Denver Post sports writer Mike Chambers posts the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.
How can Avs coach Patrick Roy motivate these guys to play with intensity in the third period?
— Mark Heckart, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Yell and scream, perhaps? His composure and patience isn’t working.
After game 80 Roy said the team had to learn how to hold a third-period lead. They lost the first game of the season leading 4-1. If not the coach then who is the teacher? A whole season seems long enough for the coaches to find a teacher.
— Kurt, Parker
Good observation, Kurt. The coach(es) can only do so much. The on-ice personnel wasn’t good enough, or their instructions on how to play with the lead were flawed.
Bottom line is, good teams build on leads — not blow them. You can point your fingers at the players and the coach.
Hello, I feel like the fans, myself included, deserve better from the Colorado Avalanche. So far all I see is excuses and no answers. I also see very little press about how poor of a team the Avs have become. Do you see changes or will it be the same status quo next year?
What is your opinion about Roy and his job status? What do you think the Avs need to do to get better, and do you think they will do what it takes to get better. So far, we have statistically gotten worse. Thanks!
— Sean Hale, Commerce City
You’re not going to want to read this Sean, but I believe it’s going to get worse before it gets better. No changes to the head coach and general manager are planned and if the Avs don’t resign unrestricted free agent forwards Mikkel Boedker and Shawn Matthias the team gets an F for the moves it made heading into the Feb. 29 trade deadline.
Don’t let anyone tell you different: Colorado gave up some solid prospects and draft picks for the potential rental-only players, in hindsight they should have not made those moves. At the time, I liked the aggressiveness to make the playoffs. But now, you’re looking at blown assets if Boedker and Matthias sign elsewhere.
Would like to get a report from the Avs scouts about the performance and potential of Jean-Christopher Beaudin, A.J. Greer, Nicolas Meloche and J.T. Compher. I believe these are the most promising prospects. I am especially interested in Greer as a power forward.
— AR, Hong Kong, China
Beaudin, Greer and fellow Avs draftee Julian Nantel are teammates with Rouyn-Noranda, the top team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League which finished the regular season 54-9-5. Greer had 16 goals in 33 games since bolting Boston University mid-season — a move I didn’t like then and still don’t like now.
But Rouyn-Noranda advanced to the league’s semfinals, unlike BU, is still playing hockey, so that’s a bonus for the kid. As for Meloche and Compher, the former is still alive in the QMJHL playoffs and Compher is an All-American at Michigan.
As a die-hard Avalanche fan living in Toronto all my life, which team do you think has a shot at contending for a Stanley Cup first?
— Brandon, Toronto
Toronto. Thanks for the question.
Very disappointing end. I’m not a casual fan, I know the game and think I watched at least parts of every Avs game this season.
That said, I can’t put my finger on why they aren’t better. You tell me. For all intents and purposes, the season was over when they folded against the Wild in the very first game of the season.
Just when they looked like they were turning the corner they went into another slide. Frustrating.
— Mike, Salt Lake City
You’re not alone, Mike. The primary culprits: poor home record and inability to hold or build on third-period leads. As for personnel, the blue line is missing some pieces.
I think the Avs need a new goaltender. Half way through the season the Avs were the sixth highest scoring team in the league, but the only team of those six that was not in the playoff hunt.
You can’t give up over three goals a game and expect to win. We need a goaltender that can keep us in the game. Semyon Varlamov is not that goaltender. The last time we were in the playoffs, it was Varlomov that let us exit in the first round.
— Erik Jansson, Bailey
I think Calvin Pickard should be given a chance to become the team’s No. 1 goaltender. Varlamov is more experienced and probably quicker, but Pickard has an amazing compete level and calm about him.
But let’s not dump the Avs’ goals against average all on the goalies, team defense has been a problem.
Given that this is another non-playoff season, what is the overall opinion about the Avs front office and what is your opinion?
— Jim Work, Colorado Springs
As I wrote above, the trade-deadline deals didn’t work out and might cost the Avalanche dearly. But the additions of Carl Soderberg, Blake Comeau, Andreas Martinsen and Francois Beauchemin last summer were a success. The jury is still out on the Ryan O’Reilly trade.
I love this team. Roy keeps talking about the team, “they need to learn to play as a team.” I listen to his morning show on The Fan and he constantly refers to them learning how to play together.
Is there something we don’t know about the locker room dynamics of this team?
Finally, I read an article about this team not having conviction to make the big dance. What are your thoughts on what we are missing besides help at the blue line.
— Jennifer, Denver
It’s just an excuse, a cliche to support what you don’t know. It’s really a lack of talent, direction or chemistry. As for personnel improvements, revamping the blue line might affect what you have at forward and in goal. It all might change.
Denver Post sports writer Mike Chambers posts the Avs Mailbag every other Thursday during the regular season.
Pose an Avalanche- or NHL-related question for the Avs Mailbag.