Mikko Rantanen Appreciation Thread

[the_fan]

3-0

Suck it Stars

 

[The Abusement Park]

Hate this thread

His play lately is just further proof he was being a lazy complacent shit while asking for the moon.

f*** him

What's Mackinnons excuse?

 

[CobraAcesS]

What's Mackinnons excuse?

What? Mack didn't ask for 14M while being a sand bagger then sign with a Division rival and pop off for a few one minute shifts.

Again, f*** Mikko

 

[LOFIN]

What? Mack didn't ask for 14M while being a sand bagger then sign with a Division rival and pop off for a few one minute shifts.

Again, f*** Mikko

For all your angst about how Mikko never was this good for us in the playoffs, he was more productive than MacKinnon in important games.

 

[CobraAcesS]

For all your angst about how Mikko never was this good for us in the playoffs, he was more productive than MacKinnon in important games.

That we lost

Edit..

There is no angst, just zero appreciation.

The team was way more fun to watch after the trade.

 

[LOFIN]

That we lost

Yeah. But not because Mikko wasn't good. You can point to plenty of things in these series, not the least of the captain being out, Nuke going AWOL, and shaky goaltending. This year, poor special teams etc.

We'll judge the trade down the road. It was too early to claim it was a victory after Necas looked good and Mikko not so good in Carolina and Dallas early on. It's still too early to say we made a big mistake. Hell, Mikko could win the Conn Smythe and the Cup for the Stars, and there still exists a universe where the trade turns out well for the Avs.

We'll make a judgement 3-4 years down the road the earliest.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah. But not because Mikko wasn't good. You can point to plenty of things in these series, not the least of the captain being out, Nuke going AWOL, and shaky goaltending. This year, poor special teams etc.

We'll judge the trade down the road. It was too early to claim it was a victory after Necas looked good and Mikko not so good in Carolina and Dallas early on. It's still too early to say we made a big mistake. Hell, Mikko could win the Conn Smythe and the Cup for the Stars, and there still exists a universe where the trade turns out well for the Avs.

We'll make a judgement 3-4 years down the road the earliest.

So we're going to make blanket statements involving Mikko collecting points and automatically being good?

This is my problem with the entire narrative around him lol. Shit also gets said every day about his size, and ability to hold onto pucks now.

LOL

 

[Pokecheque]

Hate this thread

His play lately is just further proof he was being a lazy complacent shit while asking for the moon.

f*** him

Again, I fully understand he was not playing up to his usual snuff, but I just don't get this overlying narrative that Mikko was totally worthless before the trade, dude put up 64 points in 49 games. He was still extremely productive, just not the force he usually was.

And I still don't begrudge the trade, at least not THAT one.

 

[The Abusement Park]

What? Mack didn't ask for 14M while being a sand bagger then sign with a Division rival and pop off for a few one minute shifts.

Again, f*** Mikko

I mean that's missing a ton of the context of the Mikko situation and just negotiation 101 but go off.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Yeah. But not because Mikko wasn't good. You can point to plenty of things in these series, not the least of the captain being out, Nuke going AWOL, and shaky goaltending. This year, poor special teams etc.

We'll judge the trade down the road. It was too early to claim it was a victory after Necas looked good and Mikko not so good in Carolina and Dallas early on. It's still too early to say we made a big mistake. Hell, Mikko could win the Conn Smythe and the Cup for the Stars, and there still exists a universe where the trade turns out well for the Avs.

We'll make a judgement 3-4 years down the road the earliest.

I don't care if Necas isn’t nearly as good as Mikko. Not even a little bit.

In no way will I judge this trade by comparing the two. The only way I'll decide it was a bad trade is if a rumor pops out about them turning down a better offer.

Paying Mikko 12-14M was not an option, especially considering his play.

This team was unwatchable the last two years he was here. Good riddance.

This is why I'm a hockey fan, and not a Basketball fan.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I mean that's missing a ton of the context of the Mikko situation and just negotiation 101 but go off.

I don't need to provide you context, you watched it yourself and know what I know.

I'm just tired of the narrative that the stat sheet matches the eye test with Mikko. It quite often does not.

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't need to provide you context, you watched it yourself and know what I know.

I'm just tired of the narrative that the stat sheet matches the eye test with Mikko. It quite often does not.

The stat sheet doesn't tell the whole story, I don't think anyone is pushing that particular narrative, but I also don't get how people keep saying he was just gawdawful. He was definitely a big reason the power play hit a gigantic snag (but I'd also lay a TON more blame on Bednar and Bennett for not doing anything to fix it like they normally would) but it wasn't like he went completely punchless like Nuke did to finish the season (and frankly for a giant chunk of the series).

 

[The Abusement Park]

I don't need to provide you context, you watched it yourself and know what I know.

I'm just tired of the narrative that the stat sheet matches the eye test with Mikko. It quite often does not.

I mean sure Mikko wasn’t as good as he had been historically this past year. But the narrative you’re painting is also false.

 

[The Abusement Park]

The stat sheet doesn't tell the whole story, I don't think anyone is pushing that particular narrative, but I also don't get how people keep saying he was just gawdawful. He was definitely a big reason the power play hit a gigantic snag (but I'd also lay a TON more blame on Bednar and Bennett for not doing anything to fix it like they normally would) but it wasn't like he went completely punchless like Nuke did to finish the season (and frankly for a giant chunk of the series).

If anything I think the PP looking how it does shows that Mikko wasn’t as big a problem on the PP as everyone was pushing.

 

[LOFIN]

Stats don't tell the full story, sure. But for what it's worth, series elimination games for the Colorado Avalanche, 2018-2024:

Goals
Rantanen: 10
MacKinnon: 4

Primary assists
Rantanen: 4
MacKinnon: 9

Secondary assists
Rantanen: 2
MacKinnon: 3

Empty net points
Rantanen: 0
MacKinnon: 2

So all in all in 14 games, MacKinnon with 18 points, Rantanen with 16 points. Goals are pretty important though. I don't really care what the eyetest says, if the statline is like this. Rantanen was pretty damn good for us in the playoffs.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I mean sure Mikko wasn’t as good as he had been historically this past year. But the narrative you’re painting is also false.

Two years, and the only false narrative is that Mikko has been anywhere near as good as his stat line looks.

 

[LOFIN]

If anything I think the PP looking how it does shows that Mikko wasn’t as big a problem on the PP as everyone was pushing.

It got better for a while, because they had to change it up with the change in personel and that created a different look. When it stagnated, the coaching once again failed to find ways to unlock it despite all that talent. And it rightfully cost Bennet his job.

 

[CobraAcesS]

If anything I think the PP looking how it does shows that Mikko wasn’t as big a problem on the PP as everyone was pushing.

Have you seen Mikko on Dallas's power play lately? He's moving a lot more than he did with us. He looks like a different player drawing guys to him, holding and dishing the puck under pressure.

I've never blamed the power play issues on him though. That is a coaching issue.

Allowing him to sit back on his heels as long as they did is also a coaching issue though.

 

[Pokecheque]

If anything I think the PP looking how it does shows that Mikko wasn’t as big a problem on the PP as everyone was pushing.

It really came down to that right side half-wall. If that guy didn't work the whole thing fell apart. Drouin was fine on there for a while but once he faltered they tried Landy there and he just isn't built for that. Just weird how they couldn't figure that out.

Now, this is not the first time they've had power play struggles, before they tried some much more radical shit to fix it, like, y'know, make the guys move around and skate, have Nate go clear to the other side of the ice and what not. Of course you can't fix anything if you don't practice it.

So, yeah, Mikko wasn't so much the issue as the coaches failing to find a solution. Or even putting the proper effort to fix it.

 

[CobraAcesS]

It really came down to that right side half-wall. If that guy didn't work the whole thing fell apart. Drouin was fine on there for a while but once he faltered they tried Landy there and he just isn't built for that. Just weird how they couldn't figure that out.

Now, this is not the first time they've had power play struggles, before they tried some much more radical shit to fix it, like, y'know, make the guys move around and skate, have Nate go clear to the other side of the ice and what not. Of course you can't fix anything if you don't practice it.

So, yeah, Mikko wasn't so much the issue as the coaches failing to find a solution. Or even putting the proper effort to fix it.

The only player on the roster I could see making sense to try there next is Toews. If you're looking for an intelligent player who can pass the puck, and shoot he's probably next up.

 

[Pokecheque]

The only player on the roster I could see making sense to try there next is Toews. If you're looking for an intelligent player who can pass the puck, and shoot he's probably next up.

I suggested that as well but someone--can't remember who--felt he didn't really have the puck skill to handle that role. I honestly don't know, all I do know is that the coaches did more and crazier things in the past when the power play clearly wasn't working (remember when they ran the 2nd unit with 3 defensemen?) but I didn't see that this year. Like, at all.

 

[CobraAcesS]

I suggested that as well but someone--can't remember who--felt he didn't really have the puck skill to handle that role. I honestly don't know, all I do know is that the coaches did more and crazier things in the past when the power play clearly wasn't working (remember when they ran the 2nd unit with 3 defensemen?) but I didn't see that this year. Like, at all.

I just don't see who else you'd try first, and I get why they tried Landy.

It will be interesting to see who they hire for that coaching role. There is zero out there pointing to an obvious fit except Tangs, and I don't even know if they can technically offer him the job.