Pre-Game Talk: Week of Make a F***ing Save, Damnit! vs NYI (Mon 7PM); vs BOS (Wed 7:30PM); vs ANA (Fri 7PM); @ SJ (Sun 6PM)

[JudoKoala]

This team can suck my dick....... See you all tonight

 

[henchman21]

You're playing my music now Hench. Bring Big Z home..... Wait a minute, that's what's gonna happen tonight. f***. We're losing like 2 more guys tonight.

I'd want my physicality with actual ability though...

 

[missionAvs]

I'd want my physicality with actual ability though...

He's only 26 Hench.

 

[Ceremony]

About time Bednar regressed to his ECHL days. A man can't outrun his penalty minute totals forever. It's all well and good managing the hockey equivalent of Cruyff's total football but eventually what the people demand will win out: Thunderdome. Take no prisoners. The more limbs thrown into the crowd, the better.

 

[henchman21]

He's only 26 Hench.

Life comes at you so fast, you lose 3 years.

 

[Muffin]

lol

https://x.com/i/web/status/1846607905258459272

0-4

 

[Pokecheque]

I'm undecided on if he was always this guy and it just took roster turnover to have it happen or if he's influenced by the trend across the league.

That said, the Avs are way too soft. But I don't think it is up front, it is on the backend.

Naw, I don't really buy that. He obviously wants a little toughness but we've seen too many instances where he takes a freewheeling tough guy and he makes him play (or try to play) structured hockey. If he really was a coach who wanted more crash-and-bang, he would've just set some of those guys loose. FTR I kinda wish he would even though I'm the resident "toughness is overrated" guy on these boards.

Like, if you're gonna go out and get a Trenin, a Duhaime, or (especially) a MacDermid, then you can't expect them to adhere to the system. They play hockey by lining someone up and then mashing them into the boards, you can't expect a guy like that to play tight, disciplined hockey.

I do agree though the Avs let themselves get too soft on the blueline. Echoes of 2016-17 when they added Wiercioch and Tyutin, the problem with THAT team is that it was soft at all positions AND it was slow AF. Goaltending was just about as disastrous though.

 

[henchman21]

Naw, I don't really buy that. He obviously wants a little toughness but we've seen too many instances where he takes a freewheeling tough guy and he makes him play (or try to play) structured hockey. If he really was a coach who wanted more crash-and-bang, he would've just set some of those guys loose. FTR I kinda wish he would even though I'm the resident "toughness is overrated" guy on these boards.

Like, if you're gonna go out and get a Trenin, a Duhaime, or (especially) a MacDermid, then you can't expect them to adhere to the system. They play hockey by lining someone up and then mashing them into the boards, you can't expect a guy like that to play tight, disciplined hockey.

I do agree though the Avs let themselves get too soft on the blueline. Echoes of 2016-17 when they added Wiercioch and Tyutin, the problem with THAT team is that it was soft at all positions AND it was slow AF. Goaltending was just about as disastrous though.

I think Bednar wants the rare combo of physical and disciplined. To me, he clearly wanted more beef in his lineup, but the types of guys the Avs can afford that have that edge, can't play structured and disciplined hockey. You get the Duhaime/Wood/Colton sorts who have that edge, but can't play how Bednar wants no matter how much it is forced. It just ends up neutering those guys.

 

[The Shermanator]

Seriously considering putting money on the Bs tonight but a small part of me says we can't possible suck 4 times in a row... RIGHT?!?!?

 

[Pokecheque]

I think Bednar wants the rare combo of physical and disciplined. To me, he clearly wanted more beef in his lineup, but the types of guys the Avs can afford that have that edge, can't play structured and disciplined hockey. You get the Duhaime/Wood/Colton sorts who have that edge, but can't play how Bednar wants no matter how much it is forced. It just ends up neutering those guys.

He ain't gonna get those guys, they're in high demand and usually have damn good hockey IQ in addition to a mean streak. He can't have Nukes and Landeskogs on the bottom six, especially at discount prices.

Zadorov was a prime example. When Bednar went out of his way to dumb his game down (basically said "See that one guy over there? Just cover him the entire game") it worked wonderfully...at least for a while. But anytime he required Big Z to play within the team's structure, something bad invariably happened.

 

[henchman21]

He ain't gonna get those guys, they're in high demand and usually have damn good hockey IQ in addition to a mean streak. He can't have Nukes and Landeskogs on the bottom six, especially at discount prices.

Zadorov was a prime example. When Bednar went out of his way to dumb his game down (basically said "See that one guy over there? Just cover him the entire game") it worked wonderfully...at least for a while. But anytime he required Big Z to play within the team's structure, something bad invariably happened.

I don't disagree with that... saying the desire is for that type of player though. What we end up with is Miles Wood.

 

[hockeyfish]

So, did Kaapo pull a Mike Richards at the boarder or something?

 

[Alienblood]

He ain't gonna get those guys, they're in high demand and usually have damn good hockey IQ in addition to a mean streak. He can't have Nukes and Landeskogs on the bottom six, especially at discount prices.

Zadorov was a prime example. When Bednar went out of his way to dumb his game down (basically said "See that one guy over there? Just cover him the entire game") it worked wonderfully...at least for a while. But anytime he required Big Z to play within the team's structure, something bad invariably happened.

And then we wanted Zadorov back again this year, very strange.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I don't think it is lack of trust so much as George is the only guy on the roster who has the talent to get where they want to go. Annunen and Kahkonen may give you games, but they aren't going to be starters and certainly not at the level we'd need. So they are simply trying to get George going with the hopes that he finds something.