OffThePost.org

(Generation III)
It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 6:10 am

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 215 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 7, 8, 9, 10, 11  Next
Author Message
PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 2:48 pm 
Offline
Big in Japan
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:37 am
Posts: 14212
Location: 'Real City
I subscribe to the Athletic and I love it. The app is clean, the writers are great and the price is right. They're even hosting a MTL get-together for subscribers tonight and I can hang out with Pierre LeBrun.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Mar 27, 2018 3:39 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
I love it too and they don't even cover my team yet.

BSN is...good. Not great. The DP has become a shithole, and now that they lost those other three their sports coverage is a joke. Their hockey coverage went to hell after they fired Terry Frei and Dater, though the circumstances regarding both dismissals was wholly justified. Dater bragged on Twitter recently that he got a settlement though.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Mar 28, 2018 2:49 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Oh FFS...I really shouldn't complain given how huge a turnaround it's been this season but apparently the flu bug is going around the locker room, took out Carl Soderberg at precisely the wrong time (he's the type of player the Avs need against a team like the Kings) and now Varlamov is a game-time decision against the Flyera tonight. They're actually flying The Hamburglar in as a contingency measure in case Varly can't go. Bernier has been dealing with a concussion, and is now out with an infected cut of some kind.

If indeed the flu is going around it would kinda explain why the team as a whole just looks gassed. They went hard in the last game against the Golden Blights for two periods and then went limp in the 3rd.

Oof...I don't think the Avs make it into the postseason if they lose tonight.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 5:27 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Pretty sure last night was the final nail in the coffin, or close to it. Avs played an up-and-down game against a tired Flyers squad, but I think the team is just way too banged up and the rooks are way too worn out to keep this thing going. Even MacKinnon looks spent.

Andrew Hammond filled in for the flu-ridden Varlamov, and played more than well enough for the Avs to win. First goal was a perfect one-timer from Giroux and the second was a bomb from the point from Provorov, who had an absolutely MONSTER game. Flyers fans should be thrilled their young blueline is finally rounding into form.

Colorado has scored only four goals in the last four games. Offense is drying up at the worst possible time. Last night nearly all their shots missed or were blocked. They don't have anyone who can reliably crash the net and really wreak havoc in the slot. That'll need to be a huge priority in the offseason. Given that they project to be below the cap floor, they have some flexibility to bring in a big name or two...just hope they've learned their lesson in signing anyone at or above the age of 35 (it took three tries for them to finally get it FFS).

Kinda curious as to what ends up happening to former DU alum and current Avs exile Joe Colborne. Muddled through a horrid season in 2016-17, did an interview where he said he was looking forward to bouncing back, promptly got waived, bombed out in the AHL and conveniently got put on IR not long afterwards. He's still listed on the active roster in San Antonio but it's just a formality. There hasn't been so much as a peep from him since he was put on the shelf. I'm guessing he either bolts for Europe or signs a PTO somewhere.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Mar 29, 2018 7:29 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Couple minor signings: Josh Anderson (D-man, not to be confused with the Josh Anderson playing for the Columbus Blue Jackets) and Travis Barron. Notable to Avs fans because both are lower-round picks (Anderson was taken 3rd round in 2016, Barron in the 7th), which didn't happen a whole lot with this organization in the past. Both are long shots for the NHL but if they just end up being AHL depth, that's still a win. Barron reportedly had a very good year with the 67s so there might be something more than expected with him, we'll see I guess.

By my estimation that is now 5 picks from 2016 under contract and 5 (it was 6, but Andrei Mironov's was terminated during the season) from 2015. A welcome change from year's past, and encouraging news after the utter disaster that was 2014.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sat Mar 31, 2018 7:11 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Oh boy...

http://nhl.nbcsports.com/2018/03/31/ava ... r-6-weeks/

Varlamov ruled out for the rest of the season, Erik Johnson out for 6 weeks (so, yeah, the season) with a patellar tear.

Fucking Tomas Jurco. Tried to crash the net late in the 3rd with the Hawks down 5-0 and fell right into the crease on his own, wasn't even checked, if you bother looking at a replay you can see Varly's leg whip back. Look dude, I get you're fighting for your NHL career and all, but in a meaningless game that you're gonna lose anyway, there's no need for that bullshit.

I guess the possible good news is that both players have already missed significant time year and the team did not use it as an excuse. Just gotta hope that Jonathan Bernier can handle the load in the interim, otherwise they may need to make their own call to a local accountant goalie.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 8:54 am 
Offline
King of Men
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:26 pm
Posts: 9152
Location: Left Field
Tough game last night against the Ducks. LA tonight, SJ and then STL. Brutal.

_________________
No AI has been used in the making of this post


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Apr 02, 2018 7:08 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Yep, Avs have by far the hardest road remaining, and they dropped three VERY winnable games against the Knights, Flyers, and Ducks.

God, Ryan Kesler is such a fucking tool. Cross checked Landeskog into his own goalie, then got mad about it and tried to fight him. Unfortunately he also scored the GTG, a very bad sequence of events started by Nathan MacKinnon's awful NZ turnover and ended Jonathan Bernier's bad rebound control. Not that I'm blaming Bernier for last night, he played more than well enough for the Avs to win. They really shouldn't have just tried to sit on the lead.

It's not being talked about much but there's a bad flu bug going around that is clearly affecting the team, and I'm willing to bet two players fighting a bug right now are Rantanen and MacKinnon. Both look just haggard out there right now. Soderberg missed time because of it (including that 7-1 debacle against the Kings, who they play again for the last time tonight) and he's definitely not 100%.

Also, losing Mark Barberio on a blueline like this was a gut punch of epic proportions. Flawed as he is, the Avs have since had to rely on a whole slew of AHL fodder and that's led to the top four being overworked.

Anyway, I think it ends tonight. Avs have been pretty awful on the tail end of back-to-backs, don't match up well against the Kings, and have been decimated by injuries/illness/fatigue. If by some small miracle they pull it off, they still gotta win against the Sharks and then...they gotta beat the Blues themselves.

They also need some help...the Blues take on the Caps tonight, and Washington is also on the 2nd half of a back-to-back, and in last night's game against the Pens where they not only won the game, but the division as well. They have literally nothing to play for. Hopefully Ovi goes nuts and gets to 50 in one fell swoop.

In any event, I just have to remind myself just how awful last season was. The fact I'm even talking about meaningful hockey in Colorado in the final week of the season speaks volumes about how far they've come. This season is a resounding success no matter how you cut it.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:28 am 
Offline
King of Men
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:26 pm
Posts: 9152
Location: Left Field
Well....still alive for a bit. Blues dropped to the Caps in regulation last night and LA did the same to the Avs. Unfortunately STL has a game in hand both against CHI. Doesn't look good though as SJ for these boys on Thursday. Could be a meaningful game on Saturday.....guess we'll wait and see. Either way a pleasing effort out of this team this season.

_________________
No AI has been used in the making of this post


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:53 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Avs have SJ at SJ and STL at home.

STL has a home-and-home against CHI and then play the Avs.

If STL wins out against the Hawks and the Avs beat the Sharks, it all comes down to Game 82. But the Avs have to beat the Blues in regulation, a three-point game sinks 'em.

Again, the fact that hockey is still meaningful this late when this time last year the Avs were far and away the worst team in the entire league is a gigantic step forward. I'm just bummed that injuries, another flu bug, and a bunch of young players wearing out is hitting them all at the worst possible time. In any event, this season was an unmitigated success...just hope they can keep it going a little longer.

It's been one hell of a roller coaster (I'm feeling a little burned out on hockey, can't even imagine how they feel), but so long as they don't make any bad moves this offseason, this isn't looking like yet another fluke season that ends up being for naught.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Wed Apr 04, 2018 1:49 am 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Oh and in other news, while it's not official, Avs top D prospect (oh hell, top prospect PERIOD) Cale Makar says he's returning the Umass for a second season. Personally I think he could've made the jump to pro and been fine but there's absolutely nothing wrong with him doing one more season in the NCAA. I'll officially start getting concerned if he returns for a third, but I don't think that happens. In the interim, they will have Conor Timmins.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:14 pm 
Offline
Big in Japan
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 12:37 am
Posts: 14212
Location: 'Real City
Avalanche vs. Blues on Saturday. You couldn't have scripted it any better. The battle of the former Stastny teams.

_________________
Image


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 1:56 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
E.L. wrote:
Avalanche vs. Blues on Saturday. You couldn't have scripted it any better. The battle of the former Stastny teams.


Hah...yep that's true.

We'll see. Blues choked in epic fashion last night. Absolutely stunning how it went down. Two guys on the Hawks scored their first NHL goals of the season (in the case of Hillman it was his first NHL goal period) and Duncan Keith with only his second of the season to win with eight seconds remaining. Doug Armstrong's reaction in GIF form was something else. But the last time the Avs had the door open like this, they choked themselves in Anaheim.

Avs gotta win tonight, no excuses, then I'm guessing the Blues beat the Hawks on Friday, setting the stage for an epic Saturday season finale.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:47 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Avs sign another undrafted free agent, big forward Josh Dickinson. His big brother Jason is currently with the Stars. Projects to be a solid depth guy. Even if he doesn't pan out, I'm glad they're using contracts on guys like this instead of career minor league guys and glorified grinders.

The other undrafted FA, Ty Lewis, hit the 100-point mark for the Brandon Wheat Kings this season.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 8:59 am 
Offline
King of Men
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:26 pm
Posts: 9152
Location: Left Field
Well it looks like Saturday will be meaningful regardless if St Louis Wins or Loses tonight.

_________________
No AI has been used in the making of this post


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 11:48 am 
Offline
King of the One-Liner
User avatar

Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 3:40 pm
Posts: 5448
Location: Too deep in crease.
Yeah game 7ish game to end the regular season.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 1:37 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Again, I have no right to complain. If you'd have told me Game 82 was going to matter this much before Game 1 had even begun, I'd have been thrilled.

That said, it's really frustrating to watch them play their worst hockey at the worst possible time. Injuries are obviously playing a factor, a huge factor, but this is still tough as hell to watch, especially against a boring-ass slog team like the Sharks.

Anyway, it all comes down to Saturday Night, where the Avs have ZERO excuses. They'll be facing off against a Blues team that has also stumbled horribly down the stretch and will be playing the 2nd of a back-to-back. And it'll be in Denver. Guess we'll see.

And bigger picture...this season will be as meaningless as 2009-10 and 2013-14 if they don't build properly on it. They can't let a better-than-expected season think they're closer than they actually are. Thankfully, there's reason to believe this isn't some fluke run like those previous two seasons were.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 3:30 pm 
Offline
The Bird is the Word, yet the Word ≥ the Bird

Joined: Thu Oct 23, 2008 1:40 pm
Posts: 3076
The injuries have caught up to the team, and they are running on fumes. Last night was painful to watch.

Bright future though. While the playoffs would be good experience but at this point, missing the playoffs would almost take on more meaning and make them hungrier for next year when they a healthy and have a full complement of players with more depth.


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Sun Apr 08, 2018 3:50 pm 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Well, the Avs finally backed into a literal and not proverbial must-win situation, and they won. Decisively. I know there'll be bitching about the offsides call, but frankly (and I know I'm heavily biased) I hope that's the way they call it from here on out. If it gets to the point where they gotta pore over the video extensively then it's too close to call. Also, this makes up for the botched offsides call that cost the Avs in a game against those very same Blues earlier this season. To their credit, the Blues admitted the Avs were the better team last night, and y'know what? They were. For the first time in a long time, they didn't try to sit on the lead, they kept attacking, and Jake Allen kept them in it best he could, even kept going with a pulled hammy.

The best part is that the best player on the ice wasn't Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, or Tyson Barrie. It was Samuel Girard, the 19-year-old blueliner acquired as part of the Duchene trade. And holy hell was he good last night. Scored the game's first goal in the waning seconds of the 1st period with a rocket from the point, threw big hits, blocked a crucial shot that likely would've shifted the tide of the game, and also...he did this.

https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/982811463831171072

Whatever happens from this point on happens, but last night was just plain amazing. And there's reason to believe that THIS time, at least, this won't be some podunk fluke run.

The one thing that gives me pause is that we know every team in the Central that didn't make the postseason will be furiously retooling. It's gonna be an absolute madhouse next season, and there's not much reason to believe that the Jets and Predators will take a huge step back. And while I think they're the biggest candidate to do so in the division, the Wylde will likely keep hanging around, because that's what they do.

Also, this article has been making the rounds. I still like Matty Duchene and think he got a raw deal from the organization, but this quote is likely gonna haunt him for years to come.

https://www.thescore.com/news/1399812


Top
 Profile  
 
PostPosted: Mon Apr 09, 2018 2:34 am 
Offline
Un-Tenured Professor of Hockey
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:37 am
Posts: 26101
Special thanks to Duncan Keith. He saved the Avs' season at literally the last minute.

Still blows my mind that Matt Duchene and Ryan O'Reilly ended up on the teams in the National Hockey League finishing 30th and 31st in the NHL. Somewhere, Patrick Roy is saying "Told ya so" in French.

From that amazing 2009 draft class, only Tyson Barrie remains. The rest (Duchene and O'Reilly, turned into this:

C/W J.T. Compher
D Nikita Zadorov
D Samuel Girard
C Vladislav Kamenev
RW AJ Greer
C Shane Bowers
2018 2nd rounder
2019 3rd rounder
2019 1st rounder


They successfully parlayed a couple star players into much-needed depth after years of terrible drafting/development. Now, if they hit paydirt with the remaining draft picks, especially if that now-unprotected first rounder next year from Ottawa is a high pick, they might be onto something.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 215 posts ]  Go to page Previous  1 ... 7, 8, 9, 10, 11  Next

All times are UTC - 5 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 1 guest


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
cron
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group