Flynn's Takes
Flynn’s Take: Avs Needed Big Win, Suffered Epic, Embarassing Loss
And just like that, the Avalanche’s season is over. The ending came as much of a shock to the players as it did the fans.
For most of the Game 7 loss, the Avs controlled the play. But then Mikko Rantanen scored a goal in the third period. And then another. Wyatt Johnston scored the game-winner, but Rantanen put the icing on the cake to complete a hat trick with an empty-netter. He even assisted on Johnston’s tally.
“That’s the thing with Mikko, it’s not about always just creating multiple chances like every time he touches the puck, but big moments,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “Look at that first goal — pretty nice individual effort, rips it off the bar down and finds a way to get the other one on the wrap around. Hits our skate, but it’s still a high-quality play and he capitalizes on it. He can capitalize, that’s what he is. He’s a pure goal scorer. He did that in the third.”
Unbelievable, devastating, painful — all words used to describe the season-ending defeat. But shock was what the players felt following the 4-2 loss.
“It’s pretty shocking. Felt like we were in total control, and then Mikko, credit to him, he made some amazing plays. He was a difference maker and he took over. I don’t know. I’m in shock, to be honest with you. Felt like we were in complete control of the game the whole time and just lost it.” Nathan MacKinnon said.
“Yeah, it’s pretty early on, so it’s hard to put into words other than it sucks,” Gabriel Landeskog said. “It really sucks. Just wasn’t ready to stop playing, to be honest.”
READ MORE: Season Over: Rantanen Gets Last Laugh — Avalanche Blow It in Game 7
The 32-year-old captain said they could sit and try to figure out “we should’ve done this, should’ve done that,” but the result doesn’t change. It’s one of the toughest losses for a team to swallow, having been up 1-0 for more than 10 minutes and then 2-0 for more than eight minutes, only to be defeated by three goals in less than nine minutes.
“We felt like our play was good enough 5-on-5, and we controlled the pace of the game. Even when it went 2-1, I felt like we weathered it well. Just seemed … unlucky,” Cale Makar said.
The question now is — “Where do we go from here?” While there are no immediate answers, the initial blame falls on GM Chris MacFarland. The biggest topic at hand in his regard is the trade of the player who ultimately sealed the team’s fate in the end.
Once the shock wears off and the dust settles, expect some moves to happen in one way or another. My thought is Joe Sakic moves back into the GM position to guide and prepare Andrew Cogliano to take over the position in the next season or two. But we shall see what transpires over the offseason.
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Just hire Carle as asst to replace Ray.
Bednar stumbles…Carle gets promoted
Thats a start
We lost top prospect
Next 2 years, no 1st rounder, no 2nd, no 3rd
Still don’t have 2nd line center
Cale has to be hurt
1 empty net goal
I think Carle could make the jump straight to head coach as his predecessor Jim Montgomery did. I doubt Carle would take an assistant job.
I’m making over $13k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life. This is where I started
.
HERE—————⊃⫸ https://tinyurl.com/4e9eczre
Do you think Bednar hasn’t stumbled enough in recent years?
Move on from Bednar. Glory days they played defense. I like bednar but it’s clear the players have moved on.
Is firing CMac and having Sakic back as GM to train Cogs really going to make the team better?? Be careful of what you wish for. Making a change in the front office to say you made a change is no guarantee of future success.
But there currently is no success, so I would take that chance.
who do you trust, the devil you know or the devil you don’t……. Going forward is going to be a tall task from the Avs organization to get the team contending for a cup again, let alone winning it.
Ok…what’s the worst that could happen? They are talented enough as presently constructed to continue to make the postseason year over year.
The current GM has shit the bed over 3 years on the job. Make a change, if that doesn’t work then what? They lose in the 1st or maybe 2nd round like they do every year now as it is. No harm no foul.
I would think the GM job would only be appealing to an up and coming first timer. With high expectations yet cap issues, no high draft picks for multiple years and few tradable assets what current GM would want it? I’m not suggesting anything, I’m just stating the situation as I see it
For sure all of what you stated is fact. It’s a weird job for anyone to take on. The expectation to win & win big will be there from the jump. Because of the talent already in place. But any new GM will have to maneuver at least initially right at the cap ceiling. Without any real tradable futures for the next 3 years. But to trust McFarland to navigate the roster decisions going forward would be malfeasance in my opinion. I could write a whole dissertation on how this guy has made virtually every wrong headed move since taking… Read more »
Wasting Mackinnon’s career.
Again, I reiterate; some overpaid Avs squeezed their sticks and became invisible. I hope MacKinnon and Landeskog called them out personally in the locker room.
Wait, it gets worse — the general mismanager traded No. 1 prospect Calum Ritchie for washed 33-year-old Brock Nelson. I said Brock Friggin’ Nelson, people! Dude had zero goals in the series and should not be re-signed under any circumstances.
Nelson is going to command 7 – 8 million per in free agency. The Avs would be retarded to do that. But……they kind of are run by one. So…🤷.
Just venting. But regarding Nelson. I’ve never seen a guy who seems to appear as if he’s a literal walking corpse. No emotion. No real engagement. Fit matters. He never seemed to fit. But they had a 2C who fit. Especially in the room. And they greatly undervalued him. His name was Nazem Kadri.
This reminds me of the trade George Paton made for Russell Wilson in 2022; one of the worst, lopsided trades in NFL history. Paton was retained; should McFarland be spared?
Rants is a stone cold scorer’s scorer that is capable of putting a team on his back and carrying them to victory. There’s not many like him and McFarland ignored that in a panic to make a trade.
Horrible trade and bad hockey karma on steroids.
One thing I will say for McFarland: he drafted REALLY well during his tenure. Sakic, for all the great he did when he was GM, had a few drafts that were extraordinarily bad misses – such as taking Connor Bleackley over David Pastrnak in 2014, and not getting a single NHL player in that entire draft. McFarland has only had a couple of drafts, but the early returns on them show incredible promise, even after trading away by far his best pick (Ritchie). I doubt he would accept a demotion to like “head scout” or “draft expert,” but maybe something… Read more »
Reading between the lines of Bednar’s comments about Rantanen – kinda sounds like he’s poking the Avs front office in the eye a bit. “You traded away my best pure goal scorer and now he scored goals against us. Good work guys.”
I thought the exact same about Bednar’s comments. Rantanen put the Stars on his back in game 7 so the collapse stings even worse, but he’s not why the Avs are out. Games 2 and 3 were pissed away and the PP was non- existent for the entire series. They drew three, 4 minute minors in the series and whiffed on all of them. That can’t happen with this roster in games that tight
Avalanche: Man, I don’t know how a loss could possibly be more devastating than ours was last night.
Blues: Hold my beer.
It didn’t take long for my sadness to disappear, as bad as the loss was to Dallas, the Blues coughing up a 2 goal lead with 2:00 left and then lose in double ot, lol, couldn’t have happened to a better goaltender
Disagree. The Blues were playing with house money by even making the postseason. They were written off in Nov.
They weren’t cup faves. Didn’t go all in at the deadline. Nor did they trade say…Jordan Kyrou away to Winnipeg. And then have him beat them in a game 7.
The biggest loser by a country mile are the Colorado Avalanche.
MacFarland should be fired for Rantanen mishap alone, let alone not securing top goalie last few years, overpay for Nelson, etc. Unsure on which up and coming executive in league would be best fit, but you have to show accountability at all levels so he’s gone. Maybe Rob Blake, who just parted ways with the Kings? History with Sakic, smart, loved time in CO, etc. Speaking of accountability, Bednar goes as well, 100%. He is a good coach who will find work shortly, but the message and systems aren’t working. Hes on yr 9. Its time. An intriguing option for… Read more »
The NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement does not permit restructuring contracts like an NFL front office can do
My guess is there is always a way if both parties agree. Or maybe for a team to do so if certain conditions are met. Definitely not my lane, so big knowledge gap, just know $$ has to come from somewhere to fix our current issues