Evan Rawal
You don’t have to tell Casey Mittelstadt about his lack of production lately.
He knows.
“I think any player would probably be lying if they didn’t know where they were at (points wise),” Mittelstadt told Colorado Hockey Now on Wednesday.
Hey, at least he’s honest. A lot of times you’ll just hear players say they don’t think about that part of the game, but they do. Everyone does. It’s human nature, especially when you are someone who is relied upon for offense.
56 points in 79 games is solid, particularly because most of it comes at even strength, but it’s the current stretch that he’s on (4 points in 11 games) that has raised some eyebrows around town.
Like any player, Mittelstadt is trying to control what he can control on the ice, and knows the points will come from there.
“I’m worried about making sure I feel good about my game and understanding the system and how I need to play and the way I need to play,” he said. “For me, (the production) hasn’t been too much of a worry lately.”
It’s worrying fans a little bit, and his coach admitted that his play isn’t quite at the level that it was when the Avalanche first acquired him.
“I’d say he’s hit a little bit of a lull,” Bednar said on Tuesday. “I think some of the offense has gone away from their line a little bit, which is a little bit like the rest of our team. Nothing dramatic or drastic, but I think it’s getting rewarded for some of his work and being able to get back on the board I think is important to help boost his confidence.”
The fact of the matter is that going from a non-contender in Buffalo to a team that has very high standards has been an adjustment. When Mittelstadt first arrived, he might have been running on adrenaline. He admitted to me (again) on Wednesday that he never expected to be playing for another team this season, so the last six weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind.
He does feel like he has finally figured out the way the Avalanche want to play.
“I think I pretty much have (the system) down,” he said. “Nobody’s perfect and there’s still things I’m learning and picking up on, but for the most part, I feel good. It’s quite a bit different, but the way we play and the way that we want to play, I think I can fit in really well and play really well in that system.”
Mittelstadt has to play well if this team wants to have success in the playoffs, and one of the bigger storylines heading into the postseason will be his lack of playoff experience. There’s a lot of winners in that locker room, and a lot is riding on a guy who hasn’t played in a lot of meaningful games at the NHL level. That’s not his fault, but that’s the reality of the situation.
On Tuesday, the Avalanche lost any chance of having home-ice advantage in round one, but that isn’t killing Mittelstadt’s excitement heading into next week. He admitted he’s trying to stay present, but his mind has drifted a bit in the last week to the Jets, knowing that they were on a collision course to face each other in round one.
“As a whole, I think you’re just excited to fight in the playoffs, especially for me. I’m not too worried about home and away and whatnot, but it’s my first time. Definitely a lot of excitement,” he said.
Since coming to town, Mittelstadt hasn’t really had consistent linemates. Some nights it’s been Drouin and Lehkonen. Other nights he’s with Rantanen and Nichushkin. Usually, it’s a mix of those four wingers, and right now, he’s centering the duo of Lehkonen and Nichushkin.
Mittelstadt’s numbers with Lehkonen are impressive. His numbers with Nichushkin? Not as much, and it does seem like that’s a combination the staff wants to make work.
In 90 minutes together, Nichushkin and Mittelstadt have been outscored 8 to 3 and are only controlling around 50% of the shot share. For most players, that’s not bad, the Avalanche are used to dominating when Nichushkin is on the ice. It just hasn’t clicked between these two yet.
The 25 year old center told me he’s still adjusting to playing with Nichushkin, but that the winger has been helping him out as much as he can.
“He’s been awesome for me,” Mittelstadt said. “Val has been super involved and vocal with me on the bench, and obviously, he’s an absolute horse out there. I think as my game keeps getting better, and as Val is Val, I think we’d be great suiters for each other. He’s a heck of a player.”
Time is running out. The Avalanche need these two to click quickly. Otherwise, Mittelstadt’s first trip to the playoffs might be a short one.