Some of you are aware that I've been feeling very pessimistic about the Avs lately. Not like I haven't had the reason to, considering the stretch of hockey the Avs have had lately. And since the team is no fun to watch, I figured I'd change up tonight's recap. Usually I do a scoring summary by period, because over the years I've watched the team as a whole. Since I hate losing and want things changed so they start winning, for the first time maybe ever, I watched the individuals rather than the team. Below is a period by period, player by player tally of things that stood out to me. I know I missed some things since I've never done anything like this before. My eyes and brain weren't used to it. Some things were definitely missed at the beginning too, since the Bruins and Penguins went to overtime and NBCSN had to show that while the Flyers and Avs had already begun the game.
At the end of each period, the player's good and bad things are added up. If they were good, they're in the cool kids' club. If they did bad, then they're in the garbage can. Nothing noticeable, or good and bad things cancelled out? Then they belong in purgatory.
Anyway, the Flyers won the game and the Avalanche did not. This is nothing new and something I have gotten quite used to the last month and a half. Let's look at my shorthand notes and critique how bad of an eye for talent I have.
1st Period Player Comments:
Tyson Barrie: Falls down while trying to get puck away in the defensive zone right after a face-off win, lets the Flyers get a good shot off as a result. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
John Mitchell: Cute little pass late in the period sets up Comeau for a nice wrist shot opportunity. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Matt Duchene: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Jarome Iginla: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Blake Comeau: Takes a dumb hooking penalty in dying seconds of the period to give Philly their second power play of the game. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Nikita Zadorov: Lazy pass/clearance/something right to a Flyer keeps puck in the defensive zone. Took a penalty with 4:20 left in the period which is nothing new for Z. RESULT: +2 in the garbage can.
Rene Bourque: Nice pass at the blue line springs in MacKinnon for a decent scoring opportunity. Gets nice pass from Tyutin to break into Philly's zone and promptly lets the puck hit his stick and deflect to a Flyer. RESULT: Purgatory.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Long pass from defensive zone to neutral ice easily turned over by Philly; leads to more offensive possession for them. Same thing, just five minutes later it occurs once more. RESULT: +2 in the garbage can.
Andreas Martinsen: Jumps the gun on a dump in from the red line; causes delayed offsides and thwarts opportunity to set up some offense. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Patrick Weircioch: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Nathan MacKinnon: Speed and a sick pass into the Flyers' zone sets Rourque up to rip one which he promptly whiffs. Same thing happens a few minutes later, except Bourque fires a decent shot this time and forces Mason to make a save. RESULT: +2 in the cool kids' club.
Calvin Pickard: Superb rebound control and ability to see shots through screened areas. RESULT: +2 in the cool kids' club.
Francois Beauchemin: Fields a puck from a scrum in the corner that deflects off him and gets dangerously close to making Pickard forced to stop an own goal. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Carl Soderberg: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Eric Gelinas: Pinching in while in the offensive zone leads to Flyer's odd-man rush and near goal. Good hit in the defensive corner alleviates Flyers' puck possession, lets Colorado clear it. RESULT: PURGATORY.
Cody McLeod: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Fedor Tyutin: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Gabe Landeskog: Weak pass in the Avs' zone goes straight to a Flyer shooter who unleashes a consequential rocket of a shot on Picks. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Mikko Rantanen: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
The score after one period was 0-0.
2nd Period Player Comments:
Tyson Barrie: Nice spin move and fake pass gives Barrie a decent shooting lane despite a Mason save (because Barrie shot it right at him). Decides to not attempt to cover Giroux of all people and lets the Flyers get a breakaway opportunity. RESULT: Purgatory.
John Mitchell: JV hooking penalty negates an odd-man rush set up by Comeau. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Matt Duchene: Nice behind the net pass while on the man advantage gives the Avs a nice chance to get a power play goal. GOAL! RESULT: +2 in the cool kids' club.
Jarome Iginla: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Blake Comeau: Great ability to sense a Flyers' pass in the defensive zone and intercept the puck to start an Avs' odd-man rush. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Nikita Zadorov: Laser of a shot leads directly to hard rebound and a Duchene goal. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Rene Bourque: Alertly able to find MacKinnon on two consecutive behind the back passes. One of which led to a MacKinnon sniper that just missed the post. GOAL! RESULT: +2 in the cool kids' club.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Loses track of his man in the pensive zone (Del Zotto) who pokes away at the puck to give Flyers a 1-0 lead. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Andreas Martinsen: Nice steal on the penalty kill and power move up front gives Colorado a shorthanded chance before Ghost-Bear breaks up the play. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Patrick Weircioch: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Nathan MacKinnon: As almost always the case, fast af. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Calvin Pickard: Made a couple real nice saves and did a good job drawing attention to the fact the Flyers cheated by "scoring a goal" using a high stick. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Francois Beauchemin: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Carl Soderberg: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Eric Gelinas: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Cody McLeod: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Fedor Tyutin: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Gabe Landeskog: Hard, worm burner pass finds Tyutin after drawing Flyer defenders with him through an open lane to take a shot from the blue line with no Flyers in front of the net. Freaking annihilated Michael Raffl in center ice which was badass. RESULT: +2 in the cool kids' club.
Mikko Rantanen: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Two goals from each side and this game was knotted at deuces after dos periods.
3rd Period Player Comments:
Tyson Barrie: Kinda sorta forgot the puck when exiting the zone which isn't you know recommended. Moved the puck well at the end of the game; actually looked like he knew what he was doing along the blue line in an extra man situation. RESULT: Purgatory.
John Mitchell: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Matt Duchene: GOAL! RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Jarome Iginla: The Avs decided to go with the one-dimensional "Set up Iggy from the left face-off dot" for a while in the empty net push, but Iggy actually let out a couple real good, close chances that would have tied the game. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Blake Comeau: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Nikita Zadorov: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Rene Bourque: Just an unforgivably God awful turnover that gives Philly their third goal of the night. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Mikhail Grigorenko: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Andreas Martinsen: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Patrick Weircioch: Tried to turn a Flyers line change into a Colorado scoring chance when the Avs on the ice were exhausted, so he proceeds to ice the puck. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Nathan MacKinnon: Great tries to set up the scoring opportunity in the dying minutes of the game. RESULT: +1 in the cool kids' club.
Calvin Pickard: Didn't stand on his head and save the butts of bad defensive possession plays. RESULT: Purgatory.
Francois Beauchemin: Really bad defense on Schenn hands the Flyers goal number four. RESULT: +1 in the garbage can.
Carl Soderberg: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Eric Gelinas: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Cody McLeod: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Fedor Tyutin: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Gabe Landeskog: Nothing noticeable. RESULT: Purgatory.
Mikko Rantanen: Nice shot on Mason forcing a rebound that Duchene could pounce on and score from easily.
Box score:
PHI: 2nd at 4:01: Del Zotto from Giroux and Voracek.
COL: 2nd at 12:14: Bourque from Soderberg.
COL: 2nd at 16:34: Duchene from Landeskog and Zadorov.
PHI: 2nd at 16:57: Simmonds from Gudas and Konecny.
PHI: 3rd at 3:30: Lyubimov unassisted.
PHI 3rd at 5:16: Schenn unassisted.
COL: 3rd at 15:15: Duchene from Rantanen and Grigorenko.