Even without Cole, the Avalanche have seven very solid defensive players in their lineup, and it is expected that a combination of six from those seven will play from here until the end of the season, barring any major injuries of course.

But how exactly will they look? Right now, that is certainly up in the air, and perhaps the most intriguing element of this Avs roster.

The best lineup?

What we saw from Colorado on Tuesday night against San Jose appears to be their best lineup on paper. This leaves Conor Timmins as the healthy scratch, with a lineup of Byram, Samuel Girard, Ryan Graves, Erik Johnson, Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the ice.

Byram was paired with Girard for much of the game, which was fine given their superiority over the Sharks and the comfortable nature of the game. But if that was on the road against a top team, would the Avalanche be happy trusting Byram at the side of Girard?

This is where we are likely to see changes to the defensive pairings, certainly for specific games but also depending on the situation the Avs are in and what they need at that moment.

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8) is just in sync with everyone… pic.twitter.com/aRq8Ax0ykU

— NHL (@NHL) January 27, 2021

Situational defensive pairings for the full season?

We have seen Colorado use situational pairings with success in the past, so they are certainly not afraid to do this. On countless occasions last season, we saw Girard play with Makar when they have an offensive zone faceoff and wanted to apply some pressure.

With so much talent on the back end this season, do not be surprised if we see more of this, both to apply attacking pressure and also shore up defensively when it is needed.

If the Avalanche need a goal, they could add Byram to the side of Makar to give the youngster a chance to show his skills in the offensive zone, something we have seen a little of already this season. If the Avs need to shore up defensively, we may see Byram move down to play alongside Johnson, who can keep risks and mistakes to a minimum alongside the rookie.

Girard is also likely to get involved here, as he has started the season in excellent form and has worked with Makar in the past. That would leave Toews and Byram without a partner, so we could also see those two put together in specific circumstances.

The positives for Bowen Byram

The long-term expectations for Byram are that he develops into a highly skilled top-four defenseman, but there was no expectation for him to do that this season. It is fair to say he could well be on his way to doing that already just four games into his NHL career.

The biggest positive for Byram is that there is no pressure on him because there is so much talent on this defensive unit. There is no reason for him to shine, and if he does not, then others certainly will.

However, Colorado will give Byram the chance to shine, and put him in favorable situations, which is a real luxury and one that is only going to help the rookie rearguard. Favored positions when the team has an offensive zone faceoff and being a little sheltered in tough games should only equal more points and more chance to impress for Byram.

Byram could very well find himself alongside every other Avalanche defenseman at some point this season, but fear not, if he does, it will only be for the good of the team and for Byram himself.

Bowen Byram's first NHL point was a beauty!#BoAvsBo pic.twitter.com/xGYvSudsTh

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 23, 2021

The role of Devon Toews

If there is one member of the Avs’ defensive unit that has an intriguing outlook, then it is certainly Toews. The 26-year-old has been a huge addition to the blue line and has impressed throughout the beginning of the season.

Toews is a player who can play in all situations, has a spot on the power play, spends time killing penalties and is the current regular partner to Makar on the No. 1 defensive unit. However, if the Avalanche want to put either Girard or Byram at the side of Makar in certain situations, then it will be Toews that suffers because of that.

Although starting on the power play, do not be surprised to see Toews come off that at some point, allowing him to focus on penalty killing, with few options for that on the Colorado blue line. The team would likely prefer to keep Girard and Makar for the power play, possibly with Byram, while Toews would join Graves and Johnson to form a unit of three penalty killers.

Toews has done absolutely nothing wrong since joining the team, and has been one of the bright spots of the season so far. Even with that, he may have to settle for being displaced from time to time by the more offensive players who currently sit behind him on the depth chart.

What to look out for this season

Colorado has six very good defensemen, seven including Timmins, and as a unit, this is the envy of many in the league. However, the actual pairings for this defense look a little vague, and we may see these pairings change depending on the situation in a game, or the opponents the Avalanche are playing.

This has been used with success in the past, and the hope is that it can be used in the same manner again. Look for Byram to be one of the real winners if this happens—his emergence has given the Avs another weapon—and do not be surprised to see them use him in the best possible way.

The post With so much talent, will the Avs abandon defensive pairings this season? appeared first on The Rink.

The second game went differently, with the Eagles falling to the Rampage for the first time in team history in a 4-2 loss. They now have a 6-1-0 all-time record against the Rampage and sit at third in the Pacific Division going into the break.

Weekend Takeaways

Inconsistency seems to be the fatal flaw for the Eagles at present, with the team alternately dominating offensively and then giving up scoring opportunities they could have locked down. Even in the dominating win on Friday, only one goal was scored through the first two periods. The play through the second period was far messier than it needed to be and the score only stayed at 1-0 due to Adam Werner having an outstanding night.

Then the Eagles exploded with four goals in the third period. It was a night and day difference from their performance in the third. They controlled the zones. They were passing intelligently in the offensive zone. They scored twice in 31 seconds. If the team finds a way to play with that level of jump more often, they have the chance to absolutely dominate the standings in the second half of the season.

The Eagles certainly perform better playing ahead than from behind, as they’re far more suited for extending a lead than trying to create one. Chatting with defenseman Conor Timmins after the game, he credited the excellent goaltending the Eagles have been receiving this year for that. “We know they’re gonna be strong back there no matter what we do, so it gives us a little more freedom in the third period to continue to push and continue to play our game, as opposed to just sitting back.”

Special teams were another stand-out from the weekend, with the Eagles going 5 for 5 on the penalty kill. The Eagles have a unique penalty kill, in that it’s possible to forget they’re playing shorthanded. They simply don’t give the opposition time to set up.

T.J. Tynan actually netted a shorthanded goal on Friday night, in one of the strangest plays I’ve ever seen – Who pulls the goalie with seven minutes remaining in the third? The Rampage, apparently. Tynan immediately made them regret that decision, racing for the puck and showcasing the speed and skill that sent him to the AHL All Star Game this year:

Our #AHLAllStar

ENG short-handed goal with 7:30 left in the 3rd period#EaglesCountry pic.twitter.com/ptzLC93GwW

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 25, 2020

Conor Timmins makes his return

Yes, it’s true – After missing yet more time with a lower-body injury, Conor Timmins finally returned to play on Friday night against the Rampage. The much-beloved Avalanche prospect is no stranger to rehabilitating injuries, as he missed what should have been his first professional season due to a lengthy battle with concussion symptoms. This injury, however, was much less harrowing than the last, as Timmins only missed a little over a month of play.

Any concerns about him being rusty after missing time were put to rest on Friday night, as he had himself a two-point night, including a beautiful outlet pass to Jayson Megna that ended in the first goal of the evening.

The pass the goal #EaglesCountry pic.twitter.com/W52NW2C9Ud

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) January 25, 2020

Offense aside, there weren’t too many glaring gaps in Timmins’ defensive ability. He just wasn’t a noticeable force on the ice. Returning from such a prolonged time away from the ice, he looked to play a safer game, chipping in defensively in areas that wouldn’t expose any of that post-injury rust.

“Especially coming off the injury, I’m just trying to find my game,” he explained, rather matter-of-factly. “Obviously I need to get stronger off the ice, that’ll help with a lot of the on-ice issues. I’ve just been focused on working on my defensive game. The offense is gonna come from me, but being reliable is something that’s gonna get me to the next level.”

There’s no doubt that Timmins is going to find a place on the Avalanche blue line at some point in the near future. He has the right idea about where his development needs to go to get there. Reliability is key, as can be seen from the other Eagles players that have made the jump to the NHL for good. For now, though, he’s going to continue to be an important piece for the Eagles as they finish off the second half of the season and look to make another playoffs run.

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