Avalanche Grades From Tough Game 5 Loss

Tangled up in blue

Jack Johnson : C – Started strong like the entire team, then it all blew up. Quiet night from the vet who had a little under 13 minutes and one shot on  net. 

Bowen Byram : A – What a series for Byram. He played as well and consistent as anyone on this team. He had two assists and I thought was one of the few Avs with a good game from start to finish.

Erik Johnson : C+ –  Some shifts were great and other shifts he couldn’t get the puck out of the zone cleanly. 

Devon Toews : C+ – A wrister from the point finds its way through and Landeskog tips it in. There were a couple of plays in the final minutes that he just was blindly throwing the puck away. Uncharacteristic of him. 

Cale Makar : C-  Again, the final minutes for everyone was a struggle. The team gave up a 3-0 lead and then a 4-3 lead. It was Makar’s guy who scored the game-tying goal with 56 seconds left. 

Andrew Cogliano : C+ –  He continues to sacrifice his body in front of big shots. It looks painful and I’m in the 300 section.

Valeri Nichushkin : D – He struggled out there tonight. Not a lot offensively and a minus-three tonight.

Nicolas Aube-Kubel : C –  He chased down his own rebounds and really skated hard but in a game like this you gotta dig deeper.  

Alex Newhook : C –  Love his speed and effort but no shots on net and the Avs are head to St. Louis for Game 6. He might be back on the pine next game, with Andre Burakovsky back in. 

Logan O’Connor: C- –  Finished the game with 9:53 TOI and a minus-two. Just not good. 

Nathan MacKinnon : X – Felt like he was the only one who wanted to go to the Western Conference Finals. Unbelievable third goal that made it 4-3, but the team couldn’t hold it together. Incredible individual effort. 

J.T. Compher : D – Nothing out there. I hardly noticed him. Almost 12 minutes played and one shot. 

Josh Manson : C – He was involved with a few chirping battles but never took it over the line. Just a collapse as a whole team tonight. 

Darren Helm : C+ – Tell me if you’ve heard this before…tied for the team lead in hits. 

Artturi Lehkonen: B – Played well, engaged at both ends. Until the third period, that is, when he was more of a passenger.

Nazem Kadri: C- – Unintentionally hyped up the crowd all night. Honestly one of the more memorable moments here at Ball Arena. The fans covered the glass with “Stand With Naz” signs and chanted his name at one point. But, he was a minus-three tonight and really couldn’t transition well.   

Gabe Landeskog: C – Moments like this in the locker room is when I would love to be a fly on the wall. What was said between the third period and overtime? He played well tonight but as the captain of this team, you can’t let them fall apart like that. He made a poor decision with the puck at the end with the goalie pulled, which contributed to the tying goal at the end of regulation.

Mikko Rantanen : C+ – He just can’t buy a goal right now. It’s not all doom and gloom as he still has 10 assists. The Avs need their regular-season point scorer to get going. Copy, paste for the entire playoffs. 

Darcy Kuemper : D –  Couldn’t make the big saves when needed. Three goals in the third is unacceptable. The team didn’t help them out but man, when you have the lead with 56 seconds left, you need to make the save. The overtime goal looked soft from my view and likely one he would like back.