Scott’s Scouting Report: Avs/Blues Game 1

The second season has begun.

The Presidents’ Trophy looks excellent on a resume. It looks good next to the Cup in the team photo. However, the trophy by itself? Meh, I will pass. Swipe left.  It is tall. Cheap-looking. Awkward. In a sport that is deep in history and traditions, the Presidents’ Trophy lacks deep roots. No player has ever dreamed of their day with the Presidents’ Trophy. The playoffs are a different season, a different animal, where the best team wins the Cup. The best team of the second season wins, not the first.

Game 1 belonged to the Colorado Avalanche. It looks like the series will go their way as well. However, let’s hold off on the parade plans.

Evolution of a goal … Details matter in a win and loss. We analyze each goal down to every little inch and every second, sometimes minutes, before the puck crosses the line. Here is a look at last night’s goals.

Colorado 1, St. Louis 0 — A rare penalty by the ex-Avalanche player Ryan O’Reilly leads to the first goal of the series.  In 2017-‘18 season, O’Reilly had one penalty in 81 games. Since, he’s had 40 penalty minutes in the last 210 games.  Faceoff wins are crucial, and having O’Reilly in the box hurts multiple levels, including defensive zone draws and leadership. The Avs win the draw, and skill then takes over. Cale Makar moves from the wall to the center of the ice. The feet of Makar here is elite. Special. It gets a wow factor on something he makes look so easy. A quick pivot of the feet and hips leaves Blues penalty killer with broken ankles.  Mikko Rantanen with a great timely screen and easy goal for No. 8. Easy for him that is.

Colorado 1, St. Louis 1 — The play of Jordan Binnington started to frustrate the Avalanche. Scoring chance after scoring chance being turned away allows the Blues to tie the game late in the second period.  In the attacking zone, Nazem Kadri makes a cute play, or the attempt of one, the Blues break it up with ease and head the other way. Kadri’s turnover is one thing, but the lack of speed and effort to make up for it creates the goal against.  If any fan thinks that Kadri was a victim of interference on the backcheck is purely a homer. Kadri loses the physical battle and loses the race. Tied game.

Colorado 2, St. Louis 1 — Power and strength. Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen bull their way through the Blues defense, forecheck, grind in the corners and make a pass out front to MacKinnon.  Simple. Not much to that goal. Just one team’s top line doing its job.

Colorado 3, St. Louis 1 —  Avs skating gets the third goal and cushion. Devon Toews pushing the puck up the ice, being aggressive, using both speed and effort to create chances. MacKinnon now needs to cover for the jumping defensemen, setting up shop as the weak side blueliner. Landeskog perfectly deflects quick puck movement to the top and Mac’s shot in front.

Final Score, Avs top line 4, Blues 1 — The Avalanche dominated the game from start to finish. It is a solid win to start the series that I don’t think they will have trouble winning. However, tonight’s game will only get bigger deeper in the Blues series and the rest of the playoffs. Only five players on the Avalanche team got the point. Where was the other 13? You can not win the Cup with one line, and you can not win the Cup with four defensemen. Avalanche rarely had their third defensive unit — Patrick Nemeth and Connor Timmins — play together. Meaning the team was double-shifting one defenseman to play with either Timmins or Nemeth. This works better on home ice and has the advantage of the last change; however, this issue will be magnified on the road.  Maybe the depth issues will not show against the Blues, but they will against the Golden Knights

The good: Avs Top line. Discipline. Coaching. Yost.

The bad: Nemeth. Timmins. Pierre McQuire. Stan Kroenke