Pre-Game Talk: Week of We Talkin' 'Bout Practice, Man...

[AllAboutAvs]

So when do we hear from CMac? Seems a bit unusual for him to do a press conference now, unless it's to announce Landeskog's return for whatever reason. I may be wrong but I don't recall him doing a press conference right before the playoffs before.

CMac will announce he is done making deals at the TDL.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

You can say when he's on his game but he hasn't been on his game all season. Parker Kelly has been WAY better than Wood, it isn't close. Kelly also kills penalties, something Wood struggles with if he's not going for a breakaway because he doesn't have the brain to play good defensive hockey in our zone.

There is zero chance Bednar puts Miles Wood in ahead of either Parker Kelly or Joel Kiviranta.

I wish I had your, uhm... "faith?" in Bednar. I have a feeling both Kivi and Kelly are scratched in favor of Wood for game one at least.

 

[RockLobster]

Too slow, old man @RoyIsALegend

 

[Foppa2118]

I want Necas next to MacKinnon. That's when both Necas and the team have looked their best. Necas isn't going to elevate the second line and all it's going to do is make him less productive and effective.

I think Val and Nelson have been pretty good together so I don't have an issue with them being paired.

The issue is at the other wing spot where neither Lehkonen nor Drouin have clicked with Nelson. It doesn't help that Lehkonen has been snake bit and just straight up bad for quite some time now.

Lehky looked good with Nelson when Necas was on that line. Nelly had two goals their first game together.

 

[avalanche_country]

That press conference was pointless

 

[expatriatedtexan]

The way I see it I try to make general assumptions that are true enough to a point, that they should be guiding principals in line building.

JD has most value when playing with Nate.
Lehky and Nuke have never been a great combination for the same line, also Nuke is not a LW.

Given that I think this is the way to go:

JD-Nate-Nuke
Lehky-Nelly-Necas

 

[missionAvs]

I have no clue wtf Bednar is doing. He has t know his most effective lines were Mack with JD and Nuke, Nelson with Lehk and Marty.

Agreed and considering that we finally agreed on something, maybe..... just maybe..... I can get taken of waivers? These equipment allergies are killing me sitting in the press box.

 

[forsbergavs32]

Agreed and considering that we finally agreed on something, maybe..... just maybe..... I can get taken of waivers? These equipment allergies are killing me sitting in the press box.

 

[The Mars Volchenkov]

I wish I had your, uhm... "faith?" in Bednar. I have a feeling both Kivi and Kelly are scratched in favor of Wood for game one at least.

Kivi hasn’t been a healthy scratch all year long. Bednar loves him. No way he’s coming out for Wood.

Heck, he scratched LOC before Kivi.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Kivi hasn’t been a healthy scratch all year long. Bednar loves him. No way he’s coming out for Wood.

Heck, he scratched LOC before Kivi.

I hope you're right.

 

[forsbergavs32]

I guess that was just kind of an end of the regular season presser from CMac. Nothing really new, just taking stuff with Lando day by day (not day to day, you animals), has faith in Nuke and where he's at off the ice, and is happy with the moves the Avs made and feels they're ready to compete.

 

[LOFIN]

Kivi hasn’t been a healthy scratch all year long. Bednar loves him. No way he’s coming out for Wood.

Heck, he scratched LOC before Kivi.

Kiviranta is a less skilled version of Lehky. And coaches love those players. Just 100% night in night out, do whatever the coach asks them to do. Good old soldiers.

 

[RoyIsALegend]

Kivi hasn’t been a healthy scratch all year long. Bednar loves him. No way he’s coming out for Wood.

Heck, he scratched LOC before Kivi.

Who gets dropped for Landy? Kelly? Or an inevitable injury clears the way?

 

[Avs_19]

The Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas line has been dominant. Not just good but elite. Unstoppable.

 

[MacKaRtin]

You dress the best possible lineup. Landeskog is already there on gamedays, and in the locker room. You don't bring him to the bench just to be a mascot. If Bednar thinks Landeskog is a better fit for the lineup than Kiviranta, Kelly or whoever, you play him. Simple as that.

Yes, he's going to need games to get up to NHL game speed, much less NHL playoff game speed. If you plan on putting him in during Game 3, in the worst case scenario, series might already be over by the time Landy even sniffs playoff game speed

 

[the_fan]

F***ing Bednar, man.

I swear to god if he goes with those top two lines despite CLEAR evidence of that 2nd line not working, he should be fired after game 1.

Drouin - MacKinnon - Nichushkin
Lehkonen - Nelson - Necas

It better happen.

I’ve heard Bednar switches lines around often when they don’t work

Seriously though, this isn’t an issue. Try those lines for a period or so in game 1. The good thing could be that 2nd line starts working, and we keep Necas with Nate, and if it doesn’t work, just switch it around where you put Necas on the 2nd line. I don’t know why make a bid deal out of it

 

[flyfysher]

I want Necas next to MacKinnon. That's when both Necas and the team have looked their best. Necas isn't going to elevate the second line and all it's going to do is make him less productive and effective.

I think Val and Nelson have been pretty good together so I don't have an issue with them being paired.

The issue is at the other wing spot where neither Lehkonen nor Drouin have clicked with Nelson. It doesn't help that Lehkonen has been snake bit and just straight up bad for quite some time now.

Lehky hasn’t been able to finish like we’re used to him doing. He couldn’t with MacKinnon despite a number of chances.

I could see JB try running

27-29-13
20-11-88
92-10-62

as his top 3 lines

 

[dahrougem2]

Lehky hasn’t been able to finish like we’re used to him doing. He couldn’t with MacKinnon despite a number of chances.

I could see JB try running

27-29-13
20-11-88
92-10-62

as his top 3 lines

Oh no, lord have mercy keep Ross Colton away from the top six.

 

[Avs_19]

Who gets dropped for Landy? Kelly? Or an inevitable injury clears the way?

It should be Kelly. Coyle, Drury, LOC, Kivi, Val, and Lehk can all PK.

Coyle has already taken over as the top PK center since the TDL. Drury is right behind Kelly in SH ice time as well.

 

[the_fan]

Can’t make a final assumption based on just one practice today. Whatever lines that were together today, could be different come game 1. Landy was on 5th line in practice but they said he’s still gonna work slowly his way into the lineup. He could start the playoffs on the 4th or 3rd line even if he’s practicing on 5th line right now

 

[dahrougem2]

It should be Kelly. Coyle, Drury, LOC, Kivi, Val, and Lehk can all PK.

Coyle has already taken over as the top PK center since the TDL. Drury is right behind Kelly in SH ice time as well.

Agreed it should be Kelly BUT I don't know if Bednar does that. He REALLY likes that 4th line.

 

[hockeyfish]

The way I see it I try to make general assumptions that mostly true and to a point true enough that they should be guiding principals in line building.

JD has most value when playing with Nate.
Lehky and Nuke have never been a great combination for the same line, also Nuke is not a LW.

Given that I think this is the way to go:

JD-Nate-Nuke
Lehky-Nelly-Necas

This is what I want too. It's more or less what has been most sucessful since the deadline.

 

[ASmileyFace]

Ya'll act like these lines won't end up in the Bednar Blender within 40 minutes of game 1.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

Ya'll act like these lines won't end up in the Bednar Blender within 40 minutes of game 1.

At some point, MacKinnon just might be tempted to break Jared's blender finger. Pretty sure Nelly was a couple of weeks ago.

 

[expatriatedtexan]

The Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Necas line has been dominant. Not just good but elite. Unstoppable.

I'm an idiot. Do you happen to know the last game we started with that? Would like to go back for a review if i can still catch a game.

I do remember Necas playing with Nate a lot when he first got here. I also remember them standing in the exact same spot a lot until Nate said f*** it, and started going to other spots on the ice. And that really opened things up on the PP at first.

I'm just not really remembering how they played together at even strength.