd period Avs 2 TBL 1

Stats for the period SOG Avs 16 TBL 24 FO% 50/50

Noticeably when the Avalanche begin to win more Face Offs they win back control of the game, naturally. And it is something they have struggled with at times.

By the end of this period, the Avalanche had had five Power Play opportunities and not capitalized on any of them. Another issue that is a carry-over from last season. It is something that needs to be fixed for the Avalanche to be a serious contender moving forward.

Coach Jared Bednar switched lines up during this period, not an uncommon thing. Tyson Jost, Logan O’Connor, and Darren Helm were back together again for part of the period.
J T Compher was no standout in this game. At times he looked back to being slow and not keeping up with the play in my opinion.

3rd Period

As an Avalanche fan, you will know full well what I mean when I say “predictable mistakes.” Yes, apparently it takes time for young players such as Sampo Ranta and Mikhail Maltsev to get their feet in the NHL. Maltsev has had some experience playing in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils so it should not be as big of an issue for him, yet with these two young players on the ice, the Lightning scored in what was a very predictable mistake. You could see that a goal was imminent. Not a fun place to be in.

Darcy Kuemper made a huge save to keep the Avalanche in the game during the third period. He definitely showed that he is a goalie to be reckoned with. It was good to see him with his confidence back and it helped that the D core were more engaged and playing support during the game. Although there were lapses in that occurring for a big part of the night they were where they were supposed to be.

And yes, defensive breakdowns again led to goals by Tampa Bay.

Nathan MacKinnon went top shelf to put the Avalanche ahead in this period. It was a typical MacKinnon play that hasn’t worked so far up until this point. The TV Commentators were saying that with ten days off the ice during COVID protocol it was going to take time for MacKinnon to get his legs back too. It looked like it had happened for periods of the game, although he is still far from consistent.

The game was tied at the end of the third period, so it went to OT. Samuel Girard was clearly sent into the boards in what left him not okay and requiring medical assistance and yet Stamkos was not called at all for the play. No penalty. And so it is highly unlikely that NHL player safety will take a look at the incident. The hard part to watch is the fact that the hit was nasty and Girard copped a shove from Stamkos after the play. Gabriel Landeskog was suspended for two games for less.

At the end of OT the game was still tied and went to a shootout. The Avalanche don’t have a good record in shoot outs so having this happen seemed to have many Avalanche fans on the edge of their seats according to the Twitter comments.

Darcy Kuemper was outstanding saving goals shot by the Lightning players on two different occasions giving the Avalanche the chance to win the game. It was finally Cale Makar in his first penalty shootout, that brought home the win for the Avalanche.

Final score Avs 4  TBL 3
Final game stats – SOG Avs 27 TBL 32  FO% Avs 42.7% TBL 52.3%

Overall observations

Is the top line doing their job?
During the game watching the Avalanche’s top line in Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog, the thought crossed my mind that this is their job; to play and win hockey games. Considering the lack of performance from them to date, and the amount of money they are being paid, any other normal people in their job would be on a performance contract and possibly a warning.

It is interesting that doesn’t happen in hockey. Maybe one or more of the top line needs to be benched to make them wake up and realize they have a job to do. It is fine to talk about bringing home the Stanley Cup, but actual commitment and consistent top-quality play is the only thing that is going to make that happen.

And yes you can make the excuse that these players have been out, Landeskog for two games and MacKinnon for a number of days. Is that really an excuse for the caliber of players they are? Not sure about that.

What’s the standard, it seems to have dropped?

It is understandable when you lose players from a team in an offseason that it will take time to assimilate incoming players into not only the team’s way of playing but also the culture of the team. How many games is it acceptable to keep making this excuse? The standard and drive to play seem to have dropped for the Avalanche. Some of the new players seem to have taken to the team quickly. The young players that have come from the farm team, the Colorado Eagles, already know the way the Avalanche play.

Something is lacking in terms of the standards being set for acceptable play on the ice. You can only look lost and disconnected for so long. Time is up for this team.

T.E.A.M. Where’s the support?

Again in this game, there were times when players were not supported by their teammates. Clearly, there is still a disconnect about who is doing what and the role they play every time they come off the bench and hit the ice. That needs to shift, and quickly. Players not playing as part of a Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), will not win games and not make it to the Playoffs. If that is where the Avalanche want to be at the end of the season, fine. Don’t then talk about being a Stanley Cup contender, because right now they are far from that.

When is boarding not boarding?

It is not okay when NHL officials are inconsistent with the calls they are making with regard to boarding. Players are injured and just like some of the bad concussion injuries that players suffer that are not penalized, boarding is having that same impact. In this game, it was clear the Sam Girard was slammed against the boards in a way that caused him injury. How serious that injury is, in terms of him entering and coming out of concussion protocol, only time will tell.

When a player is not even penalized for boarding when it is clear the player that was sent into the boards is injured says there is something wrong with the way this particular rule is being administered. Any serious injury to a play, especially as it relates to head contact with the boards should be penalized and reviewed by Player Safety, no matter which team it is that is involved.

The Avalanche scraped in with a win against the Lightning. That means for this road trip they come away with one win and two losses. Traveling back to Colorado for one home game before hitting the road again, the Avalanche play their arch-rivals in the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Let’s see if there is any improvement in the team for that game.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-beat-the-reigning-stanley-cup-champs/feed/ 0 20969 Avalanche dropped by Panthers, what now? https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-dropped-by-panthers-what-now/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-dropped-by-panthers-what-now/#respond Fri, 22 Oct 2021 16:36:29 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=20943 How do you write a game wrap up when all night you sat frustrated and unsure why the Colorado Avalanche, a team that looked destined for the Stanley Cup last... Read more »

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]]> How do you write a game wrap up when all night you sat frustrated and unsure why the Colorado Avalanche, a team that looked destined for the Stanley Cup last season, now look so lost?

The Avalanche had a really bad game in their first road game for this season against the Washington Capitals two nights ago. It is the game any fan wants to forget and not talk about.

Thursday night, the Avalanche came out looking much better at the start of the game, although something still was not clicking, as they dropped a 4–1 outcome to the Florida Panthers. The passing in the first period was off, with opportunities being missed because the pass did not go where it was supposed to.

Tweaking the D pairings

Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar had made changes to the way the defensive pairings were prior to game start. He moved Samuel Girard back with Erik Johnson, a combination that fans watching know works. And it did tonight, and more from the perspective of Girard being very noticeable on the ice. It was frightening to see him go down hard against the boards and go straight off to the locker room. But, everything was okay and Girard returned to the game.

Moving Bowen Byram to the top pairing with Cale Makar worked. With the three top-line players of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen back together, the top line seemed to be firing. They did not have as much of an impact as to bring home the win for the team, but being the first time the entire team had been together so far this season, it was clear to see the combination still has the chemistry it had last season. And, with the Byram and Makar defensive pairing, that five on the ice worked.

The third pairing of Jack Johnson and Ryan Murray worked and yet fell short of what Jack Johnson had been doing in some of the earlier games. Perhaps when Devon Toews returns a pairing of Jack Johnson and Toews, which may bring some dynamic chemistry to cause trouble for the opposition on the ice. Only time will tell.

The line combinations

The one change in the line combinations that stood out tonight was the shift of having Tyson Jost center the fourth line. Between Darren Helm and Logan O’Connor, Jost added the speed to match the other two. The chemistry seemed strong with this combination and they were effective on the ice.

O’Connor had another outstanding night. At one stage, he was down blocking a shot like the best of any defensemen, then grabbed the puck on a breakaway, and with Jost’s support, gave the Avalanche a strong chance. O’Connor is quickly becoming an indispensable player for the Avalanche, which, after last season, is great to see.

This was the first time this season that the Avalanche’s top line was back together. Rantanen is the only player to have played all four games so far this season. Despite it being the trio’s first outing together this season, you could see that they can still be dangerous; it just did not work out that way in this game.

The Panthers worked out how to cut off the shots of MacKinnon and Rantanen and the Avalanche did not change up their game to counteract that. So, while the top line clicked and played well together, they were not as dangerous as they could be in delivering the spark the team needed for a win.

Landeskog was penalized for boarding again, and while this was not as serious as what happened in the first game, it is something that will need to be watched. It does seem out of character for Landeskog, yet this type of behavior is now becoming common from him, not necessarily a positive from the Captain.

Jonas Johansson performed in net

It was a little surprising to see that Jonas Johansson got the start in net, although considering Darcy Kuemper has had two straight losses, it was probably not unexpected. With Pavel Francouz out on long-term injured reserve, Johansson is now Colorado’s back-up goalie.

Johansson looked strong in net, and while the score line did not show that, he made some great saves and performed well overall. It will be interesting to see who gets the start against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.

What is not working for the Avalanche?

Watching from the sidelines, it is hard to pinpoint what is not working for the Avalanche. Altitude TV Commentators Marc Moser and Peter McNabb commented that the Avalanche were just “off” again on Thursday.

That certainly describes the situation. While on paper you would expect the line combinations to work and the shifted up defensive pairings to be strong, at times, both these were evident and yet there was also something missing.

Is it that the team as still missing both Toews and Valeri Nichushkin? Maybe. I can see that with Nichushkin back and the second line of Nichushkin, Andre Burakovsky and Nazem Kadri working together again, it may make a difference.

And, if Toews came back into the lineup, which defenseman would sit? Possibly Murray. But, will only two different players make the ultimate big difference between a win and a loss for this Avalanche team? I do not think so.

There is some magic ingredient currently missing, and only the team itself will know what that is. The Avalanche play the reigning Stanley Cup champions in the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Let’s hope something shifts and the Avalanche find the missing ingredient to play as the Stanley Cup contenders they want to be. Otherwise, it will be their third loss in three games.

Yet, in the post-game presser, Landeskog said, “I mean, we’ve got 78 games left. That’s a lot of hockey; start with one. And, obviously playing another tough opponent here in a couple of days. There’s no secret formula, right? We’ve got to work and that’s what we are doing and what we are trying to do.”

Landeskog thinks there is no secret formula. That could just be the problem.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-dropped-by-panthers-what-now/feed/ 0 20943 Avalanche Year End Reviews: The Goaltenders https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-year-end-reviews-the-goaltenders/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-year-end-reviews-the-goaltenders/#respond Thu, 24 Jun 2021 12:48:46 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=20038 Phillip Grubauer #31 – Grade A+ GP GS W L T OT SA GA GAA S SV% SO MIN 40 39 30 9 0 1 993 77 1.95 916 .922... Read more »

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]]> Phillip Grubauer #31 – Grade A+
GP GS W L T OT SA GA GAA S SV% SO MIN
40 39 30 9 0 1 993 77 1.95 916 .922 7 2,367

What a season Phillip Grubauer had for the Colorado Avalanche. He saved the game for the team on many occasions, both in the regular season as well as during the Playoffs.

It was clear from early on in the season that Grubauer had worked hard during the offseason. He looked more flexible in the net. The tentativeness that had appeared last season was gone. This in part may have been due to him doing a lot of different conditioning work, as well as using a handheld gaming device to hone his skills more.

The one thing about watching goalies is noticing their confidence. As soon as their confidence drops you notice them moving about a lot in the net, that was not the case with Grubauer this season. He seemed the most confident in net than he has during the three years that he has been with the Avalanche.

He posted a record-high 7 shut-out wins this season. And whilst close wins don’t count as shutouts, there were a number of games where he only let in one goal. That was the case with a few of the nine losses he had.

Grubauer’s stats this season show why he has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy. He has truly shown himself to be one of the best goalies in the league with his performance.

Whilst this was a compact season, Grubauer stood up to playing every game for a number of stretches, and towards the end of the regular season the Avalanche went looking for a backup for him, just in case he sustained an injury and they needed someone in net during the Playoffs.

But, it wasn’t an injury that stopped his season. Grubauer is UFA right now with no contract for the upcoming season. The Avalanche will need to consider if he is the goalie to take them forward.

Jonas Johansson #35  Grade B

GP GS W L T OT SA GA GAA S SV% SO MIN
8 7 5 1 0 1 173 15 2.06 158 .913 1 437

The Colorado Avalanche picked up Jonas Johannson from the Buffalo Sabres in mid-January as a backup for Phillip Grubauer, with Pavel Francouz out for the season. Initially, fans weren’t sure if they were confident Johansson could fill the spot with him letting in the first shot in several of his opening games with the league.

He turned that around though and ended with 5 regulation and 1 OT win from 7 starts. There were also two games in which he was substituted due to the scoreline.

It isn’t always easy for a goaltender to shift clubs mid-season as they need to orient themselves to the different plays of their new team. It’s therefore understandable that it took Johansson a few games to settle into the Avalanche’s style of play, and more importantly their defensive play.

In the later part of the regular season, he played more games and stood strong in the net, giving the fans confidence that he could fill in should anything happen to Grubauer.

Whilst he didn’t have a perfect season, given his move to a new club, the confined nature of the season, and everything else going on, for me he showed he has potential as a backup goalie.

Devan Dubynk #40  Grade C-

GP GS W L T OT SA GA GAA S SV% SO MIN
5 5 3 2 0 0 140 16 3.26 124 .886 0 295

What a turn of events that the goaltender from one of the Avalanche fan’s arch-rivals, the Minnesota Wild and more recently the San Jose Sharks, should end up in an Avalanche jersey. And yet it happened.

Dubnyk was picked up before the trade deadline by Joe Sakic to be the #2 behind Phillip Gruabuer for the remainder of the regular season and into the post-season. He too, like Johannson joined the Club in mid-January and stepped into the goal, after Johannson.

With Dubnyk, the Avalanche picked up a veteran goalie, and whilst he knew his way around the net there were times when he looked slow compared to Grubauer and Johansson. Reasonable enough given he is six years older than Grubauer.

He too had to quickly learn the Avalanche’s brand of play, although given he has been in teams that have played against the Avalanche more times than others, he joked that he knew their play, just from the other end of the ice.

Dubnyk did a reasonable job in net, although given his experience it would have been great had he been stronger in net, and given the team more wins.

Hunter Miska #32 – Grade B

GP GS W L T OT SA GA GAA S SV% SO MIN
5 5 1 1 0 2 111 18 4.16 .838 0 260

Hunter Miska was bought up to the Colorado Avalanche from the Colorado Eagles to spell Phillip Grubauer when it was clear Pavel Francouz was not going to be able to fill in as backup goalie.

Miska was unfairly targeted by fans when he let games slip, resulting in the 2 OT losses. And yet, it was evident that it was not only his breakdowns in the net that were the problem. For a young goaltender with minimal NHL experience, he showed that he is going to be a very capable goaltender.

Considering he was dropped into the role with a set of high expectations surrounding him, I consider he did a reasonable job and with further NHL experience, he will show his strength as a backup goalie.

Pavel Francouz #39 – Out for the season

Francouz was injured before the season got really underway and ended up on the Long Term Injured Reserve list, having surgery late in the regular season. Such a letdown for everyone after the promising season he had last year.

With Grubauer UFA, it will be interesting to see whether Joe Sakic considers Francouz good enough to step into the #1 spot, should Grubauer not be re-signed. Francouz currently has one year remaining on his contract with the Avalanche.

 

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-year-end-reviews-the-goaltenders/feed/ 0 20038 Notes from Game 5: Where in the world is Nathan MacKinnon? https://www.the-rink.com/notes-from-game-5-where-in-the-world-is-nathan-mackinnon/ https://www.the-rink.com/notes-from-game-5-where-in-the-world-is-nathan-mackinnon/#respond Thu, 10 Jun 2021 17:25:18 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=20000 On Wednesday following the third consecutive loss for the Colorado Avalanche to the Vegas Golden Knights, fans were wondering where Nathan MacKinnon has been. As a fan sitting in the... Read more »

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]]> On Wednesday following the third consecutive loss for the Colorado Avalanche to the Vegas Golden Knights, fans were wondering where Nathan MacKinnon has been. As a fan sitting in the stands at Ball Arena last night, MacKinnon was very present. The issue was that for most of the game he was defended by at least two, if not three Vegas players. There was not much room for him to skate,   and credit the Vegas defense for shutting him down.

There were several occasions where MacKinnon did breakthrough and found daylight through the neutral zone, but the Golden Knights clogged the shooting lanes well, making it difficult for MacKinnon to create chances for his teammates. Mikko Rantanen was having the same issues as well. Gabriel Landeskog was the only top-line player that was not playing on the top line, so he was able to maneuver a little better on second line with Valeri Nichushkin and JT Compher. Together, they made some strong plays and had scoring opportunities that simply did not land in the back of the net.

And, while MacKinnon is the Avalanche’s best player, it cannot all fall on his shoulders to carry the team all the time. But, in a pivotal Game 5 during the biggest moments, you expect more from your stars.

Logan O’Connor was very noticeable. It was his first game back returning from injury, but you would not have guess it. When he played on the fourth line earlier in the season, you could tell he provided something to the Avs that they do not usually get. And, with Matt Calvert sidelined, O’Connor looked to give some energy to his club that got out-played the last pair of games.

While it was interesting that Jared Bednar slotted O’Connor on the third line, it was even more of a surprise that Brandon Saad was moved up to the top line. Saad has been a bright spot for the team and has kept the Avs in a lot of games in this series.

Here are some more notes from the Avs’ Game 5 loss to Vegas:

  • Ryan Graves had seven scoring opportunities with none of them landing in the back of the net. The Avalanche were looking to their defensemen to play a big part in the scoring opportunities given the Golden Knights were shutting down the forwards.

  • It was evident that Marc-Andre Fluery was struggling in the net. He gave up a lot of rebounds and did not seem to be on top of his game.

  • For the first two periods of hockey, the Avalanche looked more in control than they had in their two losses to Vegas in Sin City. Colorado was forechecking and forcing turnovers in the Vegas zone.

  • Bednar said in his postgame press conference that he was happy with the team’s play, except for those few turnovers which made the difference in the game.

  • Landeskog nailed it in his press conference after the game when he said the team needs to be ready for Game 6.

The Avalanche are now in a make-or-break situation. They play in Vegas on Thursday night. Win and they come home to Colorado for Game 7. Lose and they go home again in the second round.

No one said beating the Vegas Golden Knights would be easy, and for the Avs, it is a real test of their ability to play Stanley Cup-winning hockey if they can make this a series, and win it.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/notes-from-game-5-where-in-the-world-is-nathan-mackinnon/feed/ 0 20000 After first playoff loss, Avalanche need to reclaim 60 minute effort https://www.the-rink.com/after-first-playoff-loss-avalanche-need-to-reclaim-60-minute-effort/ https://www.the-rink.com/after-first-playoff-loss-avalanche-need-to-reclaim-60-minute-effort/#respond Sun, 06 Jun 2021 15:59:03 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19962 The Colorado Avalanche fell to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night 3-2 after being out-played for most of the game. This followed a similar performance where Colorado was able... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche fell to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night 3-2 after being out-played for most of the game. This followed a similar performance where Colorado was able to pull off an overtime win, but not this time.

Sure playing in Vegas was not going to be an easy task. Yet, if the Avalanche took their skill and desire to win that they had from the game two they could’ve had a better shot at game three.  Unfortunately that’s not what happened. Head coach Jared Bednar was not pleased in his post-game press conference and that’s something fans don’t see very often. He wouldn’t go into details about what went wrong other than to say that the team’s ‘commit’ level needed to improve. He did call out Phillipp Grubauer as the Avs’ best player of the night.

So what made the Avalanche go from a “firing on all cylinders” team that played a strong 60 minutes of hockey to one that got beat all over the ice? And yes, it was pretty much ALL over the ice. They lost face-off after face-off. With at least two power play opportunities, they couldn’t convert. And they chased the puck all night.

Don’t get me wrong, they played around 15 minutes of the great hockey, but fans know that amount does not win games. No matter how great a team is at believing in themselves when things go south and they aren’t winning puck battles anymore, it does have an emotional impact regardless of what people may think. And while Jared Bednar has had the Avalanche succeed in the past using speed and talent to win games when their strategy isn’t working, it will take something big to turn that around in this series.

So, what do the Avalanche need to do for game four?

Use visualization for starters. Many top athletes use it to get themselves into the mental headspace of achieving what they want to achieve. If the players who take faceoffs spend time visualizing themselves winning them, that will begin to happen. If the players see themselves out skating the Knights, winning the race to the puck, that will also happen. And, when they use this technique, it will unknowingly have a positive impact on their confidence level.  You might believe this is all too ‘woo woo’ for hockey, yet people today underestimate the power of thought and the mental aspect in hockey.

Mental attitude plays a bigger part in the game than anyone thinks possible. Yet, when you have a team that tells themselves they will win their Division and the President’s Trophy to gain the home-ice advantage, and it happens, that is what I am talking about. Although teams will tell you if you win the next shift, you can win the period, then win the game. Playing in a hostile environment like Vegas, let’s win the next face-off then go from there.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/after-first-playoff-loss-avalanche-need-to-reclaim-60-minute-effort/feed/ 0 19962 Colorado Avalanche: Ten takeaways from round one https://www.the-rink.com/colorado-avalanche-ten-takeaways-from-round-one/ https://www.the-rink.com/colorado-avalanche-ten-takeaways-from-round-one/#respond Mon, 24 May 2021 23:54:04 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19898 The Colorado Avalanche dispatched the St. Louis Blues in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will advance to play the winner of the Vegas and Minnesota series. Here... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche dispatched the St. Louis Blues in round one of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will advance to play the winner of the Vegas and Minnesota series.

Here are ten takeaways from the first round.

1.    Brandon Saad returns red hot

Brandon Saad had been injured and only returned in game two of the playoff series. But as you would expect from a veteran player with playoff experience, he jumped right back into the play and scored a goal in games two, three, and four.

His contribution on the ice was substantial and noticed by the commentators. Saad joined the third line with Tyson Jost and Val Nichushkin and helped the third line contribute especially when the Blues shut down the Avalanches top line.

2.    Landeskog leads by example

While Gabriel Landeskog scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in game one of the series and did something no other Avalanche player has done for many years, it was his leadership that supported the team to win the series.

Landeskog led the way in assisting and scoring at key times in several of the games. And one can only imagine his contributions in the locker room to keep the team focused on their goal of winning the Stanley Cup one game at a time. He commented at the end of game three that “Our defensive game is what’s gonna get us through.” And while he plays a key role in the forward lineup, he also supported the defensive core to shut down the Blues in many key situations.

3.    Avs rolling four lines

We saw during the regular season how deep the Avalanche was when different lines stepped up on nights when the top line was shut down and gave the Avalanche the goals they needed for a win.

This series was no exception. With Jared Bednar understanding the strengths of each and every one of his team members, not only has he worked to create lines that have chemistry on nights when the opposition is shutting down the Avs’ strengths, he hasn’t been afraid to switch things up.

Interestingly in this series Nazem Kadri played games one and two in his usual role of centering the 2nd line. But when he was suspended Bednar commented that he wasn’t going to move anyone else up into that position because the other lines, namely three and four were clicking and he didn’t want to disrupt them. Hence the move to fill Kadri’s place with JT Compher.

4.    Phillipp Grubauer shines

What can you say about Phillip Grubauer other than he was so strong during this series. For the four games he has a 1.75 goals against average and a save percentage of .936. Over the four games in the series the Blues scored a total of seven goals from 110 shots. Colorado’s defensive core has supported Grubauer during this four game stretch, especially in a couple of instances where he found himself out of the net. Ryan Graves was amongst a number of team members saving the shots in support of Grubauer.

Phillip Grubauer came up big when he needed to. In each game he made at least one if not two spectacular saves that kept the Avalanche in the game. Many of the big saves were at times in the games that could have turned the tide the Blues way. Even though the Avalanche were the stronger team, allowing goals creates an emotional shift in a game. Grubauer didn’t let that happen very often during the series.

5.    No serious injuries (fingers crossed)

If you watched all four games, you probably saw the sacrifice the Avs players endured with all of the hits and blocked shots.  Yet Colorado came away with no serious injuries. At least until there is confirmation that Alex Newhook is not out longer-term, which is our understanding so far.

Given the physical nature of this series that is a pretty amazing feat. The Blues seemed determined to injure or take out some of the key Avalanche players, initially targeting Tyson Jost, then Samuel Girard. Mikko Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi were also being targeted. But while players fell awkwardly or were tossed hard into the boards, no one sustained serious enough injury to take them out of the game long term.

6.    Defense, defense, defense

Watching Colorado’s defensive core of Samuel Girard, Devon Toews, Cale Makar, Ryan Graves, Patrik Nemeth, and Connor Timmins do what they do best is a testament to not only the players themselves but also the coaching staff. Not in a long time has the Avalanche had the depth and strength in their D core to be seen as one of the tops in the League.

Any hockey fan knows that a team can be great offensively but without a strong defense they lose. Not only does the Colorado Avalanche have a very strong set of defensemen, but those same defensemen also aren’t afraid to jump up into the play and play offensive hockey. Look at the number of times Cale Makar is being credited with either scoring goals or getting an assist. Ryan Graves is fast becoming another player to do that same thing. Samuel Girard is also strong in both defense and offense.

7.    Alex Newhook scores first NHL goal

Alex Newhook played only six regular-season games before the end of the season and then played his first Playoff games in this series. He had tallied three assists in the six games he’d played, but no goals, so imagine the excitement when he nailed his first NHL goal in game three of the series.

Newhook commented in an interview during the third game that he was a little nervous before taking the shot, but watching the look on his face after the shot went in, I am sure that was temporary.

His teammates, both those on the ice and on the bench helped him celebrate this wonderful milestone in his NHL career. Ryan Graves even fought to get him the game puck so he had a momento.

8.    Ball Arena hosts nearly 7,500 fans

The Avalanche knew that if they won the President’s Trophy they would have home-ice advantage for the entire playoff series. They know the depth of support they have from their fans, at home, in Ball Arena. That was evident in the noise that could be heard in game two on Wednesday night May 19th. Colorado Avalanche fans love their team and when they are at Ball Arena they show that support stronger than ever.

As a fan that attended game two, not only was there support throughout the entire game for the team but the chants of “Go Avs Go” and “Let’s Go Avalanche” on the way out of the stadium following the game was extraordinary. Avalanche fans are passionate. And that goes for the ones that don’t make it into the arena too. Many of the Sports bars around Denver were full of fans cheering just as loud as those in Ball Arena, as was evidenced by the packed DNVR Sports bar for game three.

9.    Conn Smythe favorite up for grabs

Peter Baugh a journalist with the Athletic asked Avalanche fans at the end of the series who was their pick for MVP. Some fans found it easy to respond with Nathan MacKinnon, others as strongly with Phillipp Grubauer. Then others thought it was Gabriel Landeskog.

Some chose other players such as Brandon Saad, and even Jared Bednar got a mention. I agree with one of the fans in that I found it hard to find one play to pick as the most valuable. Each of the four games was different and for each one there were a number of players that stood out. Ryan Graves for his spectacular defensive plays for example. I lost count of the number of times PE Bellemare threw himself in line of the puck during most of the games. Different players were valuable at different times.

The one thing that was evident throughout the entire series was that this was teamwork, nothing but teamwork from the entire Avalanche team. No one player let the team down. Each player contributed and each player stepped up when they were needed the most. When someone made a mistake, another player stood up and put the puck on the net to score.

I’d say the entire squad were MVP’s for this series.

10.           The Stats

Goals: Avalanche 20   STL 7

SOG: Avalanche  145   STL 110

Faceoff%: Avalanche won game 2 & 3  STL won game 1 & 4

Power Play: Avalanche 6/12  STL 2/9

PIM: Avalanche 33  STL 33

Hits: Avalanche 63  STL 113

Blocks: Avalanche 62  STL 62

Giveaways: Avalanche 34  STL 40

Takeaways: Avalanche 30  STL 22

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/colorado-avalanche-ten-takeaways-from-round-one/feed/ 0 19898 Avalanche sweep Blues, advance to second round https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-sweep-blues-advance-to-second-round/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-sweep-blues-advance-to-second-round/#respond Mon, 24 May 2021 04:19:37 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19891 The Colorado Avalanche defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 Sunday to sweep the series and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It wasn’t the best game... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-2 Sunday to sweep the series and advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. It wasn’t the best game of the series for Colorado, but the broadcasters on Altitude TV mentioned the team was rolling all four lines despite a regular season feel. But for some reason, there wasn’t much desperation for it being an elimination game.

Regardless, the game came down to the wire with the Blues trying their hardest to push the series to a fifth game. Unfortunately for them, it was too hard to stop the Colorado Avalanche who proved to be the better team.

First Period

Mark Rycroft of Altitude TV was asked before the game how we will know if the Avalanche are on track to win the game? His response was, “Tape to tape passes versus Tommy turnovers in the first ten minutes of the game.”

The pace was slow to start the period with both teams feeling each other out. The Avalanche did have some close chances, but none went in. Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly had an opportunity to try and bank the puck off of Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer’s shoulder, but Grubauer made a great save to keep the Blues off the scoreboard.

Similar to in game one, Coach Bednar called for short shifts, trying to get the momentum going. Alex Newhook took a big hit from a Blues defenseman and slid into the boards looking like he injured his back. He slowly made it to the bench then left for the dressing room to not return.

Late in the period, Ryan O’Reilly put the puck on net and Grubauer missed it as he was screened. But Ryan Graves saved the day again, just as he had in game one. The first penalty of the game came when Mikko Rantanen was called for tripping St. Louis forward Vladimir Tarasenko with two minutes left in the period. The Blues weren’t able to capitalize and the period ended with no score with shots on goal nine for Colorado and four for St. Louis.

Second Period

The Avalanche started the second period with time to kill on the penalty and they did that successfully. With 15:35 remaining in the period, Tarasenko sprung loose on a breakaway and scored the first goal of the game.  It was the first lead of the series for St. Louis.

Nearly halfway through the period and the shots on goal were the Avalanche 16 and Blues 9.

With 8:23 remaining, Cale Makar found Brandon Saad in the slot on the powerplay who let a wrist shot go and it hit the back of the net tying the game at one. Philipp Grubauer had passed the puck out to Cale Makar who then sent the puck to Saad, so Grubauer registered his first assist for the Playoffs.

That goal gave the Avalanche the momentum they needed when three minutes later Gabe Landeskog tipped in a Samuel Girard shot to give the Avalanche the lead.

Third Period

Brandon Saad was interviewed in the second intermission and when asked what the Avalanche needed to do in the third period he responded with “Keep it simple. The only chances they get are the ones we give them.”

The third period was going to be make or break time for the Blues. Avalanche players were peppering the net with good shots and at one point Jordan Binnington was laying on the puck as it was the only way to stop the Avalanche from scoring.

The commentators noted that at this point in the series that Connor Timmins and Patrik Nemeth were the only two Avalanche players without points on the entire team. That shows the depth of this team.

Mikko Rantanen silenced the crowd at Enterprise Center when he put the Avs in front 3-1 on a beautiful pass from Nathan MacKinnon.

With just under two minutes remaining in the period, the Blues pulled Binnington. Not long after that Nathan MacKinnon was hit with a high stick and a double minor was called that sealed the game for the Avalanche.

This, of course, put Colorado on the power play but with the empty net, it remained five on five hockey as the Blues put an extra attacker on the ice. This didn’t stop the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon from scoring the first of two empty-net goals, with the second by Valeri Nichuchskin with only two seconds remaining.

The final score was 5-2 giving the Avalanche the first round sweep.

Gabriel Landeskog in his post-game interview said “Our defensive game is what’s gonna get us through. It was tonight.”

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-sweep-blues-advance-to-second-round/feed/ 0 19891 Why did Nazem Kadri snap in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? https://www.the-rink.com/why-did-nazem-kadri-snap-in-game-2-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/ https://www.the-rink.com/why-did-nazem-kadri-snap-in-game-2-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/#respond Sat, 22 May 2021 14:32:08 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19872 Why did Nazem Kadri snap and hit Justin Faulk in the head during the third period of the Colorado Avalanche-St. Louis Blues game on May 19? Who knows? As someone... Read more »

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]]> Why did Nazem Kadri snap and hit Justin Faulk in the head during the third period of the Colorado Avalanche-St. Louis Blues game on May 19? Who knows?

As someone interested in the mental aspect of the game though, I wish I could jump into his head, even just for a little while, to gain some understanding of what happened. As other teams’ fans will know, this is not the first time this has happened with Kadri, and yet since he moved to the Avalanche 18 months ago, he has not done anything like this. Is it the added tension of the playoffs that causes him to make these types of play?

Kadri had a frustrating regular season this year. He had not produced nearly as much as he did last year. There have been a number of times when Head Coach Jared Bednar commented on not being happy with Kadri’s play. And yet, the stats do not show that he had a horrible regular season.

SeasonGPGAP+/-PIMPPGPPPSHGSHPGWGOTGSS%FO%
2019-2051191736797411001013314.356.76
2020-2156112132-7343900301706.552.76

What is the most telling with these stats is that his penalty minutes dropped significantly to the lowest it has been since the 2014–15 season when he was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is 1/3 of what it was in 2019–20 when Kadri first joined the Avalanche. Given the shortened season and the breaks that were mandatory for COVID-19, Kadri was the only player to play all 56 games, so his stats are reasonable considering.

When you listen to Kadri speak about his play though, it is easy to consider that he may be someone that puts a lot of pressure on himself. For that sort of person, when they are not performing the way they think they should be, an inner tension builds. Often when that happens, the frustration boils over and manifests as outward anger. The crazy thing is that it is much more about what is going on internally for that player than anything else.

Watching the play at Ball Arena on Wednesday night, it was clear that Kadri did hit Faulk in the head. I do not condone any form of that, because while hockey is a tough sport, no one deserves to receive a head injury, especially at the hands of someone else.

During both Game 1 and Game 2 between the Blues and the Avalanche though, there were a lot of plays that in the regular season would have been called as penalties. This has not been the case during either game. Apparently, that is the nature of playoff hockey. But, even watching the game as a spectator, you have no idea what is being said or done in truth, on the ice, player to player.

The Blues play with a disruptive mindset. They like to check and push and try and create tension in the game. It has not been the way the Avalanche play games, so meeting that at a different playoff level may be hard to take.

In the end, Kadri was given an eight-game suspension by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. The Avalanche have lost a valuable player in their second-line center. After Game 1, fans and others commentated that he had not done much, yet the stats showed otherwise.

Having Kadri out of the Avalanche lineup will make a difference to the team. Will the team adjust?

Bednar said that Carl Soderberg would play in the lineup in place of Kadri, but would not comment on the line combinations for Game 3.

The options

  • Alex Newhook to center the second line with Burakovsky and Donskoi. Is he up to it?
  • Tyson Jost to move up, but that would disrupt the productive Brandon Saad, Jost, and Valeri Nichuchskin third line.

In Game 2, the hit on Faulk appeared to give the Blues momentum, as they put on 11 shots during the five-minute power play. Let’s hope the Avalanche lineup handles whatever the Blues throw at them in the upcoming games in this round.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/why-did-nazem-kadri-snap-in-game-2-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/feed/ 0 19872 Game recap: Colorado Avalanche beat the Blues in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs https://www.the-rink.com/game-recap-colorado-avalanche-beat-the-blues-in-game-1-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/ https://www.the-rink.com/game-recap-colorado-avalanche-beat-the-blues-in-game-1-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/#respond Tue, 18 May 2021 22:17:00 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19858 The hype was strong! Nearly 8,000 fans were allowed back into Ball Arena to watch this first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche received some good pregame... Read more »

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]]> The hype was strong! Nearly 8,000 fans were allowed back into Ball Arena to watch this first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Colorado Avalanche received some good pregame news. All of their injured players except those already on LTIR would be back for the game, apart from Bowen Byram still on concussion protocol. Nathan MacKinnon, Brandon Saad and Connor Timmins all returned from injury.

Period one

Head Coach Jared Bednar rolled the Avs on short shifts early to get the nervous energy worked out of the players. Starting his first playoff shift for the Avalanche, Alex Newhook played smart hockey.  Philipp Grubauer made some strong early saves, while a Vladimir Tarasenko shot rang off the post with a ding. Passing for the Avalanche became a problem, with the St. Louis Blues easily jumping passes.

Nazem Kadri registered the first shot on goal for the Avalanche at around the 14-minute mark in the period, illustrating the extent that the Blues had control of the early part of the first period. Watching the game, you knew it was not going to take much for that to change, however.

At 10:47 in the first, Gabriel Landeskog had a fight with Brayden Schenn for taking Mikko Rantanen off his feet. There was no penalty called on the hit on Rantanen. The crowd at Ball Arena went wild.

The Avalanche went on their first power play of the night with 5:56 remaining after Ryan O’Reilly was called for tripping MacKinnon. In what was going to be a theme for this game, as Robert Bortuzzo knocked down Rantanen at the end of the power play—with no penalty called.

At 15:15 in the first, Cale Makar scored a power play goal to put Colorado up 1–0. While the Blues dominated shots in the earlier part of the period, the tables eventually turned, with the Avs outshooting the Blues 15–1 over a later stretch.

At the same time, the Avalanche defensive corps put their bodies on the line to support Grubauer. The Blues could not do anything offensively, as the Avs shut them down.

Peter McNab from Altitude TV commented at the end of the period that Colorado was taking it to St. Louis.

At the end of the period, the Avalanche had 18 shots and the Blues just five.  The other thing making the difference was the Avalanche going 56.5% in the faceoff circle.

Period two

Devon Toews did not start the second period. Panic ensued for a moment with the thought of another Avalanche player injured, but 30 seconds in, Toews returned to the bench seemingly ready to continue. The Blues’ Justin Faulk was called for slashing Sam Girard, and the Avalanche went on the power play at 19:00 in the period. However, the Blues’ penalty kill shut the Avs down, allowing zero shots on goal.

There were several instances where the Blues seemed to get away with non-calls on obvious penalties, but welcome to playoff hockey. JT Compher took a high stick, for example, with no call. At the same time, the Blues had a bit more control of the action early in the second than at the end of the first period.

Marc Moser of Altitude TV commented that the Blues were more structured at the beginning of the second. However, by seven minutes into the period, the Avalanche had already added another five shots on goal.

Ryan Graves was called for delay of game at 12:50—the first penalty the Avalanche had taken all game. While the Avalanche were on the penalty kill, they had two good shorthanded opportunities. The penalty kill was strong, including several key saves by Grubauer. The Blues did manage to put two shots on the net, though.

The one thing the Avalanche were doing this period was generating lots of shots on the net. Many close shots by both Rantanen and Kadri did not go in thanks to stellar effort by St. Louis netminder Jordan Binnington. Halfway through the period, the Blues called for hooking Andre Burakovsky, which provided yet another chance for the Avalanche to score on the power play.

There appeared to be some shenanigans at play when Faulk slid the net off its moorings with no one else in the play. It seemed like the Blues were starting to figure out they had to do something to change the arc of the game. The Avalanche did not score on a power play, a missed opportunity. They did generate two more sots on goal.

https://twitter.com/emily_wade/status/1394497654072041475?s=21

The Blues were pushing hard trying to score when Grubauer ended up out of his crease. No problem. Graves saved the day with an amazing intervention. That’s teamwork!

The Blues’ Jordan Kyrou evened the score with 3:23 remaining in the second period after Kyrou appeared to hold Kadri’s stick—which was let go by the referees. Up until this point, it looked like the Avalanche were chasing the Blues in this period.

Fans that bought a ticket to this game were getting their money’s worth. Tyson Jost took off on a breakaway and came close to scoring another goal for the Avalanche, but the puck ended up caught in the back of Binningtons pads.

At the end of the second period, the game was tied at 1–1, the Avalanche with 32 shots and the Blues with 16. The Avalanche still won 52.3% of the faceoffs, with the Blues appearing to do a lot of clutching and grabbing.

Period three

While the Avalanche did not have the terrific second period fans have been used to in the regular season, they were certainly not out of the game by any means. The Avs continued to look like the stronger team. At 19:30 in the period, that was proven when MacKinnon buried one after a pass from Rantanen, making the score 2–1.

Valeri Nichushkin had an amazing breakaway opportunity four minutes into the period, but yet again, it was stopped by Binnington. Landeskog had another perfect chance to score off a Saad feed, but this too was stopped.

Graves took his second penalty of the night at 14:28 in the period. To describe the penalty kill: Nichushkin strong, Grubauer even stronger. The Avalanche successfully killed the penalty.

With 11:42 on the clock, MacKinnon took a high stick with no call. Maybe this motivated the Avalanche, because only 12 seconds later, MacKinnon let a snipe shot go, and Landeskog deflected it. Avalanche lead: 3–1.

With that goal, Landeskog registered a rare Gordie Howe hat trick—a fight, an assist, and a goal—not in that order, of course. Halfway through the third period, it was clear the momentum has shifted back to the Avalanche.

With a little under 10 minutes left to play, the Avalanche had put 42 shots on goal. Binnington had been given a workout in game one by the Avs. The third was another period of play where the top line of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen and the defensemen mounted significant pressure and chances off rebounds with no score.

And while Grubauer did not see as much action as Binnington did, he was coming up strong yet again at the other end. Grubauer got cut down by a Blues player, and no penalty was called, something he was not happy about. Then, Graves performed his second super sliding save of the night to stop the Blues from getting back on the scoreboard.

With 1:50 left on the clock, the Avalanche had amassed a huge 49–23 advantage in shots. And with just over a minute to go, MacKinnon scored yet again to make the final score 4–1 Colorado.

Third star — Cale Makar

Second star — Nathan MacKinnon

First star — Gabriel Landeskog

What’s next?

With Game 1 in the bag, the Avalanche get a day to look at the mistakes they made and work on those before coming back to Ball Arena for Game 2 Wednesday night.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/game-recap-colorado-avalanche-beat-the-blues-in-game-1-of-the-stanley-cup-playoffs/feed/ 0 19858 When will Bowen Byram return from his concussion? https://www.the-rink.com/when-will-bowen-byram-return-from-his-concussion/ https://www.the-rink.com/when-will-bowen-byram-return-from-his-concussion/#respond Mon, 17 May 2021 14:02:47 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19848 While a great picture published by the Colorado Avalanche on May 15 showed a happy Bowen Byram and Liam O’Brien together, what was of note was the tinted visor on... Read more »

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]]> While a great picture published by the Colorado Avalanche on May 15 showed a happy Bowen Byram and Liam O’Brien together, what was of note was the tinted visor on Byram’s helmet.

Such a helmet was seen by Avalanche fans earlier in the season when Matt Calvert was injured in a hit that resulted in him again going into concussion protocol and has resulted in him missing most of the Avalanche’s season.

Byram, who was having a promising start to his NHL career, was hit by Keegan Kolesar of the Vegas Golden Knights on March 25. In the replay of the hit, it was clear that Kolesar left his feet and hit Byram high, yet there was no penalty on the Vegas player.

Byram left the ice as it was clear he was not okay after it. He did not return during that game and has not played since.

Conor Timmins is the other Avalanche player to have had his career severely impacted by a concussion. Timmins missed an entire 12 months, and there was discussion as to whether the injury would ultimately end his NHL career before it got started.

The NHL rule that should have been imposed for this incident

Rule 42 relates to charging and is the rule in question with the Byram incident.

42.1 Charging – A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates, jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge” may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame, or in open ice.

Given the nature of the connection with Byram at the time of impact and the description of the rule, it seems pretty clear that Kolesar should have at least been called for charging. The referees for this game did nothing.

Given that was the case and no on-ice penalty called, then surely the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, upon review, had the chance to do something. But, that did not happen either.

Are the rules regarding hits and concussions proper?

The Department of Player Safety will review plays deemed dangerous and penalize players for them. Why, then, was the play on Byram not reviewed and considered unsafe so that Kolesar could not continue to play?

In the Department of Player Safety FAQs, there is a question of “Why is injury taken into account when deciding supplemental discipline? What other factors are taken into account?” Here is the answer to that question:

Per Article 18.2 in the CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA:

“… In deciding on Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct, the following factors will be taken into account:

(a) The type of conduct involved: conduct in violation of League Playing Rules, and whether the conduct is intentional or reckless, and involves the use of excessive and unnecessary force. Players are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

(b) Injury to the opposing Player(s) involved in the incident.

(c) The status of the offender and, specifically, whether the Player has a history of being subject to Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct. Players who repeatedly violate League Playing Rules will be more severely punished for each new violation.

(d) The situation of the game in which the incident occurred, for example: late in the game, lopsided score, prior events in the game.

(e) Such other factors as may be appropriate in the circumstances.”

So, if a player leaves their feet and hits another player, is the league saying that it is not intentional and, therefore, regardless of the injury, there is no supplemental discipline to be handed out?

Surely the fact that a player leaves the ice under concussion protocol should be a factor taken into consideration.

It is interesting to note that Kolesar has made these types of hits on other players before and has not been suspended for them, either. How do I know that? Searching for the video of the impact on Alex Newhook and noting the tweets shown from as far back as 2014 mentioned such hits on other players. Maybe he is one player that has worked out how to hit another player and for the impact not to be deemed severe enough for a penalty.

Where are the rules protecting the player?

Hockey is a contact sport, and players playing in the NHL, or any league for that matter, understand that. The players sustain injuries that mean they have sprains, dislocations and sometimes breaks that require surgery. Again, it is a given that playing the physical game that is hockey, with the speed that it is played, that injuries will occur. But, where is the line drawn around brain injuries? A concussion and its impact on the players’ life are at a completely different level.

People might argue that the player chooses to continue playing after receiving a concussion; therefore, the league is not responsible. Others might consider that the rules may need to be changed to penalize players after the incident, especially where it is clear the injured player has sustained a severe concussion that impacts their ability to play.

The Department of Player Safety only reviews video footage of an incident straight after it occurs, so it cannot consider the longer-term impacts of something such as a concussion. The three Avalanche players are a testament to the long-term effects of sustaining a concussion, and not in a good way.

Byram, Calvert and Timmins are not the only players in the NHL to have sustained a severe concussion from playing the game, either.

Maybe it is time the NHL changed the rules to consider and review the strength of the concussion. Please do not ask me how the rule would work. That is something that the players and the NHL would need to work out. But, if a hit like that placed on Byram can have him out of play for the last 23 regular season games, doesn’t that say something? Calvert has missed far more, and every time Timmins is hit, I would wager that Avalanche fans hope it is not a concussion-related injury he sustains, because if that were to occur, who knows if he would play again.

The Avalanche have not yet released a timeline for Byram’s return, as it is not clear when he will no longer have concussion symptoms.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/when-will-bowen-byram-return-from-his-concussion/feed/ 0 19848 Belief played a big part in the Avalanche Presidents’ Trophy win https://www.the-rink.com/belief-played-a-big-part-in-the-avalanche-presidents-trophy-win/ https://www.the-rink.com/belief-played-a-big-part-in-the-avalanche-presidents-trophy-win/#respond Sun, 16 May 2021 01:31:45 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19840 At the start of the season, more than one Colorado Avalanche player talked about the fact that they all wanted to win the Western Division so they had home ice... Read more »

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]]> At the start of the season, more than one Colorado Avalanche player talked about the fact that they all wanted to win the Western Division so they had home ice for the playoffs. The other thing a number of the players said was wanting to win the Stanley Cup. So far, one of the two has happened despite the odds.

Two breaks due to COVID-19

The Avalanche were the only team in the entire NHL to be impacted by two COVID-19-related breaks.

On Feb. 6, the Avalanche had five games postponed due to four players testing positive with COVID-19. All of the team’s facilities were shut down and the season put on hold. Gabriel Landeskog was one of the players that contracted the virus, but the others were unnamed.

On April 16, three new players tested positive for COVID-19. They were Bowen Byram, Joonas Donskoi and Philipp Grubauer. Then, Mikko Rantanen was also put on the watch list due to the contact-tracing requirement. This meant that the Avalanche’s season was suspended for three games, right at the end of the season and right when they were in first place in both the Western Division and the league.

Players that had contracted COVID-19 and returned had to go through specific heart monitoring and other testing to ensure they were fit enough to return to play. In the final stretch of the season, the Avalanche’s newly acquired backup goalie Devan Dubynk also contracted COVID-19 and missed the last six games of the season.

Third in the league with total game time losses for injured players

The Avalanche had nearly 350 man games lost due to injury this season. The St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks were the only teams with more than 350. Despite the large amount of lost time all due to injuries to the NHL rostered players, the Avalanche still came away with the most regulation wins in the entire NHL.

What does that say for the players that stepped in to take the place of those injured? It says a lot. The Avalanche have had wonderful support this year from the AHL players on the Colorado Eagles’ roster; they have stepped in time and time again and done the job required of them.

When you listened to the players talk, what you heard them say was they had the “next man up” mentality. Everyone knew it was a total team effort, whoever was on the team at the time, in order to get the team the wins they needed to win the title of best in the West, and ultimately the Presidents’ Trophy.

As fans saw, players came into the Avalanche lineup happy to play their part.

AHL players played their part

Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar spoke a number of times throughout the season about the work being done by the team’s administration to watch what was happening at Loveland and bring up players that were standing out. The way the Colorado Eagles are being trained is the match for the play by the Avalanche, which means players coming up know exactly the style of play expected of them.

In this regular season, Kyle Burroughs, Sheldon Dries, Daniel Gilbert, Martin Kaut, Jacob MacDonald, Jason Megna, Keaton Middleton, Hunter Miska, Alex Newhook, Liam O’Brien, Dan Renouf, Keifer Sherwood, TJ Tynan and Adam Werner all played a part in the Avalanche getting to where they ended up.

Without the support and buy-in of each and every one of these players, it would not have been possible. In past years when players from the AHL were bought up to fill gaps, it was clear they were not easily able to make the jump to the NHL. This season, for most of these players, that was not the case.

They were ready. They handled the pace. They bought into the systems being used and they produced for the team.

The Avalanche players stepped up

On nights when the Avalanche had lost top players, someone else stepped up and made the difference. With the number of injuries, it was a case of who would go out next. Most of the Avalanche’s top-six players, with the exception of Nazem Kadri, have been out at points during the season. That was either due to injury or having contracted COVID-19.

Logan O’Connor played a really important role on the Avalanche’s fourth line before sustaining a season-ending injury. Conor Timmins has become a dependable defenseman since the Avalanche lost veteran Eric Johnson early in the season. Byram made his NHL debut and automatically held his place in the squad due to his tenacity. Newhook, after only playing six games in the AHL, also stepped into the Avalanche lineup, and Bednar now has the dilemma of whether to leave Newhook in the lineup instead of others.

These young players know what this team wants and that is to win the Stanley Cup. They all played their part in believing they could become division champions. It was that belief that had them step up and assist on or score game-winning goals when they were needed.

Now, it is time to continue with their belief: The belief the team had that this is their year—it is their year to win the Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche team of 2001 won both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup, so it is possible. And, the continued belief in themselves will go a long way to making it happen.

The playoff slogan is “ascend as one!” Let’s hope the Avalanche continue to believe in their own ability to win the Stanley Cup.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/belief-played-a-big-part-in-the-avalanche-presidents-trophy-win/feed/ 0 19840 Is Hunter Miska an NHL-level goalie? https://www.the-rink.com/is-hunter-miska-an-nhl-level-goalie/ https://www.the-rink.com/is-hunter-miska-an-nhl-level-goalie/#respond Sat, 20 Mar 2021 21:03:05 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19471 In the game between the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks on March 16, Hunter Miska was Colorado’s starting goalie, yet was not the finishing goalie. He only played one period... Read more »

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]]> In the game between the Colorado Avalanche and Anaheim Ducks on March 16, Hunter Miska was Colorado’s starting goalie, yet was not the finishing goalie. He only played one period of the game in goal before Avalanche Head Coach Jared Bednar put in the Avalanche’s No. 1 goaltender, Philipp Grubauer.

Watching the game, it was clear that Miska was struggling in goal, but why?

Miska’s AHL career

Hunter began his AHL career in 2017–18 playing for the Tucson Roadrunners before joining the Colorado Eagles for the 2019–20 season.

Season AHL Team GP GAA SV% SO WLT
2017-18 Roadrunners 36 2.63 .901 1 22-9-0
2018-19 Roadrunners 25 3.08 .895 0 10-8-5
2019-20 Eagles 26 2.48 .924 2 16-6-4

The standard AHL season is 68 games in total for the Pacific Division teams, of which the Colorado Eagles are one. Last season, Miska suited up for less than half of the games played and ended with a .924 save percentage and a 2.48 goals against average—impressive stats for a goalie.

This is why the Avalanche had flagged him as an additional goalie for the 2020–21 season as a back-up should anything happen to either Grubauer or Pavel Francouz.

Interestingly, In his first AHL season with the Eagles in 2018–19, Francouz played 49 of the 68 games and had a 2.68 goals against average with a .918 save percentage.

Considering Miska played far fewer games than Francouz, his stats were better.

Miska’s NHL career

Miska did not get any time playing up for the Colorado Avalanche during the 2019–20 season. But, with the long-term injury to Francouz, he got his chance to play back-up to Grubauer in this 2020–21 season.

Prior to starting the season, Miska’s last AHL game was played on March 11, 2020, and 10 months later, he started his first Avalanche game on Jan. 21, 2021. He then played in goal 10 days later on Jan. 31 before being sent back to the Eagles for one game on Feb. 24.

His next start for the Avalanche was on Feb. 26, nearly one month later, and has since played on March 6 and March 16.

Grubauer, on the other hand, has started 23 games in net.

The team’s response

Do you remember back to when Semyon Varlamov was still the Avalanche’s No. 1 goalie and they picked up Grubauer? The team responded by not trusting Grubauer and leaving the defense wide open at the front of the net. The Avalanche continued to do that game after game until Grubauer kept standing on his head to make those big saves that then had the team trust him.

Now, the team sings Grubauer’s praises and talk about trust with regards to him being in net.

When Francouz was bought up from the AHL, it took a few games for the team to settle into trusting him in goal, too. For Francouz, he was getting regular game time due to injury concerns with Grubauer.

So, what about what is happening now with Miska? Bednar said in his March 16 presser, not for the first time, that the team had hung Miska out to dry. Yes, Bednar also stated that Miska could have made a couple of saves, and that would have made the difference, but he pointed out how the defensive play overall made a difference.

Miska has played five games so far this season. Five. Grubauer, on the other hand, has played 24.

The Avalanche want to win the Cup

Since the Avalanche finished and left the bubble in Canada during last year’s playoff run, the team has been stronger than ever in their message that this will be the year they win the Stanley Cup.

With COVID-19, the entire NHL season has been rearranged and the teams now play far fewer games in order to claim their place in the playoffs.

Has this had an impact on the ability to give Miska the starts that he needs to prove if he is an NHL-calibre goalie? I think it has.

A goalie needs time on the ice. A new goalie needs time playing in games with the team in order to find the chemistry to work with and for them. Miska has not had that opportunity, only playing five very spread out games.

It is fine for fans to say, “But the goalie needs to be ready to go.” But, look at it this way: You change jobs and are thrown into a new team and expected to deliver. No one trusts you because they do not know what you can do. Therefore, they do not give you things to do. You are sitting there with abilities and knowledge that you cannot use. And, when you are given something to do, they do not explain “how it is done here,” so you do it and it is not right. More reason for the team to not like you and wish you had not been put in the job.

That is what Miska is facing right now. He has been put into a team that knows itself. There is chemistry between the players, processes that they follow for plays, etc. Miska has been thrown into that environment at random times and expected to deliver 100, no, 110% every time.

No matter what you say, that is unrealistic.

Is Miska an NHL-level goalie? You cannot honestly answer that question without first letting him experience fitting into the team and showing what he can do. This season is not the season for that to happen.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/is-hunter-miska-an-nhl-level-goalie/feed/ 0 19471 Avalanche Consistency Stars For the Week https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-consistency-stars-for-the-week/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-consistency-stars-for-the-week/#respond Wed, 17 Mar 2021 15:00:21 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19413 As a hockey fan you will have heard commentator after commentator talk about consistency and how important it is for teams, especially when they have their sights set on the... Read more »

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]]> As a hockey fan you will have heard commentator after commentator talk about consistency and how important it is for teams, especially when they have their sights set on the Stanley Cup., which is something the Colorado Avalanche have spoken about.

At the end of each Avalanche game, stars are awarded to players for their effort on the night. As a fan, I applaud those stars, especially when one, two or three Avalanche players are named, but I want to award stars for consistency.

Starting this week The-Rink Avalanche team will be awarding consistency stars for the past week of games played, which with this compacted season will be 3-4 games.

Here are this past weeks Star players for the four games played between March 6th – 12th inclusive.

Given that the Colorado Avalanche had four players who have been consistently showing up and playing their best, or better, each and every game this week and a fifth player who has been just as good, it made it difficult to pick the most consistent player. Awarding five stars to each of the first four players was an easy choice.

Jacob MacDonald

What can you not say about how consistent MacDonald has been? Night after night he is showing up and playing a big part in the Avalanches strong defensive game. MacDonald has been making the hits, jumping in the way of passes, going after the puck, and basically making a nuisance of himself on the ice. Just what the Avalanche need to stop their opponents from scoring goals.

MacDonald has very quickly gone to playing 20 minutes on the ice. That’s a big leap for a player that only joined the Avalanche organization in 2019 and went straight to the NHL. He has played 13 games in total with the NHL so far this season, four of which are in this past week.

Jacob MacDonald has quickly become a solid part of the Avalanches Defensive core due to his consistency. Go back to the start of the season and the thought of MacDonald being on the team would have led to people being worried. The aim would have been to shield him in a small role, when actually, if you look back, has he given you a moment of worry over the past week? He hasn’t for me. 

Logan O’Connor

Wow! Logan O’Connor has certainly earned and deserves his place in this Avalanche team. He came into play on the Fourth line with injuries to Matt Calvert and PE Bellemare and his consistent play to score and deliver pucks on the net has been outstanding.

Coach Bednar in a recent post-game press conference said that O’Connor won’t be going anywhere because he is the one player consistently getting in the way of opposition players. He is averaging 11 minutes on the ice, but for each and every minute of that ice time, he is delivering.

Logan along with his fourth line teammates in Calvert and Bellemare are a force to be reckoned with when they are on the ice. During these past four games, he’s put 5 SOG and scored once. And the other four were awfully close shaves.

Another positive note has been his penalty-killing skills. O’Connor has played in relief of Calvert, Bellemare and JT Compher recently, all of which are key to the Avs penalty kill. O’Connor stepped in, taking their place 5on5 and also ensured no gaps appeared on the penalty kill. Long term he is expected to be a penalty killing fourth liner on this team, and right now he is showing he is more than ready for it.

Valerie Nichushkin

Nichushkin had a slow start to this season. Then all of a sudden in the game against the Anaheim Ducks he stepped up and hasn’t stopped during the other games this week. Val has found his drive. He now takes that puck and will not stop until he is in front of the net aiming to put the puck in the back of it.

During this week’s games, he put 12 shots on the net and scored 1 Goal and 1 Assist.  Nichushkin has been the player that has broken through when it looks as if the Avs just weren’t going to get that game win. He has been delivering pucks to his teammates at key times.

You know when he’s on the ice, no matter what line he is playing on, he is going to deliver. The cynics out there will say that Nichushkin is a streaky player and goes through stages like this. They are of course right, but it is only fair to highlight good weeks as we know Twitter will be quick to point out the bad. The more week’s like this one from Nichushkin the better as far as the Avs are concerned. 

Samuel Girard

Sam Girard’s game has improved leaps and bounds this season. He stands strong and defends the puck, no longer easily being pushed off it. He drives the puck and is strong in his defensive position. During these past four games, Sammy G has been another one of the core parts of the Avalanches ability to close down their opposition and keep them to 3 scoring shots per game.

His Time On Ice (TOI) has jumped to be on average around 26 minutes, yet Coach Bednar has so much faith in him that he had him play nearly 30 minutes last game. He has a role on the top power-play unit and although that hasn’t been scoring, he has been playing his part consistently.

Girard often misses the plaudits on this team, because if we are not talking about Cale Makar then we are talking about newcomer Devon Toews or up and coming stud Bowen Byram. He’s had two of those three out of the way recently, and Girard has shined exactly as we hoped he would, while also handling the most responsibility he has been given in his career so far.

This Weeks Honorable Mention

Tyson Jost

In the past four games, Tyson Jost has shown the true player that he is. He has been fast and active. Taking the puck and working the space behind the net. He’s been strong in his defensive play in the corners. His game has been strong, just not quite as consistently strong as the other four players that have been called out above.

Jost was a borderline player at the end of last season. He didn’t appear to have a place, and whilst there were one or two shows of brilliance, it wasn’t consistent. This season so far, that’s changed. He has been showing up consistently and doing things that make a difference.

He appears to have found his feet again and be playing his natural game.

However, this may now be what we have to expect from Jost. For the first time since being drafted back in 2016, Jost looks comfortable on this team. He may not be hitting the scoreboard on a regular basis, but his penalty killing has been excellent, and on both the third and fourth lines, he has put up some impressive defensive numbers. 

The pressure on Jost to succeed has been taken away a little this season and that has allowed him to find a game he can play with great success.

Interestingly, if you only look at the statistics for each of these five players you would say they didn’t contribute much to the team, yet watching the games, you see something very different.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-consistency-stars-for-the-week/feed/ 0 19413 ICYMI: Week of March 12 — Avalanche news and more https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-12-avalanche-news-and-more/ https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-12-avalanche-news-and-more/#respond Fri, 12 Mar 2021 21:28:59 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19387 Colorado Avalanche news Between The Pipes — March 8: Raj and Springer had lots to say about Philipp Grubauer’s performance and the Avalanche’s goaltending situation overall. It is worth a... Read more »

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]]> Colorado Avalanche news

Between The Pipes — March 8: Raj and Springer had lots to say about Philipp Grubauer’s performance and the Avalanche’s goaltending situation overall. It is worth a listen.

One thing noted is inconsistency is a big problem with the Avalanche, and I am in complete agreement. What are your thoughts? Listen to C.C. Hawkley and Scott MacDonald talk about the Avs’ problems in the Front Range Hockey podcast. They also discuss the netminder problems the team has, too.

JJ and Aarif have a unique look back on the 365 days since Avalanche fans were allowed at Pepsi Center in this week’s Hockey Mountain High podcast. It is interesting hearing Aarif talk about all the changes that have taken place since then.

Other hockey news

Lots of talk in the hockey world this week about fines and suspensions for players who are caught doing something they should not do on the ice.

The Tough Call website’s byline is “Hitting back at hockey hitting culture.” It lists hits on players and the website owner’s view of what he would have called had he been the referee on the ice at the time. See if you agree with some of his views.

A lot of the discussion in the space of suspensions centred around the Tom Wilson hit on Brandon Carlo of the Bruins. Andy Campbell had a really good take, from my perspective, when he talked about when a pattern of these serious hits needs to be factored into the mix in a recent article.

Fun, fun and more fun

And there was also some fun.

And whilst there might not be a lot of Avalanche fans who are also fans of Patrick Kane, he reached a milestone this week by having played 1,000 games. The Chicago Blackhawks had some fun. Go watch this YouTube video where Kane counts to 1,000 to help you fall asleep. That is one way to celebrate.

Hockey trivia

Draft lottery changes

The mental toll of COVID-19

The toll on players mentally at the moment is bigger than you may think. This week in an article on ESPN, a number of players from different teams spoke about how they are struggling with the isolation of COVID-19 restrictions in the midst of what can already sometimes be a mentally grueling game.

You may get to watch more hockey

Next season, for anyone that has an NHL TV subscription, you will not need that anymore. Or perhaps it will not be an option for watching the games anymore given the new agreement that will be in play with ESPN. ESPN has won the NHL TV rights in the United States for the next seven years.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-12-avalanche-news-and-more/feed/ 0 19387 ICYMI: Week of March 5, 2021 — Avalanche news and more https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-5-2021-avalanche-news-and-more/ https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-5-2021-avalanche-news-and-more/#respond Sat, 06 Mar 2021 00:21:05 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19334 Here is everything Colorado Avalanche and hockey in general that you may have missed this week from blog pieces to podcasts! Colorado Avalanche I really enjoyed listening to all of... Read more »

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]]> Here is everything Colorado Avalanche and hockey in general that you may have missed this week from blog pieces to podcasts!

Colorado Avalanche

I really enjoyed listening to all of the Hockey Mountain High Podcast this week. It was titled “Getting to the Dance,” which is a reference about making it to the playoffs. It does not matter how you do it; all you have to do is get in.

Aarif and JJ touch on a number of topics in this episode, including injuries to Matt Calvert and Cale Makar, what is working and what is not with the Avs and how getting the two points is the most important thing each night.

The Hockey Writers put out a great article this week that looked into one of the Avalanche’s top prospects, Alex Newhook. We have all been seeing highlights pop up on Twitter of some of the great things he has been doing. Here is confirmation that Colorado has another good player on the way up.

Ryan Boulding released an article on Mile High Sports on why there should not be fans in the stands at Ball Arena. He dives into all the reasons why it is still too early to allow fans back into sports arenas.

In the March 3 episode of the Locked On Avalanche podcast, Chris talks in depth about the lack of trust the players have for the next man up and how it is impacting the team. I was nodding my head the whole time in agreement with everything he was saying.

And of course, with the expansion draft just around the corner, fans have to be praying that their beloved players remain safe and do not get moved to the Seattle Kraken.

Hockey in general

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association played their very first game at Madison Square Garden in New York last weekend. It was a big day for women’s hockey. Check out the story about that night and what it meant for those players at Madison Square Garden.

With the NWHL broadcasting games this season until it was canceled, it looks like we will get to see more and more women’s hockey in the years to come. Who knows, we might even eventually have a Colorado team in the women’s league; wouldn’t that be fantastic!

And this week on 31 Thoughts: The Podcast with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, they talk about the NHL Entry Draft and what is best for the game. With everything pandemic, you might not have thought about the impact on scouting and the ability to pick players for draft. It is not an easy task. Friedman talks through his thoughts on why it might not be possible to have a draft this year.

What do you think about the way junior players make their way into AHL affiliate teams before entering the NHL? More importantly, those on-fire 19-year-olds who are not allowed to make the jump because they do not yet fit the guidelines of the current agreement, which says they must be 20 years old or have played four seasons in junior hockey before they can join an AHL team. Tony Ferrari’s view is that maybe it is time to redesign the agreement based on the number of 19-year-old players who are good enough to make the jump.

Have a great weekend and go Avs!

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/icymi-week-of-march-5-2021-avalanche-news-and-more/feed/ 0 19334 Is J.T. Compher a long-term fit with the Avalanche? https://www.the-rink.com/is-j-t-compher-a-long-term-fit-with-the-avalanche/ https://www.the-rink.com/is-j-t-compher-a-long-term-fit-with-the-avalanche/#respond Thu, 04 Mar 2021 15:00:30 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19248 With the Avalanche’s 2020–21 season cut down to 56 games due to COVID-19, there was an unspoken understanding, from us fans, at least, that each and every player on the... Read more »

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]]> With the Avalanche’s 2020–21 season cut down to 56 games due to COVID-19, there was an unspoken understanding, from us fans, at least, that each and every player on the roster was going to have to step up and give their best to the team each and every night.

Have we seen that from everyone thus far through 18 games?  Probably not, but I want to talk about one player in particular in J.T. Compher.

Defining Compher’s role

At the start of the season, there were a number of games where what I saw was a player who would make a dash to get the puck, then not finish the play. Numerous times, he would drop off and not follow through to give the Avalanche the best chance at scoring. It baffled me. Honestly, not because I am a big fan of his, but because he has a role to play and to me, he was not fulfilling that role.

I was expecting him to be the one working hard and getting the puck out of the zone. I do not know how many times lately Peter McNab and Mark Moser have commented that the Avs are not getting the puck out of the zone. It is not just Compher’s responsibility, but as one of the six left wingers on the team, he has a part to play.

There were times when I expected him to be the playmaker. Being there and making solid passes, moving the puck down the boards, being in the thick of things in the offensive zone, working to get the puck to the front of the net or taking more shots on goal. He was missing in action and not doing those things.

Maybe I was not understanding what he should have been doing. I checked on the ‘How To Hockey’ site about what a winger’s job is. Here is what it said:

“Your general duties as a wingman are to dig in the corner, feed the centerman, wreak havoc in front of the other teams net and outsmart the other teams defensemen on both ends of the rink.

In the defensive zone that is to stop the other teams’ defensemen from getting the puck and getting a shot on your goal; to get a break out pass from your own team member; to block shots or passes if the other teams defenseman does have the puck; to intercept passes and break out.

One of the biggest responsibilities of the winger in the defensive zone is breaking the puck out.

In the offensive zone his job is to carry the puck out and get a shot on net; look for a man in front of the net and set him up for a pass, look to see if the D is open and if so give them the puck, carry the puck up the boards a bit and cycle it back.”

A lot of what was described here does not represent Compher in my eyes.

Chemistry with the Avalanche

Watching Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar move Compher up and down the lines, it was pretty clear that he did not know where to put Compher. Bednar moved him to the second line and that certainly did not work—too many turnovers and little chemistry with his linemates to deliver what is expected of a scoring line. Colorado was waiting for them to make a difference on nights when the top line was shut down, and it was not happening.

And there were even times earlier in the season when Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri were out and Compher was part of the top line. That was a disaster. At least that is my way of describing it. Nothing clicked. Landeskog, Rantanen and Compher have hugely different hockey styles. That is all I can say about it.

Next, he shows up centering the third line. Again, no real delivery. It did not matter who he was out there with, he just could not seem to gel with them. Compher is not the only third-line player who is struggling this year. Valeri Nichushkin—who had an amazing year last year scoring 13 goals and 14 assists from 65 games, with three of those being game-winning goals—only has two goals and two assists so far this season. He has not been playing up to what is expected either given what the team showed in depth scoring last season.

If I remember correctly, Bednar even tried Compher on the fourth line for a short while and that certainly did not pan out, either. With young players such as Logan O’Connor and others from the taxi squad, it was clear there are better fourth-line combinations than ones including Compher.

The next thing I noticed was that the Avalanche social media team were posting videos of Compher scoring goals at practice. Maybe this was Bednar’s way of trying to get Compher to realize exactly what his role on the team was. Perhaps he needed it spelled out clearly by the head coach for him to realize it. It does not really make sense to me. As a hockey player, whether that is as a forward or a defenseman, shouldn’t your mind be either on scoring goals or stopping goals?

Obviously, something clicked, because on Wednesday night in the game against the Minnesota Wild, Compher scored a goal for the Avalanche. He also had an assist. But, can he keep this up? I guess only time will tell. I saw a lot of fans were surprised. Why? Because we just have not seen anything from Compher leading up to that to show his commitment to giving 110% on the ice each and every night.

Adding value

After only a couple of games into the season, I had quite a heated debate with another Avalanche fan about Compher. My view was that he needed to be traded because I was not seeing him provide value to the team, who has Stanley Cup aspirations this season.

Interestingly, the one player that Colorado traded a couple of seasons ago who is the same age, has the same salary and plays both center and left wing is providing much more value for his team than Compher is: Alexander Kerfoot. Kerfoot and Andreas Johanson from the New Jersey Devils both have positive plus-minus ratings this season, whereas Compher has a -2. The Maple Leafs are having a good season, and the Devils have been surprisingly successful.

My friend continued to argue that I was looking at Compher all wrong, that he had a role on the team, and he was playing it. He was not going to be the star player scoring night after night, but he was doing what was asked of him in his role. I am not sure that I followed exactly what that role was, and we agreed to disagree on his value.

I was comparing Compher’s output to players like Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert, and for me, they just did not add up. But, as my friend rightly pointed out, Compher has much better stats than either of the other two.

Okay, so if the stats say he has been a better contributor on the ice, then what am I missing?

For me, it is the passion. When players like Bellemare and Calvert are on the ice, you can see they are there fighting for that puck and driving to the net, with passion, each and every time. Or, they are fighting to stop that puck going in the net when the opposition is trying really hard to do just that. A team is made up of stars, grinders and passionate players. They are all different. They all bring their uniqueness to the ice. Fair enough. I see that.

However, I am still not yet convinced that Compher has a long-term place with this team.

Convince me that I am wrong.

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