MACKINNON POINT STREAK COMES TO CONTROVERSIAL END | Depth scoring | Guerilla Hockey with JJ & Jesse

JJ Jerez and Jesse Montano return this week to unpack what we’ve seen through five of Colorado’s six consecutive home games. Which includes the controversial end to Nathan MacKinnon’s point streak, Val Nichushkin’s absence and the impact it’s having on the lineup, plus tons more as we race towards the NHL finish line.

Hello everybody welcome into gorilla hockey with JJ and Jesse I I realized listening to the last episode I crisscross that a lot like what is what is the official title sometimes Jessie sometimes I say Jesse and JJ sometimes I say JJ and Jesse the artwork says JJ and Jesse you’re first

Good to know good to know well either way welcome in guys gonna recap the home stay in that the Avalanche are currently on uh some UPS some Downs of course we got to get to Nathan McKinnon’s broken point streak at home um lots to get into

On that but I wanted to start the podcast non hockey related and this is out of character for me okay but there’s just something just really bothering me this year is it bothering you as much as this tag that’s picking me probably worse oh wow okay yeah and that is

Opening day of baseball was yesterday we were just talking about this upstairs I’m really excited you’re really excited for basb talk about this oh yeah right if there’s anything that I’m not it’s excited for baseball the Rockies are specifically the reason for that so I

Figured I Me growing up I grew up here in Denver the Rockies were always close to my heart my grandma used to take me a lot when I was little would buy me a new hat every season to the point where I would carry on that tradition and once I

Was old enough I would continue to buy my myself a new hat every season Oh I thought you were going to say your son a hat no no no no hell no and that’s what that’s that’s the thing thing for me is I really used to

Be a Rockies fan in the last couple years really since the Nolan Aeron trade when they stabbed us all in the back and just in the face bro they stabbed everyone in the face with that one yeah you’re right right in the face right in front of our eyes um that’s when I

Denounced my Rockies fanship and I picked a new team you’ve probably seen me wearing the Hat here and there it’s a a Miami Marlins hat ah yes I have seen that so that’s my new favorite team and it breaks my heart to do that because I’m such a Colorado boy I love Colorado

Sports literally it’s the reason why I do what I do because I love Colorado Sports so much so it wasn’t an easy breakup it wasn’t um a a pretty one really broke my heart y so I figured I have to use my small pedestal here that

I have on this podcast to please beg everyone to stop giving your money to the Colorado Rockies like please I know we all love to go to that Stadium I know the sunsets are beautiful you can have a nice night and loo afterwards and really kind of get your night started at course

Field but all we’re doing is enabling this Behavior you saw what they did last night in their opening I thought it was hilarious so um please you you’re not a fan of the Rockies anymore because the way they run things right and so it’s it’s like you said it’s almost like your

Way of protesting like I’m not gonna perpetuate the issue right I haven’t gone to a game I used to I used to live right outside K field nice and my best season I think I hit 19 games one of which I even went to by myself that’s

How much I enjoyed going to Rockies games and uh yeah I’m just so upset at what they’ve done the last few years but to see that they can continue to do this and don’t really have any motive to not suck it’s because the fans enabled their behavior and they’re still one of the

Best attended baseball stadiums in all of the MLB I mean the stadium is beautiful though it’s so nice and it’s so fun it’s in the summer the weather so nice I like so here here’s the real issue you’re battling most people that go to the Rockies games aren’t actually Rockies or

Baseball fans yeah like the I would even say the vast majority of people there on a given summer night I’ll take it one step further I’ve been to dozens of Rockies games in my life I could not tell you the result of one of them mhm not one sure let I could

Maybe tell you a couple like I think the Rockies won that one for $10 million I couldn’t give you a single final score of any Rockies game I’ve ever been to because I’m not there for the the Rockies I just wait for Rocky season to come around so the stadiums open you

Know what I mean like so that’s the problem is they’ve done too good of a job of building an experience and it’s such a slap in the face to the fans of the team it is and you’re just feeding the machine though by kind of buying

Into it and it stinks maybe if you get some tickets for free I’ll accept it right you get a pass in my book but like I don’t know you just you just you have to take a stand at one point and I get it I used to say all the time the other

Day I was at the coolest bar in Denver and all of a sudden a baseball game broke out behind me it was insane so no I definitely understand uh that point of view uh but yeah I guess it also just makes me think of how fortunate we are

To see the Avalanche be the way they are the last 10 years the Nuggets kind of make the turn that they have so let’s let’s actually this is an interesting conversation are there any other owners that you can think of because I mean like the mord are basically like they they’ve essentially

Come out and been like we don’t like we don’t care about winning if we win games along the way cool but we want to give the best in Arena experience the best you know Stadium the best experience around the ballpark like are there any other I can’t think of any other examples even

Like like the Cleveland Browns and stuff like that at least they’re like no we’re going to go out and get a quarterback and we’re going to go out and and maybe the Browns are a bad example because they’ve been better the last couple years but but you know what I mean like

There’s those just like like even the Buffalo Sabers like they signed Taylor Hall a couple of years ago like you know they they made the move with Jack ugle like like they’ve at least like tried to be good the Rockies are L like last year season opening press conference

Where they were like we think we can play 500 ball holy [ __ ] this is the saddest thing in the history of pro sports um and to your point koni gets a lot of heat because he is very much he runs KSC like a business and there’s people that don’t like that

But he also understands the best possible marketing is a winning team and so that’s why he hires good people lets them do their job trusts them to bring in the right players gives them the money they need to succeed and when push comes to shove like the the The New Abs

Facilities ball Arena are great they’re state-ofthe-art they’re top of the league they need to catch up on the practice facility and stuff the Nuggets had their locker room readed down a couple years ago like Stan Kony you can say what you want about him you can feel

You want to feel he gives his teams the tools to succeed you cannot say that about what’s going on at 20th in Blake yeah 100% I also look at ball Arena right and ball Arena’s fine it’s still a nice building 23 years later after after being built but you’re seeing the

Evolution of how other stadiums are starting to get when they’re brand new how they’re kind of getting uh made and and designed and I think there’s going to be quickly a moment where we’re like oh wow this is a really out ofd building so it’ be cool if we could get some

Investment into the building and kind of modernize it a little bit more so here’s here’s what I will say I I I agree with you there’s some the new Arenas especially Edmonton Detroit Vegas Seattle uh you know they did a11 billion doll ROV ation to MSG um like they are very impressive

Very impressive and and what they don’t feel like Arenas honestly and this is where I give the mord so much credit for K’s field K’s field to me feels the way that new modern NHL Arenas feel where it’s the the the playing surface is like yeah yeah obviously that’s there but

Look at all this other stuff and the party deck and these restaurants and you know these These Bars that Overlook the the the pl surface and standing areas and you know corfield they have those huge like um not gazebos but uh what they have at pool Cabanas and they have you know

Uh this is a horrible list cornhole thank you I was want to say shuffle board like you know they have other things to do and oh by the way there a game that’s what a lot of the other new Arenas are doing ball Arena I have described it this way to people this

Year if if you went to a a you know a designer a 3D animator whatever and said I need you to design me a a generic sports arena for a video game they would bring you back ball Arena it is a perfectly adequate arena with some nice

Amenities but for the most part it’s black seats in straight lines a scoreboard and really nothing extra a big SC a big Jumbotron though remember that upgrade yes but if you go to a lot of the other Arenas around the league a lot of them have caught up to that and

And and there’s even some that like the the new trend that I’m seeing is there’s like four huge screens that are all the same size that go around the outside and then there’s a big LED board in the in the middle that does all kinds of different things the Philadelphia

Flyers one has this piece that actually moves it comes it sits up top then it goes all the way down and it shoots fire out of it like like there’s a lot of really cool technology out there now and again I think everything in ball arena

Is perfectly up todate it’s fine I don’t think anything feels old I don’t think anything feels run down but it is just very copy paste like I said if if you said design me a generic arena for this video game they’d be like ah here it’s the best I

Could do they might put more than two entrances on it but right I get what you’re saying no the one thing that does feel old to me I was seeing it the other day cuz we did our post game video right outside when we did it in the lobby and

You know that giant statue thing that hangs those hockey players still have those CCM buckets that had like the wings on them so what’s so funny dude is we we did the post game in a similar spot last night JJ wasn’t there and while we were uploading it I was just

Looking at those and they’re very blocky MH and I remember when the do you remember that the hand fell off one of the basketball players when the St when right before it opened the statue broke and a hand fell off and they had to fix it before the official opening but I was

Staring at them and I was like wow those haven’t been updated like they’re still very old school looking and you know what thought I actually had they should replace those and start putting like like that’s where they should put the statues yeah actual like a almost a

Mount Rush a Joe sack you could do a Patrick Wall Kim Matumbo Matumbo and then you know eventually you’d add a McKinnon and a joic and cuz I do think that’s a cool piece it’s Unique no that’s a good idea but like you said I I

I know no [ __ ] dude I was looking at that last night and I was like man that that looks like old school statue making so last thing before we actually get to our actual podcast here I this is fun no I yeah clip it for for your other podcast

Um Jesse you’ve been in 31 of 32 Arenas so far next week you’re going to be hitting your 32nd that being said where does ball Arena rank as far as all 32 is it kind kind of based off the way you describe it I’m guessing it’s like smack

Dab in the middle I was going to say sick like like it’s it’s um it’s hard because there’s one very particular ball Arena that is like 30 31st or 32nd for me I’m not going to get overly into that but on the whole the arena as a

Whole I really do think is no [ __ ] like 15 or 16 it’s right in the middle it’s perfectly adequate it’s nice there’s decent you know there there’s good amenities it’s a good Fan Experience the other thing I do think that ball Arena has going for it as far

As the seats there’s no bad seat like every seat even up where we are in the Press Box like the angle is not horrible there are a couple Arenas where the seats near the top are hell and gone from the the playing surface uh but I

Would I’d put ball Arena right in the middle of the league you’re going to have a fine experience if you go there nothing extra No Frills the food is isn’t exceptional or anything like that but it’s perfectly fine for your average Stadium experience and we actually found

Out this week that Seattle Kraken charge $70 for their base level parking during the regular season that shoots up to $100 come playoff time uh I believe the ABS base parking is still at 40 bucks so it’s not cheap up from what used to be 15 back in my

Day so at least there’s that it’s a decent price for The Fan Experience yeah and then kind of tying it all back into the Rockies that’s what stinks for Seattle fans and probably is a detriment to Growing their fan base right now is not only are they charging these prices

But now they suck again team’s no good yeah yep all right well let’s look at the uh home stand I want to just kind of use this as as a look back at all the games that were so far because I think this was a pivotal home stand it was

Interesting that um it felt like the Avalanche have really figured out their Road demons right that’s what we had talked about on last week’s podcast and and now here we are kind of facing some home demons for the first time in a long time first demon that we got to discuss

Is Nathan McKinnon’s point streak snapped at home not really a black or white call there um but I think at the end of the day the NHL decided that uh it was what did you think I mean you got to go with the rule right like I understand it’s it’s annoying

That the the review and the replay now hold on though exists to dissect everything because Conor gayi I’m going to go pull it up pulled the rule and in the rule it says that if one player propels another players stick that that’s considered a tap and that a goal

And assist would be awarded oh wow so it’s more controversial than I even realized I I was just kind of pushing it to the side like oh yep that stinks but rules are rules right but but so I guess let me ask it to you this way if you were

Assigning points on that one well without the bias try to remove the bias of wanting to see the street go keep going is that something where you’re like yeah that you know because I I really do genuinely I looked at that as really no different as if like the

Defenseman was standing there the puck came off him and it hit the back of his skate and went in like that was truly how I saw that particular instance I do think there are plenty of instances where players shoot pucks into their own net but to me that was more of a bounce

Than it was a shooting new own net I don’t have an issue with them calling it an own goal and not dulling out the assists but me personally if I was the one actually in the score keep for that I would have been like yep that’s a bounce McKinnon you know whoever was

Looking at it checked twice three times they took a while to even announce the goal in in the building right so um you know they were really doing their homework but I think that’s the problem is their ability to dissect it and have the replay ever since this you know more

Replay era and review era has existed it’s part of it and I was listening to NHL radio all morning and you know they’ve got some old school guys a couple of them used to play in the league in the 90s and they’re like yeah back in the day it was very informal if

If they got a call wrong the captain could go over and say Hey you missed this call it was actually assisted by Montano and Yun right and and then they’ll go change it which seems very like that’s kind of a shady way to go about things as well gry picked up a lot

Of points hey I got that one yeah yeah there’s a chance that Gretzky’s uh streak was in question and he he snuck an assist in there that maybe he shouldn’t have I don’t know but um you kind of can’t have the middle ground right it’s either or right and so again

I’m not I’m not going to go to the mat over this like you know it would have been great to see him hit all 41 what’s really going to be a bummer is if he does get points in every home game the rest of the way and then it’s like yeah

He had points in 40 40 of 40 1 and the one was controversial but so this is Rule 78.4 and I’m just going to read this really quick just again for the sake of the argument a goal shall be this is 78.4 there’s some verbage about

What a standard goal is then this is a a paragraph a goal shall be scored if the puck is put into the goal in any other manner by a player of the defending side which is what happened the player of the attacking side who last touched the puck

Shall be credited with the goal and assists may be awarded so by that verbage I think it should have been an assist I also had people in my mentions I had two people who brought up the fact that the NHL went back last week and controversially changed a goal to Zack

Heyman that there were allegedly the replay made it look like he maybe never touched it and they gave it to Zack Heyman and that gave him his 50 th goal in whatever game number that was so I had some people that were like well they

Bent the rules a bit to give Zack Heyman his flowers be liberal with the rule on this one you have another amazing thing happening do you think is there something they can do and is it something they’re willing to do for the team to go to the league and maybe you

Know try to petition to change it a little Jerry bnar said last night there is a a process for that yeah there is a process you can look at it and if you have video proof that there’s an assist and he would get one will they will the team go through that

Process yeah we can look at it yep that if you look at it and you can take video evidence to the league that says we believe this is grounds for him to be awarded the point uh that that that is that there is an official process for that people were in

The media room last night were saying I wish we he would have said if they will or will not do that and I don’t think he would have said that either way he would have said well we have to look at it I don’t doubt for a second that the the

ABS went to the league last night and said hey we really think we really think he deserves a point on that right we really think he deserves a point on that you know it was his pass and the shot and the bounce blah blah blah I think

They probably called and said that it was probably just Joe on the phone doing that um but I mean I there was a part of me that thought we were going to wake up this morning to a corrected statline so you think if it hasn’t been changed by now it’s not getting

Changed I I I would I would say 30 minutes from now noon cuz that’s 2 Eastern that’s when a lot of the league stuff that’s kind of ler official demarcation if nothing has changed within the next 30 minutes I think it is what it is I think it’s probably pretty

Safe to say it’s not going to change at this point um but I do also have to say I was trying not to say this that this loud last night at the arena I do not trust the NHL stat Keepers we’ve had several conversations this year about

How bad they are um I’ve also sat in front of them in several arenas this year and I hear the way that they keep stats there is a lot of wait what are you sure who what pull that up oh gosh we had to change that Corey and I from

The Denver Post Cory and I were laughing I think we were in New Jersey the period ended or no excuse me there was like five minutes left in the period the ABS were up I think it was like 8 to six in shots no shots took nothing happened on

The ice somehow the ABS ended up down 9 to s in shots and then the period ended and they were down 10 to8 in shots and no there were no shots on net it it fluctuated that much with them just saying we missed this H we awarded

That wrong so I’m also not super trusting that they have got their [ __ ] figured out by now yeah and I think there’s a a line the Avalanche want to cross or want to walk there where it’s like yeah we care about this but we don’t really care about this isn’t the

Goal of the Year we’re not trying to you know make sure that Nathan mckin because at the end of the day it’s kind of just a pat on the back like cool nice nice streak right like you don’t get any you don’t get a bonus you don’t get a trophy

It’s just like wow nucks um so I think yeah the Avance kind of also just want to sweep it and be like all right now we can kind of focus on the goal at hand and we don’t have to worry about this anymore or talk about it or think about

It so um I think it’s it’s it is what it is it would have been impressive and fun but um I don’t think at the end the day this is the part of the Season we’re going to remember looking back so again like I said I do think it’ll be

Disappointing if uh yeah sure but not not as disappointing as a playoff loss or elimination I’m saying it’ll be it’d be lame yeah um d uh Evan just tweeted I’m practice was supposed to be 30 minutes from now they moved it up by 30 minutes so we’ll

See um if we can get down there but um Gabe’s out there apparently as the team’s getting out there he’s in a blue so I cannot imagine that he stays out there and actually takes rushes like they’re going to have that dude in like a glowing red jersey with

Neon lights and flashing signs when he first gets back out there with the stop sign on the back right right right uh full size stop sign on the back but of note uh our boy Evan R uh is down at Family Sports right this minute we’re

I’ll be heading as soon as we’re done uh and is reporting Gabe landeskog uh hitting the ice with the team as of right this second I’m glad Evan’s on top of that Evan’s doing so good at his job uh I’m happy that he’s one of our guest hosts

On a frequent basis here but let’s move on a little bit here I want to look at the recent losses right because even if you group this whole home stand it hasn’t been amazing for the aval My gosh they lost their Edge this team’s getting swept in the first round they don’t have it what are they going to do and then the playoffs started and they ramped it up 80 levels and you know went on to win the cup I’m not saying that’s

Going to happen again but look dude like it’s a long season It’s a Grind of a year you’re they’re going to make the playoffs I think they’re one point away from clinching that’s either one of St Louis or Minnesota losing a point or the ABS gaining a point they’re in right

All but officially the ABS are in and I also think you’re in a year where doesn’t really matter who you play every team that I think they have the potential to play is kind of in the same spot um you know Winnipeg Vegas La Nashville Edmonton like I don’t really I

Just don’t think it matters I think those are all kind of Samesies types of teams um you’d like home I you’d like those points I don’t think it’s worth burning yourself out in the last dozen games of the season to try to get that I think if

You can pick up the points and and end up with home ICE I think that’s great I think that’s ideal but I think this is a team that is now starting like I think they’re chomping at the bit for playoffs I just I think they want the season to

Be done and get going on the stuff that matters and this is the time a year where you start seeing all kinds of weird stuff happen because playoff teams that know their playoff teams start getting anxious and they start getting impatient and we just want to go and

Let’s just go do this um like Winnipeg has lost four games in a row they lost a bad one again last night and it’s like it happens that is not like it’s not what these teams really care about Winnipeg wants to get in the ABS are concerned with we would like home ICE

Winnipeg missed the playoffs last year they just want to be in and hopefully not get caught by Nashville you know like I I I I’m not worried about it at all doesn’t bother me they showed what they needed to show on the road that hey

We can get dialed in we know what a good home team this this group is um I actually think a game like that Pittsburgh game is good it’s it’s it’s good resiliency they they showed up not ready to play and they had to pull themselves out of it like I I actually

Don’t mind them having to go through that process I’m not worried about this at all I think you’re right I think there’s an element of these some of these games have had a little bit more intensity to them right and totally there has to be a a part of

Them that’s just like hey that was a lot of uh energy that was a lot of playoff emotion for a regular season game like you kind of your Wick starts to shorten a regular season game that we want we don’t need you know we we want to win

These games you’re not like we have to have every last point and I think I really liked the other night after the loss of against monreal like Jared benar is trying to be positive but at the same time he’s still like I don’t like the

Fact that we lost like I don’t I don’t care goal is to win and that’s still what’s bothering me more than anything else um I think it’s good to see the resilience against the Rangers getting that getting that to overtime and uh squeaking in a goal at

The end of the game but I think there are a couple things that they need to pay attention to a couple problems that are showing their faces that we’ve seen over and over and for me it’s the same two things lately at least in these last two

Games you don’t have Power Play Goals and you don’t have depth goals I think you need at least one of those to show up for you to truly be playing the competitive style that the Avalanche play we haven’t seen a power play goal since that beat down against

Columbus and the depth was what really dug them out of that hole right against Pittsburgh so I’m gonna Jared bedar you a little bit here because I do think that it’s a little bit of like the well when something went wrong it’s I agree with you fully on the Special Teams

They’ve lost a special teams battle way too many times this year and that is a recipe for for losing games you can’t be losing the Special Teams battle every single night and expect to come out on top but the depth thing like we just went through a really solid stretch with

The depth and Casey midd stat gets the scoring going last night your second line Center that you need that big boost out of it’s a tight low-scoring game yesterday anyways I I I am going to push back on the depth thing because you’re coming off a stretch where they really

Perform well look specifically at Miles wood I think he’s he’s setting himself up for so many good dangerous scoring chances and can’t seem to bury any I don’t remember last time I was I will say the the the wood Colton line has lost a little bit of jump without o’ Conor I

Will 100% agree with you on that and that hurts because that was a really really good depth line for you but I think Zach periz has had three really good games in a row uh going back to the Pittsburgh game uh I think Brandon du uh has has been

Impactful um over over stretches of the last couple games he sets up the Casey midd stat goal last night sure but the name of the game is scoring goals and if you you have guys I know but I just told you Brandon Dames set up Casey midd stat

For a goal no I got you I got you and that’s that’s that’s one but I think like I said when you look at the Pittsburgh game there were at least three of those five goals were contributed by not the Top Line gu if your depth guys are scoring every night

Then they’re not your depth guys they’re your top guys sure sure but you have to have contrib you can’t just get goaled by every single guy that comes in here right because and just chalk it up to oh well that was a good goalie you got you

Got to have some I know but you’re saying you need contributions and I just told you how Brandon new and Casey midat contributed last night sure okay that I feel like that’s one small example in two in in two in two games in two games yeah you want one goal out of

Your depth every two games you think that’s adequate you think that’s going to get you in again again one goal from your second from your second line Center every two games and that’s the end of your depth scoring is not going to get you that that is such a a revisionist way of

Writing the way that this homeand is gone you just said their depth was so key and crucial in getting them out of Pittsburg it was right so so it’s it’s not one depth goal say okay what what’s made suddenly they’re at a two and two record on this home stand is that two1

In one okay two one in one okay two two wins two losses yep is that good again if you’re just talking in general two wins two losses went wrong because we’re not used to seeing this team go 500 at home all right they need to win every game and the depth score

Needs to put in four goals every night no they need to contribute more regularly than once every three games once every every once in a while but but again that that’s that’s just not the situation what what you’re saying is is incorrect then what are you saying went

Wrong against Montreal what was whatt so good no the ABS didn’t show up ready to play top to bottom their top guys didn’t contribute either their top guys should have run the table against Montreal they didn’t show up BR to play Sam monmo had a nice night it happens like I I don’t

Know but it happens a lot to this team and it and it streaky yes it does it’s yes it’s extremely streaky go back and listen to all of our old podcast and you’ll hear me saying oh here we are another problem with the goal scoring the depth isn’t there and all I’m saying

Is if the power play is not there you got to have this the depth step but JJ they they at the trade deadline whatever it was two weeks ago they went out and address exactly what you’re talking about because we all agreed they did not have and then what the depth you just

Did a video talking about how good the depth has been since the deadline and they had they had one game against Montreal stop yelling I’m so confused exactly they show up at the deadline and all of a sudden the depth scoring is existent and what do they do they go on

A seven game win streak then the the G the depth scoring disappears for a game I’ll call it two games Casey middle stats a second line Center I don’t think but Brandon D said you said they needed to contribute Brandon D contributed to a goal one assist from the depth in two

Games is not enough to get you where you need to be come on dude you I I I you’re I think you’re wrong like I think this I think that’s a bad argument because because again you talked about they they had they had scored 25% of the A’s goals

Leading up to the Montreal game yep they had a bad game then they’re back to contributing last night you’re like this Def One cont one assist is not contributing in my opinion I’m sorry like one assist you can all right all right then then then then you need a

Line then if you’re running a team you want four lines of second line players well I mean because that’s that’s what you’re asking for production [Applause] wi all right the camera cut out there genuinely we we looked up mid argument and uh Jay was sitting there going all right stop stop stop and the camera was flashing uh we finished the argument off off camera Jay tried to get us to stop yes they did Casey middlestead is not

Dead okay again so so Brandon Dam’s assist doesn’t that’s not a thing it’s a thing but it’s not a goal am I not saying goals if so so you’re saying if goal I’d be like you’re right absolutely bro that is because he said he had the primary assist on the goal assist

They they went one game without a bottom six points that play doesn’t happen I want see a goal from the top from the bottom six okay it’s been it’s been two games since that’s happened exactly that’s all I’m saying that’s all I’m saying but again and what and all I’m

Saying is they did get contributions last night if tomorrow they they get death contributions and some but no no so don’t so stop saying contributions then they need death gold depth contribution they got you’re right that’s you’re right okay no so basically what we have decided

Is a goal from your bottom six every game isn’t realistic right but you cannot get into a trend or pattern where the bottom half of your lineup is going missing as well as the power play the power play the power play that was separ from the I

Agree with you 100% on that have to have one or the other or you’re going to lose games I I I think that’s all I would say the ABS got to win the special I’m with you 100% on that they got to win the Special Teams battle way more than what

They’ve done over the last two months even where I do think we disagree is that I I think it’s I think it’s okay if you go a game or two without a direct golf stick of your bottom sck but I understand your sentiment of don’t let

That become a habit thank you and and very friendly and I understand your sentiment because you’re right there are a lot of situations look at Yak off trendon for example where coach Bernard’s not even going to give him the chance to be offensive right he’s going

To be more of a defensive player and yeah if he can get the puck down to the offensive end then good on him but his role is and I do also want to make sure that guys like like that’s a nice play that Brandon new makes last night to

Contribute which is why we’re not going to use that word anymore we’re going to use the word goals Brandon Duan contributed last night he did not score a goal and power plays got to be better yeah I guess we can move on from that conversation um another thing I did like

Uh you know because even Jared benar pointed out that most nights they had been able to outscore their problems MH nights where there isn’t much flexibility like the Rangers not that the Avalanche played terribly or great but there just wasn’t much wiggle room right there there really wasn’t very

Many there wasn’t many situations where the Avalanche had the ability to to take over that game last night yes so here’s what’s funny I thought the first half of the game was really boring from both teams I didn’t think other team was special in the back half of that game I

Mean like you you know it gets crazy as you know we’re going downstairs to get down to the tunnel to be by the locker room and all that stuff so I I’ll admit that there was probably seven eight minutes there where where I wasn’t you know fully dialed into what was

Happening both Andrew cogliano and Jared Bednar were at last night and again I’m not I’m not saying I disagree with them I’m I’m acknowledging there’s a little chunk there that I missed but like there was a large sentiment of like the ABS controlled the

Game and deserve to win I I’m with you I saw that as more of like a back and force that’s what I feel like it would be spurts of New York control in the game and then the Avalanche and then New York but both cogs and Jared and I also

Good to credit the ABS outshot the Rangers by a lot that’s expected when you’re the team trying to come back but um yeah I’m with you I thought I saw that as more of a back and forth game sounds like there were some folks with the ABS that thought they really

Controlled the majority of the game and maybe deserved a better fate but yeah I mean you if the goalie is playing the way shurkin was and I think YG kind of had the S similar mindset of I’m just not letting anything by tonight he was great yeah they were both fantastic yeah

They were both great um and I think the the big thing that we’re both failing to acknowledge and maybe that’s causing turmoil all across Avalanche land is Val NuSkin I mean this team is a significantly different team without Val nushin in the lineup and it’s it’s an

Uphill battle for them every time he’s out and now it feels like we’re back in this this Limbo with Val nushin of dayto day for who knows how long who knows if it’s going to be in and out a recurring theme um but it’s just it’s frustrating

To see his inability to stay in the lineup availab IL is a skill man and now you it’s hard with the player assistance stuff because that’s you know that’s not injury related that’s stuff that you got to go get taken care of you know for yourself personally

Um but to your point it’s it’s hard to not kind of mentally lump all that stuff together when it just you see the difference that he makes and it’s like holy smokes it just it feels like you’re just constantly trying to get from one

Str is in the lineup to the next and not you know try not to lose too much ground and then back to the depth conversation Val bumps everyone down and that improves your depth and that you know that that just gives you more options and and I think last night is

Another example where you really really feel that and he improves the power play too and it’s been interesting because you and I have been following the last couple games he’s not shooting at the rate that he normally shoots so there’s definitely something ailing him there so obviously more important to get him

Right before the playoffs so let me ask you if if you’re and obviously we don’t know we don’t know what’s going on with Val we haven’t been told you know we know it’s lower body but that’s about it would you just say I’m shutting you down

For the regular season see you game one like let’s not mess around with this uh I I find Value in leading up I found Valerie you in leading up and the momentum you can build heading into the playoffs so if I’m shutting him down I’m shutting him down except for those Maybe last

Three games so that way once playoff comes it’s not like oh wow you’re smacked in the face with playoff intensity you kind of have that buildup and that ramp up so so you’re saying like next week to two weeks just don’t even like just shut it down actual

Problem I mean they’ve got some big games on on the schedule here coming Winnipeg and Dallas Winnipeg and Dallas you got a couple against Edmonton and uh and one against Vegas I know you know Edmonton and Vegas aren’t in your division but I think any Western Conference matchup especially against a team that’s

Going to be in the playoffs is exactly that it’s a good test it’s good ramp up for playoff caliber hockey um I’m with you I just like you said not knowing what exactly it is um I think with Val nushin this team can easily win a Stanley Cup without him

It’s going to be tough you need him for the playoffs um I you know I also stand firm that they move on to the second round last year Val nushin is with the team I think he’s that important not only for what he brings but what we were just

Talking about it improves your depth by allowing you to bolster the bottom half of your lineup um they they need him like they need him bad yeah yeah I mean the whole the whole team has a different out or different shape to it without him I mean it’s a

Lot less aggressive on that top six I would say well and and I saw some criticism last night which I I largely disagree with but talking about Casey midd stat and you know he’s not quite there on the defensive side of the game and stuff it’s like well yeah but he’s

Been writing you know he’s had Valen nusi writing shotgun who is great in his own end and that I think really kind of helps out and you and I have talked about I think it has helped Elevate Casey middle stats defensive side of the game I think he’s a really smart player

Um so he does a lot he helps on special teams power play and penalty kill he’s he’s a really great defensive forward and he he helps move everyone down the lineup I we always hear from the guys win or loss that there are things that they learn from and things that they

Want to get better it’s rare maybe it’s just the Edmonton game that you hear I feel like we played exactly how we wanted to play um I guess what do you think those lessons those cleanups are do you feel like they’re all on the defensive side of the puck or do you

Think you got a good healthy balance of things to clean up for just for for the ABS as a whole mhm because I guess the to explain myself a little you bringing up Casey middlestead and defensive side of the puck it kind of feels like that’s where

Everybody on the team feels there needs to be uh some attention yeah yes I think I think they know what to do like I think they have the message and to me I think it’s a matter of better execution in the details in your own end and not cheating and not you

Know trying to trying to get an extra step to go for a you know go for a break about being responsible defensively like so I I don’t even necessarily think it’s lessons that need to be learned but it’s just like you need to use these last 10

Games to make sure that for game one all of that stuff that you know what to do you understand what you’re supposed to do in your defensive end to make sure that you’re executing that the way that you need to and that supports the other

Guys on the ice the best that’s what I think they need to spend the goal scoring you got Nathan McKinnon M Ranson and kale mcar Val chushin if he’s heavy Artu lein and Casey midd like your goals you’re fine on that side you need to defend the house and they know what to

Do I think they’re one of the best defending teams in the league they have one of the best deepest Decor in the league they’ve just been out of sync at different times this year and you know Jared talked about it a couple nights ago that when you don’t

Have the depth and they’re not going or they’re not going excuse me and you don’t have the confidence in them that’s when guys start to you know you have to start shortening the bench that’s where it feels like okay I got to take matters into my own hands you know

He uses the phrase fracturing MH that’s when people start saying okay well we don’t have the group to stick to the process so we just got to do this on our own you need the entire group pulling the rope in the same direction and that’s what leads to results like what

You got against Pittsburgh that was a group that stayed together all four lines were rolling you got the depth goal scoring you got depth contributions and then the top guys took over when they needed to Nathan McKinnon is the one to tie the game uh you know

They get it done in overtime in the Jonathan drwan play like the back half of that Pittsburgh game was the model for this is what a structured insync group that’s pulling the rope in the same direction looks like in any situation what I think we saw against Montreal and that in spurts last

Night is a group that without Val nushin your lines are a little bit shuffled you’re a little bit less familiar and everyone just kind of starts doing their own thing when you’re up against a goer that’s not giving anything up and you start saying we got to find a way to get

One well I know this isn’t the right right play but I’m just going to try to drive this up the wall it’s like no you’re supposed to turn that around and start your break or you know whatever the situation is that’s the stuff that I think they got to be feeling the best

About whatever it is two and a half weeks from now yeah and I think I also acknowledge that a lot of this is over analysis right like as a as somebody who analyzes their play I kind of approach it with like yeah you’re supposed to try to win all 82

Games but like even when we talked to kale Mar the other night after the lost he wasn’t down he wasn’t beat up about it right he he wasn’t stoked that they that they lost but happy they lost it’s a hockey game like this happens in hockey right yeah sure there’s a lesson

To be had but at the same time you’re you’re playing a game where there’s an opponent that’s trying to stop you from doing what you’re doing so not everything’s going to be going exactly to plan that’s every single night yeah right and I’m sure there have been occasions where a player fractures and

Deviates from the plan and find success doing it right right right so it’s not just a pure cookie cutter this is what you have to do this is what you don’t have to do but um so yeah I guess I’m acknowledging that part of it is over

Analysis but also um there are there are things you need to make sure are not slipping up once the playoffs do start once that first puck drops well it’s about it’s about having the best possible habits right and and having the best thing the best kind of like safety

Net to fall back onaction right right and like again it’s the easiest thing to compare it to that 2022 team they always had well we’re going to we’re going to defend our asses off no matter what you’re you’re not you know whatever you guys have you’re slowing down our transition you’re playing us

Physical doesn’t matter we aren’t we aren’t bending on what we do in our defensive structure that was what they were able to fall back on right this group doesn’t have that yet I think they can get there and I think they can um but for me it’s about like

You said you’re not going to be perfect every night it’s not at all reasonable to expect but do you have the structure to fall back on that’s going to give you a chance to win every single night those are the teams that come out on top in

The playoffs because over the course of a Series teams game plan for you different there’s no secrets you can’t sneak anything by anybody in game six it’s about who has the the the most solid foundation that their team is bought into and that’s where I do agree with you this

ABS group I’m not saying they can’t they need to get there still and I think there’s plenty of Runway you got 10 games with this group you know who the team is the trade deadlines in the past all that stuff um they got to establish that Foundation well and it’s important

To throw in a couple losses because if they go undefeated from the trade deadline all the way to playoffs they’re sitting there thinking nothing’s wrong with us right and then suddenly you kind of have a broken mindset from there too so well and that’s why I do think that

Pittsburgh game is good because that’s them coming out not doing the things that we just talked about and finding a way to adjust in game to find that part of their game and then what you would have liked to see what what I liked about last night what

You would have liked to see against Montreal is that was a situation where you got in a situation where you you couldn’t get a bounce you couldn’t get things to go the golender was playing well and in the Montreal game I didn’t think they got they didn’t simplify enough they

Didn’t get to the front of the net put pucks and last night we were talking about the Nathan McKinnon goal however you feel about whether McKinnon should have gotten assist or not that goal comes from chaos in front of the net and putting pucks on from everywhere the golender was playing well

In both those games you got a point out of one against a much better team and I think it’s because of the process and the simplification they got to in the second half of the the second half of the game yeah I kind of wanted to finish this conversation with looking at the

Goalies that have been coming into town and having really good nights right and I think part of it is okay they’re getting up a they’re good goalies B they’re saying okay I’m in Colorado I have to have a good night tonight if we have any chance of winning you talked

About that from the very beginning of the year that that was a mindset for goenda living up to the game plan not getting to the at crashing those rebounds or in say mono’s case it didn’t even seem like he was really giving up many rebounds so trying to find a way to

Take his eyes away y um that’s kind of what you’re you’re not really seeing from the offensive standpoint and why these goalies are coming in and having huge nights um well to me that’s it’s it’s a it’s maybe not directly in these two but that it’s t that’s typically a symptom

Of guys getting frustrated and saying you know yeah fracturing saying well I’m just going to go I’m just going to drive this to the net instead of using my help and you know a trailer that’s coming late God I’m just going to hammer this Puck on net it’s like yeah he swallowed

It right up that was a really dumb decision why’d you do that you look at Chris krider’s goal I think it was last night where G gies there makes the save but then the rebound spurts out whoever’s standing there in front just coughed it over slid it over to cder for

A back door tap in right uh I mean that’s why you crash the net right that that’s the that’s the kind of magic that happens when you’re simplifying the game two white jerseys standing there to make that happen right let me ask you did you think that

That was I thought that was a weird challenge oh yeah I guess this is where you start to nitpick the review stuff right yes yes it hit his glove was it a hand pass no it was a hand pass in my mind you literally have to oh just like

I did with the microphone you have to you know so make a motion to push that puck in a particular direction Jared’s argument I I agree with you when I watched it I said I I wouldn’t have challenged that I think that’s too hard to I thought it

Was a Hail Mary Challenge and and see I thought that that would that challenge would have made more sense if that goal was making it three to one you know where it’s like we’re either down by two with you know more than halfway through this game or you know whatever I thought

It was a weird challenge giv the cont because of the risk of going back in the Box because I’m with you I thought it was a Hail Mary challenge but I’m like why are you throwing a Hail Mary down two to one halfway through the game Jared tried to make the argument and

Again I’m not saying that he’s wrong that he did this that he he directed it with the cuff of his glove the one spot where I will give the ABS and Jared Bard the benefit of the doubt on that and I asked Jared about it after the game I think it

Was on this home stand we saw a go a goal overturned hitting a player’s cuff and landing on the tape of of a teammate and so to me the inconsistency is what’s annoying yeah either either direction if I’m and I can’t remember which game that was was I don’t remember

That either I kind I vaguely remember what you’re describing but I don’t remember the exact situation yeah and and I’ll I’ll go back and I’ll find it but like if I’m that team I’m annoyed that the goal last night was able to count and mine didn’t and then if I’m

The aves last night I’m annoyed that that one counted when we were just told that even at hitting the cuff and going to someone else doesn’t count and it’s just like I said it’s I’m annoyed as as an you know an impartial hockey person that we that

Is not definitive right that we just watched the same thing play out twice and we got two different results yeah no I’m with you the last thing the NHL should be trying to do is take away goals and again that wasn’t egregious of a of a hand pass to me that

I was totally fine with that one standing but if there’s yeah yeah right and and had they not let that one stand last night then I would have said okay they have clearly set the Press twice can’t even hit your glove at all you can’t hit

Your glove you can’t hit the cuff the thumb any of it is a hand pass but now we have two competing results on what I thought were very similar plays yeah yeah it’s kind of like the ambiguity of of a soccer hand ball right like sometimes your your arm if it’s out here

And the ball gets kicked into your hand it’s a handball but if it’s right here and the ball gets kicked into your hand it’s not a hand ball it’s it’s it’s frustrating that there’s no definitive black or white much like Nathan McKinnon’s goal that we or assist I

Guess that we uh touched on his contribution his contribution oh I hate you um yeah so one last home game in in the uh home stand here that’s against Nashville and then they go on the road for an a last road trip of the Season thoughts I think it’s so

Weird they have the oneoff in Vegas it’s a one game in Vegas otherwise I wouldn’t call that a road trip it’s a road it’s game game otherwise they have this three- game Road Trip the last one was a four game Road Trip the one before that was a six-game road trip

You had the oneoff in Detroit and then you had a five-game road trip this second half of this season has just been really weird it’s either been long home stands or long road trips and I’m just anxious and I’m sure so is my wife yeah to not be week and a half long

Things anymore yeah I’m sure that’s that’s difficult and I know the Avalanche and the nuggets are or were both here on Long home stands I think it was 11 consecutive days of something going on at ball Arena so for those kind people that work there I I’m excited for

A little break for them next week the conversion crew is probably like [ __ ] thank you oh my God can we make this a little less chaotic next year maybe but um yeah it’s been a crazy year as far as scheduling but we’re almost done with it playoffs are right around the corner I

Can feel them I could smell them I’m so excited and you know the players have them in mind as well as as we kind of mentioned all show so uh yeah that’ll do it for today thanks for hanging out with us sorry JJ started yelling I don’t know

What that was all let him know in the comments how much he hated yelling again I like reading it and I like reading good comments about me so if you’re saying nice things about me please fill those comments up the last time we did this I went I said hey everyone please

Go tell JJ how good he is at this job and how much he kicks out this and JJ leaves with go tell him how much you hate when he yells I wouldn’t have to yell if JJ didn’t say stupid [ __ ] it’s not my fault all right break the mic