GDT: R2G4 - Stars @ Avs - The Gang makes a GDT

[pockets]

Are people actually saying that it's Bednar's job to make sure all these guys are locked in, motivated, and ready to go in an NHL playoff game. Are these guys 14? Are they not being paid millions of dollars to play this game? Are they not able to motivate themselves?

I thought a coaches job was to implement a system. We know the system works. We have a cup title in the last couple years. Are we not sure that the players are complacent, lazy, and without motivation themselves?

You're talking like Bednar is a taskmaster, not a coach.

the system worked once, every other year where they were favorites or at the very least contenders, Bednar’s “system” shit the bed in the 2nd round or earlier.

And yes, while getting paid millions a year to you and me should seem like enough motivation, if you’ve lost the room and morale is at an all-time low then that is his fault and clearly a contributing factor to the lack of motivation.

 

[chet1926]

money really doesn't change anything about a persons character or work ethic. In fact I'd argue it lessons these things as you are basically set in life once you have money.

Correct. Which is exactly why 96 needs to be shown the door. He already makes a ton, and is extremely lazy and very unmotivated. Can't continue to shell out huge money to guy that isn't going to all of sudden become a motivated work horse.

You either have motivation and work ethic or you don't. Money isn't the variable. However me personally if I was making that kind of money I'd feel guilty if I wasn't busting my ass doing everything I could to help the team win.

 

[chet1926]

Why is Jared getting the blame? Should he meet with the top dogs and say hey guys don't stink it up?

He's getting blame because the game plan hasn't changed one time in the series even though we keep getting taken to the woodshed. That's on the coaching staff.

 

[Boulder Avalanche]

Bednar has been poor at pivoting and changing strategy. When his system works and the players are buying in it leads to dominant performances. No matter how much the players get paid or their motivation level they still need a gameplan that will help them succeed. Hockey players can tune out a coach and whatever good said coach brings no longer is present. I am not sure the Avalanche are at that point but if major changes are made a change behind the bench is far easier to accomplish than shuffling a roster with cap constraints like the Avs have.

 

[chet1926]

Bednar has been poor at pivoting and changing strategy. When his system works and the players are buying in it leads to dominant performances. No matter how much the players get paid or their motivation level they still need a gameplan that will help them succeed. Hockey players can tune out a coach and whatever good said coach brings no longer is present. I am not sure the Avalanche are at that point but if major changes are made a change behind the bench is far easier to accomplish than shuffling a roster with cap constraints like the Avs have.

Bednar's message is clearly stale. This whole year has just been a struggle to keep guys motivated. Our play throughout the year has been sporadic, lots of games where we couldn't be bothered. Without 29 going MVP levels we probably struggle to even make the playoffs.

At absolute minimum the assistant coaches have to go. And Bednar needs to be on an extreme short leash. Like we play poorly in the first 5 games next year he's gone. I'd let them all go in the off-season, personally, but I don't see Sakic or CMac throwing Bednar out the door 2 years removed from a Cup.

After dealing with the coaching staff, you have to deal with the elephants in the room. Those being 13, 96 and 40. All need to go. 13 obvious reasons. 96 and 40 have attitude/motivation issues you don't win guys like that. Got to move on from that.

27 has to be re-signed. One to make 29 happy, two because he's worked his ass off and continues to do so.

After that that's enough of a shakeup to see where you are at that point.

 

[Avsfan1921]

He's getting blame because the game plan hasn't changed one time in the series even though we keep getting taken to the woodshed. That's on the coaching staff.

To be fair, how do we know he hasn’t changed the game plan? For instance they like to carry the puck as a rule but they’ve dumped it 2/3 of the last 2 games. They didn’t chase but they dumped, is that a personnel thing?

In reality we’ll likely never know because no matter the system implemented, they don’t want to play hockey.

 

[S E P H]

After how great Girard has been in these playoffs, I don't know how anybody can honestly think about getting rid of him. After the horror show that Jones put out last night, trading him means destroying the depth even more and will lead to Avs having to sign more players like Jones.

 

[The Pwnerer]

After how great Girard has been in these playoffs, I don't know how anybody can honestly think about getting rid of him. After the horror show that Jones put out last night, trading him means destroying the depth even more and will lead to Avs having to sign more players like Jones.

Who would've thought the two guys who worried us the most (Girard and Georgiev) are the only ones that are showing up these playoffs. Putrid end to this series. Duchene hoisting the cup will be the cherry on top to another nightmare year.

 

[chet1926]

After how great Girard has been in these playoffs, I don't know how anybody can honestly think about getting rid of him. After the horror show that Jones put out last night, trading him means destroying the depth even more and will lead to Avs having to sign more players like Jones.

I mean guys like Jones won't be on the roster. We have guys like Malinski and Beherns that should flow up the depth chart.

That being said G should be kept. Rantanen and George can be moved out to make cap room.

To be fair, how do we know he hasn’t changed the game plan? For instance they like to carry the puck as a rule but they’ve dumped it 2/3 of the last 2 games. They didn’t chase but they dumped, is that a personnel thing?

In reality we’ll likely never know because no matter the system implemented, they don’t want to play hockey.

Fair. However the on ice product has looked the exact same 3 bad losses in a row. Don't know who that's on players not reacting to a change or the coaches not putting one out there.

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

just to be clear I wasn't serious


do you show up for work every day of the year 100% productivity completely independent of other factors going on in life? If so kudos to you.

Yes. I knew that....... And I needed a laugh too!

You shouldn't get trashed, because it's pretty spot on. The team was already on verge on quitting and giving up and the Nuke news, coupled with Toews not being available took it right to that level of we have no chance in their heads and the guys acted like it.

It's been a tough two seasons in terms of stability and leadership and it finally came to complete breaking point last night. You can only sustain so much.

No Landy for 2 full years, you lost another leader in EJ, I think not bringing back Kadri was a big blow to guys who seemed to really like him. Then throw in the countless injuries really no one has been reliably in the lineup, the Nuke stuff, the Girard stuff to a lesser extent.

There is only so many times you can say put your head down and keep grinding. Their will to keep grinding broke last night. I really don't know if it's salvageable without some reasonable changes.


It's not a trade everybody situation, but the team absolutely broke and quit last night. It was the worst game this core has ever played at the absolute worst time. Some changes are for sure needed.

I do agree and think its accurate to say the team "broke" yesterday. Sounds simplistic but that's what happened in front of our eyes. These guys are human too......

 

[littletonhockeycoach]

I mean guys like Jones won't be on the roster. We have guys like Malinski and Beherns that should flow up the depth chart.

That being said G should be kept. Rantanen and George can be moved out to make cap room.


Fair. However the on ice product has looked the exact same 3 bad losses in a row. Don't know who that's on players not reacting to a change or the coaches not putting one out there.

It might be that they don't want to play NHL Stanley Cup playoff level hockey with all the attendant risks and rewards........ The regular season for the most part was fun for them...... beating up regularly on lesser teams and putting defeats at the hands of actual contenders quickly in the rear view mirror?

 

[SB]

Who would've thought the two guys who worried us the most (Girard and Georgiev) are the only ones that are showing up these playoffs.

I can't stop thinking about this.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Maybe not fair, but players should be responsible still. Last night's effort was flatly unacceptable.

Unacceptable, yes. Also, understandable. Look we all know what the answers are, "It's not a distraction." "We're only concerned about the guys inside the room". "We lost one guy, but we got one guy back". We can say and pretend all we want that it didn't effect them. But it absolutely did and to be honest, there's not a single team in the NHL that wouldn't have gotten smoked in a similar situation. This is the third time, that we know of, and the second postseason in a row he has been responsible for putting the team down a top line forward. The guys aren't robots as much as we'd like them to be.

That being said, the top line had top line players and Makar and still looked like shit. The top line has had top line players and Makar and Toews for the 3 games prior, and largely look like shit. There's just no excuses, which is why I fully support trading Mikko. The core needs a shakeup. They are not getting it done. We cannot continue to invest in it the way it is assembled or we'll only get the same or worse results as they age. If Mikko is re-signed, the window shuts.

 

[The Kingslayer]

So was tonight Cale Makar's worst career game? Watching the highlights he looked like a disaster.

To be honest i've asked that question atleast 20 times this season.

 

[Foppa2118]

Well that was a bummer of a game. This is not a systems issue. This is a compete issue. Shots were 23-4 for the Stars halfway through the 2nd period. That's just inexcusable.

Nate and Mikko looked like they quit. I don't see any passion or willingness to skate and battle at all. And it's not Dallas, because they looked like that against Winnipeg too. Very disappointing.

Pretty sure Nate competed harder in every regular season game, than just about every playoff game so far. Nowehre near the same jump in his step or intensity in his game. have no idea how to explain that.

Dallas is playing very well, but they're not causing the Avs to not skate. They just don't want to skate and battle. It's very odd.

That said, I have no idea why Bednar didn't play Drouin with MacK. Nate hasn't looked right all playoffs without Drouin. Then he comes back, doesn't play him with Nate, who still looks off all game. Until he finally plays them together for a couple shifts at the end of the 2nd, where Nate looks by far his best all series, suddenly with a jump in his step he hasn't had at all. Then Bednar never plays them together again for the rest of the 3rd. That also is an inexcusably stupid decision that makes no sense.

I'm still rooting for this team to come back, and if they pull their head out of their ass, I think they can, but it feels like this team is broken. They miss Landeskog so much it's crazy.

 

[Pokecheque]

Who would've thought the two guys who worried us the most (Girard and Georgiev) are the only ones that are showing up these playoffs. Putrid end to this series. Duchene hoisting the cup will be the cherry on top to another nightmare year.

Agreed on Girard and Georgiev. Apart from the odd game here and there Girard has been really solid.

As for Duchene, that won't bother me in the slightest. It would bother me a lot more if Jamie Benn got his name on the Cup.

 

[dahrougem2]

Well that was a bummer of a game. This is not a systems issue. This is a compete issue. Shots were 23-4 for the Stars halfway through the 2nd period. That's just inexcusable.

Nate and Mikko looked like they quit. I don't see any passion or willingness to skate and battle at all. And it's not Dallas, because they looked like that against Winnipeg too. Very disappointing.

Pretty sure Nate competed harder in every regular season game, than just about every playoff game so far. Nowehre near the same jump in his step or intensity in his game. have no idea how to explain that.

Dallas is playing very well, but they're not causing the Avs to not skate. They just don't want to skate and battle. It's very odd.

That said, I have no idea why Bednar didn't play Drouin with MacK. Nate hasn't looked right all playoffs without Drouin. Then he comes back, doesn't play him with Nate, who still looks off all game. Until he finally plays them together for a couple shifts at the end of the 2nd, where Nate looks by far his best all series, suddenly with a jump in his step he hasn't had at all. Then Bednar never plays them together again for the rest of the 3rd. That also is an inexcusably stupid decision that makes no sense.

I'm still rooting for this team to come back, and if they pull their head out of their ass, I think they can, but it feels like this team is broken. They miss Landeskog so much it's crazy.

Seems like MacKinnon gave all he could to win the Hart and doesn't give a f*** about these playoffs.

Such a shame, because the bottom nine has absolutely played hard all playoffs but 29 and 96 have been the two worst forwards. Makar has also had a BRUTAL games 2-4.