10 Observations
5 Takeaways: Something’s Not Right With These Avalanche
Something isn’t right.
Over the past few weeks, the Avalanche have gone from coasting into the Olympic break to a level far beneath that. They’re playing careless, lifeless hockey, and the scoreboard is reflecting it nearly every night.
For the third time in 13 days, Colorado lost 7-3. The Montreal Canadiens were the better team. Just like the Nashville Predators were on Jan. 16. And just like the Philadelphia Flyers on Jan. 23.
The power play continues to struggle. The goaltending isn’t at the same standard as before. The shorthanded goals are sinking them. And even the penalty kill isn’t keeping up with its early-season success.
Thursday night’s effort in Montreal is the type of game that should finally change the mindset of a roster that, for the first three months, prided itself on never taking a shift off. They showed up each game, each shift, right until the final buzzer. Even on nights when the Avs were up by four, five, or six goals, they still tried to add onto their lead.
That hasn’t been the case for weeks now. And the wakeup call should start at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday. Should.
Whether it does or doesn’t is up to them.
5 Takeaways
1. I find it hard to believe that losing Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews should impact the squad this much. Those are obviously two key pieces of the roster, both on and off the ice. But this is night and day a different team than the one that won 10 straight games into early January.
It would be nice for the Avs to have Toews back on Saturday. That, at least, would re-solidify the top six on the blueline.
2. The shorthanded goals against are getting out of hand.
The power play used to be ineffective, but now it’s ineffective and is negatively impacting the scoreboard. Colorado has given up a league-leading nine shorthanded goals. Five of them have come in the last 13 games since Landeskog got injured.
3. Scott Wedgewood gave up seven goals on 28 shots. He looked shaky. There’s no question about it.
In his last three starts before this, Wedgewood stopped 66-of-71 shots and went 2-0-1. He needs to find that game again.
4. Going back to special teams, the power play is sinking lower and lower. Now operating at 15.7%, the Avs are 29th in the league on the man advantage. They’ve scored just 27 PP goals all year and have nine shorthanded goals against. That +18 goal differential on the PP is tied for the worst in the league. Edmonton is No. 1 at +45.
5. The two positives from this game: Brock Nelson keeps on scoring, and Ross Colton finally snapped his goalless drought.
There’s another nearly 3 hrs of my life I can’t get back. Necas & Mackinnon are playing lazy uninspired hockey. Up front it starts with those two & the last few games they’ve stunk. Sometimes I watch Necas prance around out there after he’s made a horrendous neutral zone turnover for the 5th time on the night. And I think this guy is going to be making 11.5 next year…. Man does Cale need Toews A LOT more than we ever would’ve thought. Burns & Manson were terrible again. The defensive play of Burns in particular is alarming. He was… Read more »
We are overusing Burns. The Olympic rest will be good for him. As for all the other stuff, we are just in a repeat, rinse, recycle pattern. We are only up 7 points over TB and MN so maybe their goal is to lose the President Trophy race to win the cup?! The goalie play has really dropped off a cliff too. when we do not skate high octane, our smaller players and figure skating like mentality can get exposed. It’s why they routinely disappoint in the playoffs, but we both have known this, but I’m sure we CMac has… Read more »
100% agree on Burns. He needs to be third pairing guy who plays 12-14 sheltered minutes a night. He is making a ridiculous amount of turnovers and doesn’t have the legs anymore to cover down on his mistakes. He’s also 40 and will wear down even further the deeper into the season we get. Wouldn’t mind if they move him, but doubt that will happen.
I have no earthly idea why the Avs knowing they needed another legit top 4 defenseman after last year. With limited resources & cap space targeted Burns. Everything this D – core needed. Defenseman acumen, physicality & size. He provides one of those 3 things. But what good is size if you don’t utilize to your advantage? Even in his prime years in SJ he wasn’t known for his defense. Now at 40 you bring him in to play 20 mins a night. So dumb. I’m less worried about the goaltending, but yes lately it’s fallen off. I think a… Read more »
Makar’s O has looked good but his D is vEry suspect. Bednar said he thought they played better but pucks weren’t going in. How do we get him off Prozac?
Yeah it really makes you wonder if Makar hadn’t been stapled to Toews since day 1 essentially. Would he be looked at quite the same way? The defensive play is average on a good night.
Before tonight Avs had 27 PPG for, and 22 PPG against. But they had 8 SHG against and only 1 SHG for. Tonight they had 0 PPG and 1SG against. So on the season they are +18 on the PP, which compares to +28 for the league average. Total special teams +\- is -4 overall for the season (all PPGs and SHGs for and against combined). By contrast, on special teams, Dallas is +12, EDM is +19, Minn is +13, and TB is +9. Not sustainable. The 5 on 5 play to make up for this is crazy. They gotta… Read more »
Every team goes through rough patches and loses games. But it’s the way they are losing games. Listless, no emotion and careless hockey. It’s like there is no fight in this team and they are ready for the break now. I’ve said this before – Bednar can’t seem to fix let alone improve the PP. Has the team tuned him out? You can’t fire the players. What, without Landy, there is no backbone to this team? Rudderless, uninspired hockey.
I get that these are throwaway games, but I don’t understand why they aren’t trying other Eagles instead of just going out there with the same squad to lose? I guess they were just hoping Olofsson would get some more points on the top line so they can get more for him in the market. It’s impressive that Middleton can still get paid to do something professionally and still be that bad- good for him. Also impressive is that Makar already passed last season’s shorthand goal cough-ups before the halfway mark. I’m not accusing Necas of throwing games, but I want… Read more »
The fact that the Avs don’t try other Eagles is baffling to me. Why not see what potential, if any, other Eagles players have? It’s a stale approach going with Middleton (who’s lost another step he couldn’t afford to lose) or a bizarre approach going with an Ahcan who is obliterated deep in the Avs zone on defense. A shakeup is needed. Who knows if that will happen or how it will take place.
Reading everything about possible trade candidates has gone from trying to create the dream team to what players can desperately help the bottom 6 and defense. The need for a defensive defenseman grows every game.
Yes the Avs have 3 games in hand over Minnesota, but the comfortable lead in points is evaporating quickly. I understand teams wanting to wait until after the Olympics to make trades, in case someone gets injured, but the Avs need help now.
Can’t figure out how the comments from this game are focusing on the bottom 6. Look at the stats, goals scored and possession metrics, and the reasons for this loss are simple. Poor goaltending, unreal bad special teams and your top line is actively hurting you. Nate and Necas (both -3) have checked out and can only hope the break will reset them. Their lack of effort is especially appalling. Three of four lines scored last night and the top line wasn’t anywhere to be found. The special teams issues, be it giving up shorties or going 1 for last… Read more »
Yes, the top line has checked out and has been providing very little the past several weeks. They are not playing defense and when they make a mistake, they do little to help alleviate the damage. The play of the PP is abysmal. That said, the bottom 6 still needs help. They need another center and the AHL callups, to include Brindley, have not done much. Just because someone in the bottom 6 scores, does not mask their needs. Almost 2/3rds of the way through the season and Kiviranta got his 2nd goal. Colton his 6th. Bardakov has 1 goal.… Read more »
Kivi/Brindley/Bardakov are not playoff starters for Colorado provided OC returns. The lines will be Olofsson/Drury/Colton along with Kelly/OC and a new 4C or a new 3C with Drury moving back to the 4th (preferable IMO). I’m not saying their bottom 6 is perfect and playoff ready, I’m saying in this last stretch of games, it is nowhere near the biggest of their issues. 100% agree defense is their biggest vulnerability. We have no 7th D period, Burns is at best a 3rd pairing guy and Girard needs to be moved ASAP for a bigger guy who is much better in… Read more »
I agree with you. I do believe that the number one issue is the defense. Even with Toews returning, the team needs a more physical defensive defenseman to be the 6th/7th. The Avs are losing big time because the team, on all levels, is playing poorly. We can’t just dismiss some of the problems because of play in one game.
Great points. Big picture nobody is worried about Mackinnon or Necas not producing. There’s no trade they can make that is going to fix the PP. It has to be fixed from within.
They CAN add a 3C & another top 4ish D. Those are clearly their biggest needs when they’re healthy.
You can fire Hakstol it isn’t going to fix the PP. He’s not the problem, just like Bennett wasn’t.
Maybe we should all address the elephant in the room. They had a top 10 PP for 6 – 7 years. Mikko gets traded & now it’s gone to shit. It’s the only real change that has occurred. Can’t be a coincidence. Look at the clip in which Dallas & their PP has produced since acquiring him.
I realize you think Mikko is the best player in the NHL, but this team has more than enough talent to be excellent on the PP The problem is Nate is the de facto PP coach and he stubborn as hell. He won’t move off his obsession with the seem pass, won’t move himself around the zone and won’t alter the tired zone entry technique that is now about 50% or less successful. He’s a great player, but currently he is a very ineffective 5v4 player and a downright awful at 3v3. This team needs a new PP coach with… Read more »
Necas needs to be moved off the top unit. He tries (and needs to) occupy the same space as nate does. He thrives most in that circle to the right of the goalie. When he goes to the net front which is comical he fades up towards the blueline cause he s not good at screening and getting tips. Nuke or landy or even lehky is needed for that. Necas should be running the 2nd unit in the spot nate operates at on the 1st.
Defense wise, a couple observations. Teams are just gliding through the neutral zone with little resistance. Heavy forechecking teams have always given the Avs problems and Colorado is playing very slow these past ten games. No quick passes. No safe passes. In the attack zone, passes to no one, no where. Turnovers galore. It’s a hot mess. Instead of giving up goals on the PP, play it as if the other team was on the PP. Dump the puck and play defense. At least the Avs won’t give up a short handed goal on their PP.
“Something isn’t right,” sums it up perfectly. It’s like there’s a switch that someone accidently bumped that has two settings, ‘dogshit’ and ‘firewagon’.
Are Landeskog and Toews really that important? Is this a coaching issue? Mental and physical fatigue? Are the players checked out?
I simply don’t understand how this team went from dominating to garbage in a very short timespan. And I don’t think the fix is making trades. Aside from the PP, they were absolutely killing with the current roster…
“Dogshit and fire wagon”…that’s a classic. They need another center, Bardakov nor Kelly are the answer there, and they have to get better defensively. There is quite a difference between playoff and regular season style of play. Competition is better, windows are smaller checking increases and there is a premium put on being responsible in your own zone. Girard while a fine regular season minute eater is just not big or physical enough to play net front D. Burns at this stage of his career isn’t a 22 minute a night second pairing guy. Especially when paired with Manson, because… Read more »
The defense has become complacent,
The top line is mia,
The Burns experiment is failing
The PP is mia
Nuke is not Nuke
The Rantanen Trade, we lost it…
Necas turns the puck over more than
Burns lol…
All of this because 2 guys are out of the
Line up? Not buying it…
Did I leave anything out?
Nothing left out, an absolute great shout!
All good, I’d just add that Bednar doesn’t always have them ready to play and his lack of in game adjustments.
I think there’s a few things going on. One, they just don’t care about the regular season at this point. They’re just waiting for the playoffs at this point, and the Olympic break coming up doesn’t help.
Landy being out means less on-the-bench calming presence and leadership, and then Toews being out doesn’t help with their D-zone game, and the goaltending is showing cracks due to their defense sucking. The Olympics coming and guys getting a break and hopefully getting (and staying) healthy is the best thing for this team.
First, they first need to get into the playoffs ( which they can ) !
Second, it all started, after losing Landeskog !
Third, the Olympic break, will help them !
The Avs, MIN, and DAL have 3 games each before the Olympic break. The Avs can go into the break anywhere from a 1-13 point lead. The Avs do have games in hand on both teams. Do the Avs want to come back after the break with only a 1 point lead on MIN? When are the Avs supposed to work on being, not just the team they were in December, but, a better team? MIN, DAL, and almost every other contending team is going to try and acquire the kind of players the Avs need. Credit to the Avs… Read more »
Last night, after the SHG, I asked myself, “Can we just fire Hakstol now, during this game?” This type of embarrassing loss – following another embarrassing loss – seems like the type that could cause a coaching shakeup. And like Bennett before him, Hakstol could be the scapegoat. I don’t know exactly what the issue is with the PP, but it can’t stay like this. I also found myself shouting at the top line on multiple occasions. On the backbreaking 2-on-1 goal in the third period, I shouted at Necas to shoot the freaking puck, instead of trying to fit… Read more »
I guess I am about the only person who is not concerned with our current form. We are in no man’s land in the standings. We have 9 guys who are counting the days til the Olympics. We have multiple injuries that should be healed here shortly. My actual concerns are the same ones I have had even when we were winning every game. This team has an accountability issue. The top players are never held accountable for their mistakes. The bottom players are held too accountable. When things are off, the ice time disparity gets huge. I have been… Read more »
I realize you think Mikko is the best player in the NHL, but this team has more than enough talent to be excellent on the PP The problem is Nate is the de facto PP coach and he stubborn as hell. He won’t move off his obsession with the seem pass, won’t move himself around the zone and won’t alter the tired zone entry technique that is now about 50% or less successful. He’s a great player, but currently he is a very ineffective 5v4 player and a downright awful at 3v3. This team needs a new PP coach with… Read more »
It has nothing to do with me thinking Mikko is the greatest player in the world (I most definitely don’t). But to not acknowledge the PP woes started after he was dealt, is just living in denial.
This idea that changing the PP coach is going to matter is dumb. They got rid of a coach who presided over a top 10 PP year over year. Had a bad few months, they replaced him and it got way worse.