GDT: Game 40: Sideways Toilet Seats at Avalanche January 4, 2025 5:00pm MT

[avsfan09]

If Avs trade Mitts (hypothetically) it should be for another 2C. What good will Byram do if we don’t have a 2C?

I still think he’s more valuable than Mitts. If only because Mitts hasn’t had a ton of consistency. Regardless of Bryan’s consistency issues he’s still at his peak a more impactful player.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

A positive:

We went 60 minutes without getting an injury!

 

[RECKLESS]

A positive:

We went 60 minutes without getting an injury!

I bet someone tripped on the way to the locker room after game and is now dead.

 

[chet1926]

The league needs to do something about these absolute bullshit calls where a player is shoved into the opposing goalie and then gets a penalty for goalie interference. It's like getting a penalty for getting punched in the face (which I have also seen these awful refs call). I swear, every once in a while I question whether I want to be a hockey fan any more with the absolute dogshit officiating in this league. Last game with not calling the play dead, then this game calling two penalties against Avalanche players for the crime of skating hard towards the net and getting pushed into the goalie by Habs defenders.

What makes this even worse is if those are penalties against Colton and Lehkonen, then Benson should have been called for a penalty last game. Everyone agreed it wasn't goalie interference because Kelly pushed him in, but by the standard of this game, if you're shoved into the goalie, it's a penalty on you for being shoved.

Sorry, but I'm just going to go on a rant here. These last two games were a perfect example of why I hate the officiating in this league. Nathan MacKinnon gets hooked and held multiple times throughout every game, and only one hooking call is made. Drouin also gets hooked several times and no call. Avalanche players also hooked and interfered with Montreal players and no call. These f***ing refs just decide on a whim when the rules apply and when they don't. If they just called the goddamn rulebook, players would adjust and stop breaking the rules so much. Unfortunately, players can't adjust now because there are no rules - the rules are whatever the refs on that particular night decide they are. After a call, Ryker always says things like "If you get the stick on the hands, they call it every time" or "You take your hand off the stick and pull the other guy and it's holding every time" - BULL SHIT. For every time those things are called, it's easy to find dozens of examples of where it's not. Crosschecking is a penalty, but only if the stick breaks (sometimes), the guy falls down (sometimes), and when the moons of Jupiter align with the referee's anus. Interference isn't called at all except in seemingly random situations. Tripping is when you go for a body check and the guy dodges and falls down, but not when you kick out the heels of an opposing player. I swear, the only penalties that actually get called with reasonable consistency are high sticking and over the glass, and those are both asinine rules - blood being the difference between 2 and 4 minutes regardless of the severity or intent of the high stick, and puck over glass being of equal severity to hooking, holding, interference - all things that can prevent a scoring play. Oh, and one other thing - why on EARTH is it seemingly a rule that once a delayed penalty has been called, players are allowed to commit all sorts of fouls without consequence? Last game, for example, someone was hooked on a semi-breakaway (I forget who). Replays clearly showed both Buffalo defenders hooking the player, yet only one penalty was called. Why? Is one hook okay because another hook happened? No, of course not. It's because the refs don't want to disadvantage one team too much by giving out a two-minute 5 on 3. And then of course they've have to even it out later, because the rules don't f***ing matter - it's about managing the game and making sure both teams gets penalties. It's frankly embarrassing to be a fan of a league where you KNOW with CERTAINTY that if one team gets several powerplays, they are also going to get several penalties later. Where the correlation between penalties taken and penalties received by teams in a season produces a prefect line graph. Honestly, on the two+ calls at a time thing, I'm thinking about it because I watched the Habs/Blackhawks game and it actually happened for the first time I can remember - the Habs got two penalties on the same play, and ended up on a 2 minute 5 on 3. I'll bet that ref got a call from the league and told off for breaking some kind of code. In short, f*** the officiating in the NHL.

See, here I should be complaining about Kelly being unable to hit the broad side of a barn, or the top forwards on this team backchecking like they are 85 year olds with dementia, or Mikko being the easiest player on the team to knock off the puck, but instead, all I can think about is the terrible, terrible officiating in this league.

Nice rant, and while reffing was not the reason for the loss last night, I fully agree with you.

It's absurd the inconsistency of the officiating in this league. Every game is different, not sure how the players are supposed to know how to play when they can't get even get consistency from the refs in the slightest.

Throw on top the absurd predictably of the calls. It's extremely easy to predict the calls. Take last night we get two PPs early in the game, everyone and their brother knew the next call was going to go to Montreal. The absurdity of the call they got was a new level of shit, but the refs weren't about to give the Avs another PP so they turned a clear as day shove from behind that led the Avs player into the goalie into some garbage ass goalie interference call.

I think the thing that drives me the most insane is grabs and holds on 29. At least 5 times a game there is some obvious as f*** penalty that 29 draws and refs just look the other way, we are lucky if they call one. Then the refs always find a way to call the most ticky tacky love tap on the Avs that is 10x weaker than the shit 29 is supposed to play through. It's garbage.

 

[Mr Zappalanche]

Hockey is sometimes so predictable. There's no f***ing way they win this game after the Buffalo game. I should have bet some money against the Avs.

 

[forsbergavs32]

@Murzu likes even after a loss!

 

[EdAVSfan]

As I said, the Avs were due to lay an egg. Best possible outcome if you’re going to lose IMO.
Gained a loser point and lost to a team that you’re not competing with in the standings.

 

[The Moops]

Mikko's shootout attempt was so ass my daughter literally threw up all over the couch and rug. Was a fun night haha

 

[chet1926]

We are playing poorly. I feel like since we got the goaltenders we became a bit sloppy. Sure we have won games but our analytics look quite shit.

We got a bit sloppy because we can, I think. We trust our goaltenders now and we take a rest. Maybe it's good for the long-term mental health. A bit stress relief for sure.

Check the date when we peaked and since we made the trade for Wedgewood first of December. Interesting .

Now players can take a breather because not every shot goes to net. Less stress.

Positive: if we play the same way we started the season, we are probably the best team in the league.

I've been saying this for awhile, and most of the other posters tell me I'm full of shit so thanks for posting the reality.

The team is genuinely playing like shit. They are extremely casual and the effort level most nights is laughable. Pretty much doing the if 29, 8, or 96 doesn't flat carry, we lose shit.

Until the whole team decides that every game is important and that effort is required to win no matter the opponent, we'll continue to see these super inconsistent performances. Collectively they have to make the decision to put in the effort we saw against Winnipeg a few nights back, every night. Not the sorry ass attempts they put forth against Buffalo (let's be real it was an extremely lucky comeback where they played well for 1 period) and Montreal.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

@Murzu likes even after a loss!

@Murzu is the gift that keeps on giving

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

I wonder what the limit is for @Murzu to give you a like.


I heard Murzu puts milk in the bowl before the cereal.

 

[SoundwaveIsCharisma]

I wonder what the limit is for @Murzu to give you a like.


I heard Murzu puts milk in the bowl before the cereal.

I hear Murzu actually fills your cereal bowl with milk after you’ve poured in the cereal.

 

[Anders Cain]

I hear Murzu actually fills your cereal bowl with milk after you’ve poured in the cereal.

I heard he sometimes substitutes orange juice with pulp for the milk.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

I heard he sometimes substitutes orange juice with pulp for the milk.

I heard he considers the pulp as cereal.

 

[MacKaRant]

The most annoying part was the f***ing refereering and those 2 goalie interference calls. Not even in the light of the recent Benson situation, completely irregardless of it. How the f*** can you penalize a guy for interfering with goalie, when its opponents player pushing/shoveling him into him? It makes no sense.

I'm assuming that this was the league's way of showing the Avs after Bednar's expletive-laced rant that they want to do a better job at protecting goalies

I really do think the calls were consciously or subconsciously influenced by let's call it "referee's union stuff"

 

[Bender]

The league needs to do something about these absolute bullshit calls where a player is shoved into the opposing goalie and then gets a penalty for goalie interference. It's like getting a penalty for getting punched in the face (which I have also seen these awful refs call). I swear, every once in a while I question whether I want to be a hockey fan any more with the absolute dogshit officiating in this league. Last game with not calling the play dead, then this game calling two penalties against Avalanche players for the crime of skating hard towards the net and getting pushed into the goalie by Habs defenders.

What makes this even worse is if those are penalties against Colton and Lehkonen, then Benson should have been called for a penalty last game. Everyone agreed it wasn't goalie interference because Kelly pushed him in, but by the standard of this game, if you're shoved into the goalie, it's a penalty on you for being shoved.

Sorry, but I'm just going to go on a rant here. These last two games were a perfect example of why I hate the officiating in this league. Nathan MacKinnon gets hooked and held multiple times throughout every game, and only one hooking call is made. Drouin also gets hooked several times and no call. Avalanche players also hooked and interfered with Montreal players and no call. These f***ing refs just decide on a whim when the rules apply and when they don't. If they just called the goddamn rulebook, players would adjust and stop breaking the rules so much. Unfortunately, players can't adjust now because there are no rules - the rules are whatever the refs on that particular night decide they are. After a call, Ryker always says things like "If you get the stick on the hands, they call it every time" or "You take your hand off the stick and pull the other guy and it's holding every time" - BULL SHIT. For every time those things are called, it's easy to find dozens of examples of where it's not. Crosschecking is a penalty, but only if the stick breaks (sometimes), the guy falls down (sometimes), and when the moons of Jupiter align with the referee's anus. Interference isn't called at all except in seemingly random situations. Tripping is when you go for a body check and the guy dodges and falls down, but not when you kick out the heels of an opposing player. I swear, the only penalties that actually get called with reasonable consistency are high sticking and over the glass, and those are both asinine rules - blood being the difference between 2 and 4 minutes regardless of the severity or intent of the high stick, and puck over glass being of equal severity to hooking, holding, interference - all things that can prevent a scoring play. Oh, and one other thing - why on EARTH is it seemingly a rule that once a delayed penalty has been called, players are allowed to commit all sorts of fouls without consequence? Last game, for example, someone was hooked on a semi-breakaway (I forget who). Replays clearly showed both Buffalo defenders hooking the player, yet only one penalty was called. Why? Is one hook okay because another hook happened? No, of course not. It's because the refs don't want to disadvantage one team too much by giving out a two-minute 5 on 3. And then of course they've have to even it out later, because the rules don't f***ing matter - it's about managing the game and making sure both teams gets penalties. It's frankly embarrassing to be a fan of a league where you KNOW with CERTAINTY that if one team gets several powerplays, they are also going to get several penalties later. Where the correlation between penalties taken and penalties received by teams in a season produces a prefect line graph. Honestly, on the two+ calls at a time thing, I'm thinking about it because I watched the Habs/Blackhawks game and it actually happened for the first time I can remember - the Habs got two penalties on the same play, and ended up on a 2 minute 5 on 3. I'll bet that ref got a call from the league and told off for breaking some kind of code. In short, f*** the officiating in the NHL.

See, here I should be complaining about Kelly being unable to hit the broad side of a barn, or the top forwards on this team backchecking like they are 85 year olds with dementia, or Mikko being the easiest player on the team to knock off the puck, but instead, all I can think about is the terrible, terrible officiating in this league.

Good rant. The officiating sucked donkey ass all night...everything you mentioned PLUS - what pissed me off to no end :

"Useless Boat Anchor" josh anderson cross-checks Toews in OT and then slashes him TWICE then after the whistle goes on to cross-check him AGAIN (that's FOUR hits with no call, of course) and then at that point DT7 had enough and gives that f***ing SHITTER some of his own medicine and then the reftards takes them both off for penalties.

What kind of dumb tim peel shithead asshole trained you stupid f***ing jackasses???

 

[MarkT]

Nice rant, and while reffing was not the reason for the loss last night, I fully agree with you.

It's absurd the inconsistency of the officiating in this league. Every game is different, not sure how the players are supposed to know how to play when they can't get even get consistency from the refs in the slightest.

Throw on top the absurd predictably of the calls. It's extremely easy to predict the calls. Take last night we get two PPs early in the game, everyone and their brother knew the next call was going to go to Montreal. The absurdity of the call they got was a new level of shit, but the refs weren't about to give the Avs another PP so they turned a clear as day shove from behind that led the Avs player into the goalie into some garbage ass goalie interference call.

I think the thing that drives me the most insane is grabs and holds on 29. At least 5 times a game there is some obvious as f*** penalty that 29 draws and refs just look the other way, we are lucky if they call one. Then the refs always find a way to call the most ticky tacky love tap on the Avs that is 10x weaker than the shit 29 is supposed to play through. It's garbage.

I disagree about reffing not being the reason for the loss. Those two goalie intereference penalties against us should have been powerplays. The fouls on Nate alone should have been several powerplays. We score one goal on any of those and we win the game outright. That's supposed to be the advantage of having a player like MacKinnon - he can singlehandedly win you the game, even on an off night, unless of course the other team is allowed to foul him with impunity. Honestly, in a league that makes sense, players like MacKinnon and McDavid should be earning their team several powerplays every game. It difficult to interpret the way those players are officiated as anything other than the league actively trying to nerf them.

On the topic of predictability, yep, that's honestly probably the most embarrassing thing about this league.

Good rant. The officiating sucked donkey ass all night...everything you mentioned PLUS - what pissed me off to no end :

"Useless Boat Anchor" josh anderson cross-checks Toews in OT and then slashes him TWICE then after the whistle goes on to cross-check him AGAIN (that's FOUR hits with no call, of course) and then at that point DT7 had enough and gives that f***ing SHITTER some of his own medicine and then the reftards takes them both off for penalties.

What kind of dumb tim peel shithead asshole trained you stupid f***ing jackasses???

I actually thought Anderson played well last night and has been playing well for the Habs overall recently, but regardless, you're right - he absolutely should have been called for a penalty long before Toews felt the need to retaliate. I actually think IIRC that one of the non-calls against us in that game was us fouling Anderson. Just terrible officiating, and it's not just this game - it's every single game in the entire league.

I heard he considers the pulp as cereal.

I have it on good authority that he prefers his milk with pulp.

 

[the_fan]

If @Murzu gives this post a like, Avs are going to get knocked out of the 1st round of the playoffs

I’m good with this type of predictions so be careful

 

[Murzu]

If @Murzu gives this post a like, Avs are going to get knocked out of the 1st round of the playoffs

I’m good with this type of predictions so be careful

Not cool bro

 

[Pokecheque]

Feel free to call me a tin foil hat for this but I can’t help but feel both GI calls were retaliatory.

 

[the_fan]

Not cool bro

You gave a like. If Avs do lose in 1st round we know who to blame now

 

[sethro109]

You gave a like. If Avs do lose in 1st round we know who to blame now

He gave you a wow. Only the Thumbs up is called a like. He got you on a technicality.

 

[MarkT]

Feel free to call me a tin foil hat for this but I can’t help but feel both GI calls were retaliatory.

Well, I've seen this bullshit called before. Not consistently of course (LOL), but I've seen penalties called against guys hooked, tripped, or shoved into opposing goalies.

That being said, it's totally within the realm of possibility that every ref in the league watched Bednar's presser and are now going to have a vendetta against the Avs the rest of the season. Normally, I'd call that totally tin foil too, but with these officials I find it to be a perfectly reasonable assumption. We've seen it in the playoffs, where a coach works the refs effectively in one game, and in the next game suddenly that team isn't called for anything. We've seen what I consider absolute proof that the refs (at least used to) favor Vegas in the playoffs. They absolutely talk to each other and they absolutely put their personal feelings and league desires into their decision-making.

 

[the_fan]

He gave you a wow. Only the Thumbs up is called a like. He got you on a technicality.

This is true

 

[RECKLESS]

These likes are a game of chess now.