GDT: Avalanche at Stars (Game 5): Do We Really Have To?

[RECKLESS]

They can win this. Hope they do.

But I'm not gonna wake up 3am for this one. Time for the team to actually wake up before me. For once this series. Do it boys!

Slept like a baby.

And good news with the late next start.

 

[The Kingslayer]

The narrative some of you invent and others follow along with without ever fact checking often dumbfounds me.
Mackinnon was #41 for TOI in the regular season. And while chasing the Art Ross, I doubt Nate would have settled for less IMO.

Lol what? You talk about fact checking and say this. Come on kid. Mackinnon has played a ton of hockey this season and has for awhile now. I dont care if you are a triathlete wear and tear catches up to you. He hasnt looked like his dynamic self these playoffs and thats likely due to him being....tired.

 

[the_fan]

View attachment 871495

Now that's a leader

This is just wrong in so many ways

 

[UncleRisto]

Some Aussie music you'd all love for you, written expressly about our team !!

How about this, I saw Polaris and Thornhill in March. Fair dinkum, it was the dog's bollocks, mate.

 

[Sea Eagles]

How about this, I saw Polaris and Thornhill in March. Fair dinkum, it was the dog's bollocks, mate.

Seen Polaris a few times, they are so bloody amazing live !!

 

[drhiii]

Cale showed me something I didn't see much of this playoff...... Leadership on the ice.

He didn't defer to MacK for example...... took over the game.... took it away from Heiskanen.

100%

200%

 

[McMetal]

So... I didn't watch the game today. I had shit to do at work, and I didn't want to watch the Avs go out with a whimper.

So I was on lunch, and I check the score. It's tied. I think "Well, I might as well catch the last bit of the 2nd before I go back to work." Pull up a stream. Not 15 seconds later, Dallas makes it 2-1. Shut the game off immediately, go back to work, don't look at the score until the game is over.

I'm not sure I can ethically watch the rest of the series, guys...

 

[cinchronicity]

The narrative some of you invent and others follow along with without ever fact checking often dumbfounds me.
Mackinnon was #41 for TOI in the regular season. And while chasing the Art Ross, I doubt Nate would have settled for less IMO.

Now go back to the list, and eliminate all defensemen. Do you know who the top 2 forwards are? Mikko then Nate.

2023-24 NHL Skater Time On Ice Statistics | Hockey-Reference.com

Check out the Skater Time On Ice Statistics for the 2023-24 NHL season on Hockey-Reference.com

www.hockey-reference.com

 

[Grigowski]

I mean, its nice to see some push back, so see some life again after Game 3 und especially Game 4....

Really proud to see a fight out there. And look, Dallas is making mistakes too if you force them.

But I still think its too little, too late.....

When i look at Mack and the other big boys, nearly dying after the game, yikes..... And this for another 2 Games?.. I would say "no way".

Never say never, i get it.. And this would be an epic comeback after all this shit that went down this week... But i just dont believe that this team has enough in the tank to mount this comeback....

It would be a good start if we finally score first in game 6.....

 

[TruePowerSlave]

Trending nicely for that game 7 heartbreak

 

[drhiii]

Tell us who are not familiar with your insights....

Responding to littletonhockeycoach. To all tho.. skip the following as it is boring af. You have been cautioned...

When Jokic was awarded the MVP a few days ago and he gave his first presser, he was…. different. Saw it immediately. He wasn’t horsing around (pun). He wasn’t deflecting. He wasn’t jokstering. His headspace wasn't off in Serbia on some horse. He was… quieter. A zillion mediocre words like, he was focused, focusing, drawing in, gathering. Can see it a million miles away. Hate putting words to it but.. it’s a gathering, an intensifying, not wasting time or energy but rather.. a gathering. Stupid metaphor here, but... drawing a bowstring. Arrow goes backwards before it goes forwards. A lion goes forward, it goes backwards. Crouches. Gathers. Go. I made the comment that I had a strong sense Jokic was going to come out and rain on everything. Folks thought I was nuts, that the series was over for the nuggies. Um, nope. Joker rained. Twice. Since going 0-2, he has not been horsing around.

Boorish way to get to, saw similar affect in MacK during brief interview post game. He was… let’s just say he ain’t giving up on a damn thing. Exhausted af. Hates those interviews. But as exhausted as he was.. he was more alive in that interview than I have ever seen. I got the sense that he was throwing a stake in the ground and was telling the female interviewer and whoever listening.. dawg coming. Never seen that kind of affect from him before.

Not saying he single-handedly superman’s next game. But got that similar sense with Joker. Like when MacK came bearing down on Pietrangelo a couple years ago in that outdoor game in Tahoe… the “oh oh” moment. Something tells me Nate is personally lining up the damn planets and we might see an ‘oh oh’ from MacK.

Or not. Could be total cray cray. Just got that similar super strong sense as I did with Joker.

How was all that for whimsy?

What’s your observation?

See response to littletonhockeycoach.

 

[StLAvsFan]

Ok. I get what you are saying. But he's just not that kind of player.

And that's the point. Same thing with Rantanen and his BIG-framed body. There have been numerous times in this Dallas series where these 2 guys have looked like they'd seemingly rather tuck-tail and lose (when flash & dash isn't working for them), than switch to a Plan B of physicality, defensive tenacity & chippiness; knowing full well that contributing in that way would at least help the overall team cause. Again, I fully understand they're paid the big buck$ to put up points; but you'd think they'd sometimes also be willing to get "down & dirty" if nescessary. Grunt work should be expected from every player on this team if the Avs really want to win this series, especially now that Nichushkin is gone. In other words, ALL hands on deck!

 

[Metallo]

Stick tap to the boys, they seem to have played a good game. I will watch the next game.

 

[John Mandalorian]

The Dallas coverage on the MacK goal was Avs level bad. One defender goes with Lehk. Another guy way too deep giving up the middle of the ice.

Two Dallas forwards way off to the other side. And another forward coming back way too late.

What youre missing is that none of it happens with the exclusive focus to dump and chase, which is what you were seeing for 2.7 games.

 

[The Pwnerer]

Finally showed some heart. Can't count on the powerplay and a bad Oettinger for next game thats for sure. As players said during our cup run series against Tampa, closing out the Stanley Cup at home was the most difficult due to feeling more pressure. I suspect game 6 Dallas will give us the most trouble. Add that Oettinger has been money after bad games and road games. The odds are stacked against us big time. If we lose 3 home games this series, then we truly deserve to lose. But if somehow we manage to win, I'll have a sliver of hope.

Also obligatory **** you to Nichuskin because I think this series is ours if he lays off the powdered sugar.

 

[Ararana]

Despite Mikko's best efforts, the Avs won.

Hopefully that gets the offense going and they can get a bit of a hot streak started here. Dallas has gotten slower and slower in this series, back up to the altitude we go. Keep hitting Tanev, he's barely alive at this point.

 

[LOFIN]

He's been solid since game 2 of round 1.

Shitty goals here and there but they all give them, including Otter.

Knocking on wood*

Kinda crazy that we all thought that Georgiev would be our downfall in the playoffs. Instead he has played pretty well since the start of 1st round. Save% of 0.890 doesn't really tell the whole story.

Also, you can't convince me that Landy didn't step into yesterday's practice and told the guys: "Get it to G7, and I will play".

 

[Alienblood]

That's how I feel. They gave us one win here, I'm not expecting them to beat the best road team in hockey that is 4-1 on the road these playoffs and just dismantled the Avalanche in Denver by a combined 9-2 score.

In all likelihood, this was the Avs' last stand and the Stars take game 6.

Probably a good thing as I couldn't handle being sweptl by the Oilers next round anyhow

 

[niwotsblessing]

Whatever happens going forward the team showed us something last night. I have no idea if we win the series and at this point I don't care. If we get to Game 7 the stars (may all curses and misfortune be upon them) have the bullseye on them, while we're playing with house money. What I know is this- tomorrow night we go after every one of those bastards hammer and tong, physically beat them and outscore them. That's what I ask for now.

 

[MarkT]

Good win. I still don't think everyone is playing at their best except Girard, Toews, Makar, and Lehkonen, but gutsy performance. For once they played like they were behind before they actually fell behind.

But the only comment I really want to make is this: f*** THOSE REFS. Mikko literally bleeding from the nose and it's two minutes. How many times all season is there a completely accidental high stick that goes for 4 because the guy has a little bit of blood. But Mikko's sweater is literally splattered with blood and the refs decide not to call 4 because... I honestly can't explain why except that they intentionally decided that the Avs didn't deserve the call

Then, oh, well the Avs have two power play goals, so when Lehky holds his stick in front of him and Dadonov does an Olympic level dive, they call a penalty. Again because, well, they decide Dallas deserved a call.

Honestly, the refs pretty much ruined my enjoyment of the game. Even when they scored off the high stick penalty, all I could think was that they should have had another one coming so they could go for the lead. Then when the "cross check" penalty happened, I just spent the rest of the game pissed off thinking that it's pure luck the refs didn't just cost the Avs the game, but their entire season. Absolutely brutal performance, especially since by the second round, these should be among the best refs in the league.

Every single year I watch the playoffs and every year the refs make me want to stop being a hockey fan. Consistently dogshit every single year with absolutely no attempt by the league to fix things.

 

[chet1926]

Knocking on wood*

Kinda crazy that we all thought that Georgiev would be our downfall in the playoffs. Instead he has played pretty well since the start of 1st round. Save% of 0.890 doesn't really tell the whole story.

Also, you can't convince me that Landy didn't step into yesterday's practice and told the guys: "Get it to G7, and I will play".

You can think what you want about Landy but I'd say the likelihood is less than 5%. From any data we have the guy looks to be skating maybe 75%. He's not really close and hasn't even remotely had a contact practice. He's not going to magically appear in games 6 or 7 skating 75% and not taking contact. This isn't a Mark Stone injury, where he's magically good at exact right time, it's real and has to heal properly.

 

[wayninja]

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

Both sets of fans certainly have the right to be frustrated about some of the refs decisions or non-decisions last night. What this series has shown me, without doubt, is that this Dallas team goes down easier than most teams. That lehky cross check was hilarious, he barely touched the dude and he exploded. I know we have a reputation as 'Divealanche' with other team fans, but this Stars team is something else.

 

[chet1926]

Good win. I still don't think everyone is playing at their best except Girard, Toews, Makar, and Lehkonen, but gutsy performance. For once they played like they were behind before they actually fell behind.

But the only comment I really want to make is this: f*** THOSE REFS. Mikko literally bleeding from the nose and it's two minutes. How many times all season is there a completely accidental high stick that goes for 4 because the guy has a little bit of blood. But Mikko's sweater is literally splattered with blood and the refs decide not to call 4 because... I honestly can't explain why except that they intentionally decided that the Avs didn't deserve the call

Then, oh, well the Avs have two power play goals, so when Lehky holds his stick in front of him and Dadonov does an Olympic level dive, they call a penalty. Again because, well, they decide Dallas deserved a call.

Honestly, the refs pretty much ruined my enjoyment of the game. Even when they scored off the high stick penalty, all I could think was that they should have had another one coming so they could go for the lead. Then when the "cross check" penalty happened, I just spent the rest of the game pissed off thinking that it's pure luck the refs didn't just cost the Avs the game, but their entire season. Absolutely brutal performance, especially since by the second round, these should be among the best refs in the league.

Every single year I watch the playoffs and every year the refs make me want to stop being a hockey fan. Consistently dogshit every single year with absolutely no attempt by the league to fix things.

Refs were insanely bad last night in favor of Dallas.

Tanev penalty was a joke a complete cheap shot leaves 96 bleeding and it's 2 mins, f*** right off. Like you said all year pretty much anything that leads to blood has been 4. While blood doesn't mean 4, it should be pretty automatic based on how they've called it all year. If the league had any consistency, Tanev should get a max fine, you can't cross check a guy in the face accidental or not.

The Dadonov dive was absurd, maybe Oscar worthy. I hope the refs were embarrassed after seeing the replay.

29 gets his stick held for a good 5 seconds by Suter and the refs weren't going to call it. 29 had to yell at them and say wtf. That's unacceptable on that obvious of a stick grab. Should be automatic hand up, especially when it happens 5 ft from your face.

Simply put the refs had a tough night and need to be significantly better.

 

[Spilot23]

Both sets of fans certainly have the right to be frustrated about some of the refs decisions or non-decisions last night. What this series has shown me, without doubt, is that this Dallas team goes down easier than most teams. That lehky cross check was hilarious, he barely touched the dude and he exploded. I know we have a reputation as 'Divealanche' with other team fans, but this Stars team is something else.

The thing when other fanbases are calling us names is that it isn't like we have 8 PPs and they have like 2. It's somehow always the same or close. Just last night in the GDT there are numbers of Stars fans joined by Oilers fans whining about reffing or saying they handed us that win. Then you watch both teams PP opportunities and it's like 3 for us and 4 for Dallas. Don't forget how they didn't call that double minor and yet I didn't see alot of Avs fans whining about that through the game.