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Howard gave them a shot (again) Avs breakout, bury Wings

January 20, 2020, 5:57 PM ET [25 Comments]
Jeremy Laura
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The first 2 periods were impressive, for Jimmy Howard. 2 goals on 30 shots through 2. The team was given every opportunity to come back, with Colorado holding a 63% possession stat after two. The third period though, looked like this for Wings fans:

via GIPHY



It, laughably, gets worse and worse sometimes. By shots and possession, Detroit was never in this game. The team allowed 18 shots in the first period. By the scoreboard, Jimmy held them in. Bertuzzi’s early goal was an odd but welcome tap in. At first, his body language was anything but celebratory. He just stood staring at the net. And then, the boo birds. The assist by Larkin was a beauty on that goal and on Givanni Smith’s 2nd. (Poor guy never gets to celebrate a goal). Larkin also had a nice backhander, so a 3 point night for the future captain. Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist. Zadina added a helper. Not all bad.

Another predictable empty netter (MacKinnon this time) as Blashill seems to have no real grasp on establishing possession. I understand wanting to go for it, but that was poorly timed.

It’s becoming the balcony seat at the muppet show. It’s so bad that you end up laughing at times. On pace for a near record breaking low, one that makes Avs 48 point season look like a big step up. (BTW, Colorado finished dead last and picked 4th that year. Brace yourselves).

Overall, it feels like a massive disconnect. If Jimmy is playing well, the team just shuts down. When he started to struggle in the third, the team turned it on. If my perception is completely off, please feel free to lend your voice in the comment. The forecheck pressure Detroit poured on in the third would have made a HUGE difference earlier in the game. The team just disappears at times.

Dose of reality, Colorado is a much better team. The top line of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen are an embarrassment of riches. It is hard to imagine more scoring talent than what that line has to give. The move to bring Kadri in is paying off. Yes, he still dives and screams when the calls don’t go his way. However, he is a skilled and gritty center. Toronto is missing what he brings. If NK can pull it together discipline-wise he can add so much more to an already impressive game. The Avs have more talent coming as well. Having drafted some very good defensemen this club is going to, in my mind, continue to improve. The only caveat will become when Mac an Landy come up for their next deals. At this point, some of the friendliest contracts in the NHL.

It’s abundantly clear that it doesn’t make much sense to be angry about losing at this point. The games lost have become a bit like the bacon section of a breakfast bar. The more, the merrier. Pile it on. Skip the fruit. In fact, get the bacon, go to the sausage gravy bucket and drown it. (If you do this, please sit next to the defibrillator that most restaurants keep on hand).

The fact the Givani Smith is being rewarded for how hard he plays (and plays for his teammates) is nothing but a good thing. Every point Zadina can add to his totals are also good. Larkin, Bertuzzi and Fabbri continue to have sequences that are exciting to watch. A healthy Mantha and Athanasiou would make a huge difference right now.

The trade times are coming. Green is hurt again, so take that off the block. Howard, though, may become an attractive option once again considering current play. Not a high return, but something. Athanasiou’s recent injury hasn’t completely hurt his draft stock, but there were rumors that Ken Holland is no longer interested. C’est la vie.

The end is coming, mercifully. Watching this season has become a lesson in what Detroit avoided for far too long. It is going to hurt a bit more, though play is improving just in time for guys to get new contracts. That sounds cynical, but there is a reality woven in there.

Detroit plays Minnesota on Wednesday and then nothing until after the all star break. That may be a game worth watching, as guys play hard with long breaks coming (sometimes). I expect Yzerman is speaking to Gallant as well as every GM in the league that feels like they can reach the post season. If anything materializes we’ll look at it together.
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