GDT: Utah Hockey Club vs Colorado Avalanche Preseason GDT 9/29/24..... Emergency?

[AvBuff]

Remember we had a random preseason game and then an entire week off for some reason until our next one.


Four of the goals were really bad IMHO. For example, in the fourth one he didn't catch it, causing a huge rebound in front of his net and an easy tap-in. He has to be catching those shots.

I dunno. The guy has a roster spot based on regular season performance. Can we reasonably expect Annunen to go all out playing behind Bednar's Bad News Pre-Season Bears?

 

[S E P H]

I dunno. The guy has a roster spot based on regular season performance. Can we reasonably expect Annunen to go all out playing behind Bednar's Bad News Pre-Season Bears?

Don't think I am writing him off from one preseason game because it is meaningless in hindsight. However, we seriously need to reduce Georgiev's workload and games like yesterday do not inspire much confidence that is possible. You want to see improvement, even if it is just a little in these younger players.

 

[henchman21]

The calling card to Annunen's NHL play last year is that he just didn't give up many bad goals. There were a few, but all goalies have some. Largely, he made the saves he should and held up well enough on the tougher ones. That gave him a high floor and the Avs could work with that. That has not been his MO through his AHL player. Last night was certainly on the extreme side, but he's typically been a guy who has given up a soft goal in the AHL.

Given his physical skill set and how he's not a dynamic athlete... his games is going to have to be centered around not giving up soft goals. That's because he's simply going to get beat fairly often when things breakdown and he has to move a lot. No matter how good a team is, there will be those moments in the NHL. So he has to be rock solid on medium and low danger shots. We're talking 97-98+% on low and 90.5-91+% on medium danger... simply because he's unlikely to be a guy who can sustain over 82% on high danger.

This is simply one preseason game, so pure grain of salt. Just as we are watching him progress this season... he can't have the soft goals and stay as a reliable backup.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I'm with Henchy on Ritchie. It was an ugly game other than the goal. At one point he tried a drop pass 5 feet in front of his own goalie. I bet Bednar had an aneurysm on the bench with that one. He also tried multiple drop passes in his own end. That won't fly.

The situation the Avs are in gives them the leeway to give him a test run at the NHL level, but he has to play way better than that to get it.

Behrens has looked very comfortable, Kylington has been bad, Brannstrom has been up and down, and Malinski has been solid. I think they keep 8 to start the year but if Kylington doesn't get it together, maybe they can trade him.

 

[henchman21]

I'm with Henchy on Ritchie. It was an ugly game other than the goal. At one point he tried a drop pass 5 feet in front of his own goalie. I bet Bednar had an aneurysm on the bench with that one. He also tried multiple drop passes in his own end. That won't fly.

The situation the Avs are in gives them the leeway to give him a test run at the NHL level, but he has to play way better than that to get it.

Behrens has looked very comfortable, Kylington has been bad, Brannstrom has been up and down, and Malinski has been solid. I think they keep 8 to start the year but if Kylington doesn't get it together, maybe they can trade him.

The drop passes are straight junior shit. I don't think people watch enough lower level hockey to see what NHL level talent (even bottom 6 types) can get away with. Against a hard forechecking team, those types of plays will cause goals against and no shifts in the 3rd.

 

[Metallo]

Honestly Ritchie was pretty bad outside of the goal. A mess in his own end.

You know I had to clutch at straws to find positives... I think he was fine overall considering the lack of sheltering by our ass lineup. Scored a filthy goal, led the team in shots, got unmarked for another half breakaway(I like the fact that he has the smarts to find the quiet ice), led Fs in ice time, and did not allow too many goals on a night were our goalie sucked.

I'm looking forward to a game where he has some sheltering.

 

[Pokecheque]

Four of the goals were really bad IMHO. For example, in the fourth one he didn't catch it, causing a huge rebound in front of his net and an easy tap-in. He has to be catching those shots.

Oh so he pulled a Georgiev