Pre-Game Talk: Week of Home with our Heads in our Asses (Wed vs. NJD, Fri vs. MIN)

[RoyIsALegend]

After coming out of the break with 2 disappointing losses where we scored just 2 goals, we head home to start a 2 week, 6 game homestand that will take us through the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7th.

Bednar said that Nichushkin might be ready to face the Devils, and if not, maybe against Minnesota. Nobody seems to know right now. His 7-10 day timeline back on January 1st is now at 55 days and counting.

Schedule:

Wednesday, February 26 vs. New Jersey Devils - 7:30 PM MST​

Friday, February 28 vs. Minnesota Wild - 7:00 PM MST​

Standings - Central Divison:

Standings - Wild Card:

MacKinnon maintains his scoring lead by 1 point after Draisaitl had 3 points this past weekend, MacK posted blanks.

NHL Scoring Lead:

Active roster is at 22 players; 12 F + 8 D + 2 G.

Forwards (12):

Artturi Lehkonen​

Casey Mittelstadt​

Jack Drury​

Joel Kiviranta​

Jonathan Drouin​

Juuso Parssinen​

Logan O'Connor​

Martin Necas​

Miles Wood​

Nathan MacKInnon​

Parker Kelly​

Ross Colton​

Defensemen (8):

Cale Makar​

Calvin de Haan​

Devon Toews​

Josh Manson​

Keaton Middleton​

Oliver Kylington​

Sam Malinski​

Samuel Girard​

Goaltenders (2):

Mackenzie Blackwood​

Scott Wedgewood​

Injured Reserve (1):

Valeri Nichushkin​

Long-Term Injured Reserve (2):

Gabriel Landeskog (Knee)​

Tucker Poolman (Head)​

Cap Space: $4,761,500

Click to read more...

 

[dahrougem2]

Two losses, including a bad one to the Devils.

 

[The Pwnerer]

The rest of this week might get real ugly. Add that this team has looked lost the past month and a trade deadline looming. Can't help but think Cmac is now pressed to make some massive decisions coming up.

Have no one to blame but ourselves sadly.

 

[DrunkTurtle]

All depends on what the 1st line and defense pairing does. Nobody else offers jack shit and the coach sure won't make drastic changes.

 

[missionAvs]

This sucks but the truth is that these are likely 2 losses. The Devils will absolutely clap us. Somehow winning these 2 games will just infuriate me more about the recent Preds/Blues losses.

 

[Ceremony]

Nichushkin might be ready to face the Devils

Oh good he's definitely going to be back. Fantastic!

 

[dahrougem2]

Oh good he's definitely going to be back. Fantastic!

Worst part is if they are this uncertain then you know he is going to be playing hurt the rest of the season and his effectiveness will be limited.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

Oh good he's definitely going to be back. Fantastic!

He'll return, play 10 minutes, and leave with the same injury

 

[BaconNater]

Darn I stink at gif posting

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Darn I stink

 

[avsfan9]

Makar hit 400 points third fastest in history. For some reason I can’t post new thread on main boards, I think it’s noteworthy. For anyone wondering Quinn has 392 in 412 gp. Makar has it in 374 games.

 

[myperbixhurts]

Remember when we didn’t have a 2nd line and we weren’t good? We don’t have a 2nd line now and we’re not good.

Coincidence?

 

[DrunkTurtle]

Remember when we didn’t have a 2nd line and we weren’t good? We don’t have a 2nd line now and we’re not good.

Coincidence?

Not really. However, they should be able to assemble a 2nd line that somewhat works.

For quite a while only one line has clicked and everything else is a mess.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

“This is a huge point in the season for us,” Avs defenseman Cale Makar said. “I think every single guy on this team, we’ve got to prove to management that this should be a group that they invest in. And if we keep having games like this, it’s going to be hard for them to justify it.”

“It’s going to be on us,” Makar said. “We know as a group we have a lot better than this. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t find the consistency. We played well last night, but just couldn’t find the goals. You just have to get back to it and be better tonight, and unfortunately, we weren’t.”

Cale Makar: Avalanche must “prove to management” team is worth trade deadline investment

When is the “real” Colorado Avalanche going to arrive this season, or will it?

www.denverpost.com

 

[The Kingslayer]

“This is a huge point in the season for us,” Avs defenseman Cale Makar said. “I think every single guy on this team, we’ve got to prove to management that this should be a group that they invest in. And if we keep having games like this, it’s going to be hard for them to justify it.”

“It’s going to be on us,” Makar said. “We know as a group we have a lot better than this. It’s just unfortunate that we can’t find the consistency. We played well last night, but just couldn’t find the goals. You just have to get back to it and be better tonight, and unfortunately, we weren’t.”

Cale Makar: Avalanche must “prove to management” team is worth trade deadline investment

When is the “real” Colorado Avalanche going to arrive this season, or will it?

www.denverpost.com

View attachment 982141

This is a captain. A leader amongst men. When Landeskog decides he cant play anymore the C needs to go to this guy.

 

[Bender]

If the Avs took a page out of the Carolina playbook and just took as many shots on net as they could, they would find that magically they're scoring again.

They could even make a contest out of it and try and get 50 shots per game or something.

They are guilty of massively OVER-PASSING on most nights - it's like they are second-guessing themselves - thinking 'oh no, that shot has no chance of going in' - well maybe not but maybe you force the goalie to make an awkward save and there's a rebound there just sitting there.

 

[Pokecheque]

If the Avs took a page out of the Carolina playbook and just took as many shots on net as they could, they would find that magically they're scoring again.

They could even make a contest out of it and try and get 50 shots per game or something.

They are guilty of massively OVER-PASSING on most nights - it's like they are second-guessing themselves - thinking 'oh no, that shot has no chance of going in' - well maybe not but maybe you force the goalie to make an awkward save and there's a rebound there just sitting there.

They definitely need to take more shots but if they're not going to do jack shit if they keep settling for perimeter shots and not pay the price in front of the net. This should not require them to get Nuke back in order to do it either.

One thing that needs to stop five weeks ago is forcing centering feeds and cross-ice passes out of desperation they know damn well aren't going to make it. Those just result in turnover after turnover and sometimes an odd-man rush the other way.

 

[myperbixhurts]

Not really. However, they should be able to assemble a 2nd line that somewhat works.

For quite a while only one line has clicked and everything else is a mess.

You can’t assemble a 2nd line without actual second line players and expect consistent production. If that was possible, all you had to do is get cheap players and make them produce as top players and everything would be wonderful

 

[Bender]

They definitely need to take more shots but if they're not going to do jack shit if they keep settling for perimeter shots and not pay the price in front of the net. This should not require them to get Nuke back in order to do it either.

One thing that needs to stop five weeks ago is forcing centering feeds and cross-ice passes out of desperation they know damn well aren't going to make it. Those just result in turnover after turnover and sometimes an odd-man rush the other way.

Absolutely agree with you.

As far as paying the price in front of the net, when Bednar makes up the top 2 lines the way he does, who exactly is supposed to be the guy doing that ?

Lehkonen-Mack-Necas
Drouin-Mitts-Parsinnen

If I have to guess, the Finns draw the short straw in those scenarios but it's not what they are best at.

Then you have 2 guys who can pay the price in front of the net on the same line in Colton and Wood.

As for the bolded, I agree with you 100% but that needs to be addressed by the coaches.