Pre-Game Talk: Week of No More Tears for Mikko (Tue @ NYI, Fri vs STL, Sun vs PHI)

[RoyIsALegend]

Media availability for Bednar, Necas, and Drury after today’s Jan 30 practice:

 

[JLo217]

Gamers love it

 

[cinchronicity]

It's early, but I get the feeling that CMac will soon be arrested for felony robbery. Drury is a great match. I'm hoping that we can round his number 18 up and see a new version of the Roaring 20s line. That allows the LOC line to go down for fourth line ( I really think more like 3a and 3b)

Mack and Necas could be a spectacle with their speed. I still think the best scenario is Necas as the 2C, moving Mitts to wing. I really, really think this could be an excellent solution, and Mitts could thrive in such a situation. Imagine Mitts finding Necas streaking in, or Nuke ready to pick up a pass then crash the net.

These two guys just seem to fit in, and from Day 1. By the return after 4 nations - hopefully with a healthy Nuke- this Avs team could go on a serious tear

 

[VikingAv]

Media availability for Bednar, Necas, and Drury after today’s Jan 30 practice:

Wait, they actually had a practice?

 

[sethro109]

Does anyone know if they practiced the PP at all?

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Wait, they actually had a practice?

They even worked on the powerplay!

Does anyone know if they practiced the PP at all?

Yup!

Malinski occupied Makar’s spot on PP1 while Cale had a maintenance day.

 

[CobraAcesS]

They even worked on the powerplay!



Yup!

Malinski occupied Makar’s spot on PP1 while Cale had a maintenance day.

They would of been better off with a paper cut out of Makar and a trainer just receiving and dishing pucks next to it.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

I feel bad for Drury, getting stuck with the struggling donkeys. I also feel bad for Parsnip, been playing well and gets rewarded by being stuck with the other 2 struggling forwards.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Media availability for Bednar, Necas, and Drury after today’s Jan 30 practice:

Bednar said that we've never had any right hand shots play the power play in Colorado. Yes, I am second guessing him now.

Manson has a f***ing hard shot. He's been known to have that hard shot since he got here. That's why we love him in the playoffs. He can rip it from the top of the circles. Is there no way to take advantage of that on a power play? Seriously?

Logan O'Connor is one of the hardest working guys on the team. Also one of the few that has shown the ability to actually play UP with Nathan MacKinnon and compete around the net. He's third behind Nuke and Lehky in this. But still, when injuries mount you don't use him.

Malinski is a right shot dman who if he isn't here for offense should not be here at all.

Bednar...The Avs have right hand shots. These might not be everyone's first pick for PP1, but not a single one of them would look out of place on PP2. So here's the deal...if a right handed shot is so damn important, it should be enough to elevate any PP2 RH shot to PP1 when you are lacking a RH shot. You've got them... you just refuse to use them.

It's not really a RH shot you really want. What you really want is your top line and top D pair. This is just an extremly shitty excuse for your miserable power play results. In fact. Get f***ed. You still called it Mikko's side. Get your f***ING HEAD IN THE GAME JARED.

I'm kinda souring on Bednar fast this year. The more closely I listen to what he says, the more I find myself questioning some of what he is saying.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Bednar said that we've never had any right hand shots play the power play in Colorado. Yes, I am second guessing him now.

Manson has a f***ing hard shot. He's been known to have that hard shot since he got here. That's why we love him in the playoffs. He can rip it from the top of the circles. Is there no way to take advantage of that on a power play? Seriously?

Logan O'Connor is one of the hardest working guys on the team. Also one of the few that has shown the ability to actually play UP with Nathan MacKinnon and compete around the net. He's third behind Nuke and Lehky in this. But still, when injuries mount you don't use him.

Malinski is a right shot dman who if he isn't here for offense should not be here at all.

Bednar...The Avs have right hand shots. These might not be everyone's first pick for PP1, but not a single one of them would look out of place on PP2. So here's the deal...if a right handed shot is so damn important, it should be enough to elevate any PP2 RH shot to PP1 when you are lacking a RH shot. You've got them... you just refuse to use them.

It's not really a RH shot you really want. What you really want is your top line and top D pair. This is just an extremly shitty excuse for your miserable power play results. In fact. Get f***ed. You still called it Mikko's side. Get your f***ING HEAD IN THE GAME JARED.

I'm kinda souring on Bednar fast this year. The more closely I listen to what he says, the more I find myself questioning some of what he is saying.

I think he was talking about right hand shot players playing the bumper position. I like LOC but he shouldn't be in the PP1 bumper spot.

 

[dahrougem2]

Bednar said that we've never had any right hand shots play the power play in Colorado. Yes, I am second guessing him now.

Manson has a f***ing hard shot. He's been known to have that hard shot since he got here. That's why we love him in the playoffs. He can rip it from the top of the circles. Is there no way to take advantage of that on a power play? Seriously?

Logan O'Connor is one of the hardest working guys on the team. Also one of the few that has shown the ability to actually play UP with Nathan MacKinnon and compete around the net. He's third behind Nuke and Lehky in this. But still, when injuries mount you don't use him.

Malinski is a right shot dman who if he isn't here for offense should not be here at all.

Bednar...The Avs have right hand shots. These might not be everyone's first pick for PP1, but not a single one of them would look out of place on PP2. So here's the deal...if a right handed shot is so damn important, it should be enough to elevate any PP2 RH shot to PP1 when you are lacking a RH shot. You've got them... you just refuse to use them.

It's not really a RH shot you really want. What you really want is your top line and top D pair. This is just an extremly shitty excuse for your miserable power play results. In fact. Get f***ed. You still called it Mikko's side. Get your f***ING HEAD IN THE GAME JARED.

I'm kinda souring on Bednar fast this year. The more closely I listen to what he says, the more I find myself questioning some of what he is saying.

I swear to god if I ever see you recommend Josh Manson get PP time again I'll make it my personal life's mission to get you banned from this place.

 

[the_fan]

I swear to god if I ever see you recommend Josh Manson get PP time again I'll make it my personal life's mission to get you banned from this place.

May I recommend Keaton Middleton getting PP time?

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I think he was talking about right hand shot players playing the bumper position. I like LOC but he shouldn't be in the PP1 bumper spot.

Again, he built his power play around very SPECIFIC players. He has failed to adjust it when those players aren't available. This is the deal...he's a f***ing coach. He can change the power play to benefit the people he does have. He's either an asshole who won't or an idiot who can't.

He's bemoaning a thing he does have. While what he really means is "CMac broke the only PP we had, even though it hasn't been effective since Christ was a carpenter."

I have absolutely no problems with LOC getting a shot in the bumper. What are you afraid of happening if he does?

I swear to god if I ever see you recommend Josh Manson get PP time again I'll make it my personal life's mission to get you banned from this place.

His slapper though! You gotta admit, when it hits, it makes folks stand up and dance.

 

[Tommy Shelby]

Bednar's shelf-life, while very long, expired last May when Matt Duchene ended our season.
At this point he's just getting more and more stale as time goes on

 

[expatriatedtexan]

May I recommend Keaton Middleton getting PP time?

He's a left-handed shot. I actually looked at him too. And as frustrated as I've been with our PP this season, there have been times where I might have actually sent him out.

Now let me ask you a question. How many shots have you seen Keaton not take? If there is not an immediate pass to another player available, the dude just launches down range. I'd like for it to get more accurate but it usually misses the first defenders legs, which gives him an edge up an EJ. Other than that, he's going to get us scored on short-handed.

The other guys mentioned though are legit PP2 guys, including Manson. We want his PK and we've got no one else to play a physical role so that's what he HAS to do. But we are ignoring some of the talents he does have and his shot is BIG.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Bednar said that we've never had any right hand shots play the power play in Colorado. Yes, I am second guessing him now.

Manson has a f***ing hard shot. He's been known to have that hard shot since he got here. That's why we love him in the playoffs. He can rip it from the top of the circles. Is there no way to take advantage of that on a power play? Seriously?

Logan O'Connor is one of the hardest working guys on the team. Also one of the few that has shown the ability to actually play UP with Nathan MacKinnon and compete around the net. He's third behind Nuke and Lehky in this. But still, when injuries mount you don't use him.

Malinski is a right shot dman who if he isn't here for offense should not be here at all.

Bednar...The Avs have right hand shots. These might not be everyone's first pick for PP1, but not a single one of them would look out of place on PP2. So here's the deal...if a right handed shot is so damn important, it should be enough to elevate any PP2 RH shot to PP1 when you are lacking a RH shot. You've got them... you just refuse to use them.

It's not really a RH shot you really want. What you really want is your top line and top D pair. This is just an extremly shitty excuse for your miserable power play results. In fact. Get f***ed. You still called it Mikko's side. Get your f***ING HEAD IN THE GAME JARED.

I'm kinda souring on Bednar fast this year. The more closely I listen to what he says, the more I find myself questioning some of what he is saying.

Well, now we know why JTC ever made it into PP1.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Again, he built his power play around very SPECIFIC players. He has failed to adjust it when those players aren't available. This is the deal...he's a f***ing coach. He can change the power play to benefit the people he does have. He's either an asshole who won't or an idiot who can't.

He's bemoaning a thing he does have. While what he really means is "CMac broke the only PP we had, even though it hasn't been effective since Christ was a carpenter."

I have absolutely no problems with LOC getting a shot in the bumper. What are you afraid of happening if he does?


His slapper though! You gotta admit, when it hits, it makes folks stand up and dance.

I've always viewed Bednar as more of a defensive coach. He needs help on on anything resembling offensive creativity.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

I've always viewed Bednar as more of a defensive coach. He needs help on on anything resembling offensive creativity.

Bednar was a very defensive player. A student of the sweet art if you will.

But very often, it's the 3rd/4th line grinders that can become the best coaches. I have a lot of thoughts on this. They've had to work extrordinarily hard to overcome skill. They also get more time on the bench. The intelligent ones are watching the game, listening to the coaches and absorbing it all. Those spongey brains just absorb a lot of good information and real life observations. The high skill players are getting much more icetime and have a different perspective (obviously) becaue they have a different expectation.

I'm not sure Bednar really picked up a lot of tactics though. I mean he's won championships at every level but he's been stacked with players at every level too. I do give him a TREMENDOUS amount of respect for surviving the first year. That enabled a championship run. He was as f***ing pissed as every player left on the roster. They were in the shit together and they bonded in a way that we will only catch glimpses of when watching them interact in the aftermatch of the Cup win. EJ and MacK hugging so long, it became a little uncomfortable since they were on the ice in the missionary position. Landy lifting the cup, turning towards his teamates the absolute expolosion of fireworks behind him. EJ searching for someone to hug, mouth agape, no teeth and tears streaming down his face. Cale's rosey cheeks maybe a bit redder.

None of this happens without Bednar. I honestly believe that.

It's why I can say that I have no problems with him and the AVs parting ways at any moment. No matter what happens, I have this connection to that man that I will always treasure and I hope he treasures that connection to the Avs fanbase in gerenal in some similar way. We're connected and we are good.

But I've heard folks say marriages can get boring. Now I think this is fools talks. My wife is better looking today than she was when we met, and she's dumber as well to still be with me after 25+ years.

Jokes aside. I don't dislike Bedsy in any way shape or form, but I think his run is done with the Avs. Something needs to give here. We've had the same players and the same coaches for too long now and complacency has reared it's ugly head in a major f***ing way. There is now way this roster should be struggling the way it is.

If anything this is on management for not having more turnover both within the top-six/top-3 as well as the coaches. Something new has to come in otherwise you get what we've seen all year long. The team doesn't suck and has entirely too much talent to ever be out of any game... but they are stale as hell and everyone knows what we do because until we started a double drop back pass on the PP zone entry a week ago we haden't done a thing different since 21/22.

 

[S E P H]

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Minnesota win again. Wins over Toronto and Montreal on back-to-back nights. They’ve won 3 in a row.

Winnipeg win again. They’ve won 5 in a row.

Stars have won 3 in a row.

Avs losing ground in the Central quick. Lost 4 of our last 5.

Holding onto the Wild Card is realistically our only hope, no point looking at the 3 teams ahead of us in our division. They’re too good.

 

[CobraAcesS]

Minnesota win again. Wins over Toronto and Montreal on back-to-back nights. They’ve won 3 in a row.

Winnipeg win again. They’ve won 5 in a row.

Stars have won 3 in a row.

Avs losing ground in the Central quick. Lost 4 of our last 5.

Holding onto the Wild Card is realistically our only hope, no point looking at the 3 teams ahead of us in our division. They’re too good.

You know what, teams that have some adversity going into the playoffs often do well.

There is lessons to learn and players to return. I'm fine with them staying in the battle mindset.

Blackwood, Necas, Drouin, Drury, Mitts, all have something to prove. You can throw Nuke in there too. That's a good thing.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

One...it's easy to say the top three P/GP are locks for the Norris. Of these three, after being politely told I was watching enough Columbus games this season, I've gone back and truly believe what Zach is doing for Columbus is better than what Cale is doing for us or Hughes is doing for Vancouver. Of these three he's my winner right now.

But this award really is bullshit and is mostly given to the best P/GM D-man in the league.

We should have both a true defense oriented dman award as well as true best defensive forward award. Need to eliminate offense generated as this is about their ability to stop the other team from scoring...not their ability to outscore their opponents.

I suggest two new awards....
Best Defensive Dman (Larry Robinson Award...although I suspect everyone else will want it to be called the Lidstrom Trophy)
Best Defensive Forward (Frank Nighbor Award...dude conceived @Pokecheque. I sort of die on this hill, even though most will have to look his name up and still be like, brah, you picked this guy?)

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

That top line better be ready to play 24-26 minutes a night for the next 5 games before the break.

Good chance they breakdown before the break with those minutes.

Bednar's shelf-life, while very long, expired last May when Matt Duchene ended our season.
At this point he's just getting more and more stale as time goes on

Nuke ended our season