Adrian Dater
Of course I know Devon Toews is out, along with Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen. Those are three all-star caliber players right there, and those three guys coming back into any lineup is going to super-charge it.
I wasn’t concerned at all with the Avs dropping a couple games in a row early last week. Like, not at all. But after watching the next two losses – making it four in a row now? Hell yes, I’m concerned.
I’m concerned as to why the Avs don’t seem to want to work hard enough away from the puck anymore right now. I’m concerned at how sloppy the guys still on hand are getting with the puck, giving it away in all areas of the ice. I’m concerned at Sam Girard looking slow and sloppy with and without the puck, and the fact that he’s only got one point in more than 20 games offensively.
I’m concerned that their biggest trade deadline acquisition, Josh Manson, isn’t seeming like a good fit with this club. Did the coaching staff tell Manson to try and be more of a pretty player since he got here? Well, that’s not working then. I thought this guy was supposed to be a big bone-crusher who got under opponents’ skin and gave the opposing top player a good hard shot once in a while – even if it’s a bit of a cheapie? I want the ugly Josh Manson back, not the pretty Josh Manson.
I’m concerned that Andre Burakovsky doesn’t seem to want to put in any effort defensively at all. There were a couple times in the third period tonight where he just flat-out stopped trying to play defensively in his own zone, after getting walked a couple times.
I know the Avs are going to get some heavy reinforcements back here soon (though, I don’t know what Mikko Rantanen’s illness is and I don’t think anyone else in the media has a clue either. How do we know it’s not something bad? The Avs say it’s not Covid-related, but he flew home on Saturday. He wasn’t even in Winnipeg tonight).
It doesn’t concern me where the Avs are in the standings, it doesn’t concern me that they actually lost a few in a row. It happens.
What DOES concern me is how the rest of the players still suiting up are playing. Frankly, if the Avs don’t get better play from the aforementioned and some who weren’t mentioned, you can kiss away any hopes of a Stanley Cup.
You can’t give up odd-man rushes all night and turn pucks over willy-nilly and win in the playoffs. Not gonna happen. The Avs gave up far too many scoring chances on this road trip. Winning in the playoffs is, No. 1 I think anyway, about taking care of the puck and not giving teams easy goals.
A lot of people are saying, “Nah, nothin’ to worry about. Avs just need to stay healthy until the playoffs and things will be fine. We can’t overexert ourselves out there too much, because these games don’t matter.”
I think the Avs will be a better team in a week’s time. But that’s also when the records will go back to 0-0. It can turn on you in a hurry in this business. We’ve seen that only all too well in the last couple years here.
So, panicked? No. Biting my nails to the core? (Yes, always, but not over the Avs). Concerned, though?
Yep.