Mike, what’s the real skinny on Bo Byram’s absence?
— Dan Rish, Albuquerque, NM
Dan, it all points to the roller coaster ride that multiple concussions often cause. We know he wasn’t feeling well in Nashville before Christmas and was put on personal leave by the team. Before Thursday’s game against Tampa Bay, Avs GM Joe Sakic said this: “We’re giving him his space. He needs some time. He’s a great young hockey player (who) is going to have a long career… we want to make sure that when he does come back, there’s no lingering issues. And it’ll be on his time timetable”
I know most were bummed that the Avs’ home winning streak ended, but I view it as a good thing in the long run. Have you noticed if players are more relaxed with it being over?
— Matthew, Denver
No. Haven’t seen a difference. The season is a marathon and the shootout loss against Arizona still extended the Avs’ points streak. I think every player realizes the streak was fun to think about but not important in the big picture.
Noticed that with MacK out of the lineup, Makar is wearing the A … Mikko still has the A. I believe Johnson did wear it early in the season, though. Why is EJ not wearing the A currently?
— Rob, Morrison
I believe coach Jared Bednar stripped Johnson of the A after he took the cross-checking minor on Taylor Hall to send Boston on a two-man advantage. Bednar was unhappy with EJ and gave his A to Makar in the next game. Makar also had the second A on Thursday against Tampa Bay. Your question is a good one and I will pose it to JB.
Any updates on when MacKinnon might return and how he’s doing? Haven’t really heard much lately. Thanks.
— Jill, Denver
He’s on schedule to return Sunday at Dallas, so he’ll travel with the Avs on Saturday if he doesn’t have any concussion symptoms. You never know about the return timeframe from a concussion, so nothing is set in stone.
Hey Mike enjoyed your coverage of the Denver Pioneers, any plans to cover more of their games? Do you think the Pios have what it takes to win another national title? Always enjoy games down at Magness, just a fun atmosphere for hockey with the family.
— Tom, Englewood
I’m covering DU this weekend, and yes, we’re planning to up our coverage with this very good squad. That comeback from a 3-0 hole against St. Cloud State last Friday was amazing. The Pios are super skilled and fast — and they play fast like the Avs because their D-men push the pace. Very entertaining hockey team that certainly has a championship pedigree.
Professional sports leagues have had to adjust with technology and analytics over the years. Has the NHL changed much over the years or have teams embraced technology in recent years?
— Anthony, LoDo
The Avs are all in with analytics. Coach Bednar talks about it often. They have full-time employees doing that. So, yes, the NHL has changed in how it looks at numbers. It’s certainly a numbers game now.
Hi Mike, don’t remember what game it was but the Avs had a player involved in an old school fight, reminded me of the days of Scott Parker dropping the gloves. Have you noticed more fights happening this season? NHL Tonight seems to show a lot of them.
— Mike, Centennial
Kurtis MacDermid is the modern-day Scott Parker. MacDermid has added everything but speed to the Avs’ lineup. His skating is subpar but he’s super tough, feared by opponents and he’s a great teammate. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent and Colorado would be wise to re-sign him. He adds the one element the Avs have lacked — a real deterrent — and you don’t want top-line winger Gabe Landeskog too involved in fighting.
Now that the NHL All-Star game is behind us I wanted to get your thoughts on the Avs heading into the second half. Do you have any predictions or things the team needs to improve upon?
— Jared, Thornton
Outside of second-line center Nazem Kadri, the Avs don’t win enough faceoffs. That’s probably the only thing I can say this team needs to improve on. My solution is a reach, but enticing: If the Dallas Stars fall out of the playoff picture and become trade-deadline sellers, acquire 30-something Joe Pavelski. He’s great on faceoffs, a proven playoff scorer and a great teammate.
Been a fan for 20+ years. My only displeasure with the Avs is not the players or coaches but your interviews. The people asking questions don’t use a good mic or maybe none at all. I hear garble and when the player/coach answers a question I have no idea what the question was.
— Gene Knabenbauer, Evergreen
We have no control over that, Gene. There is typically a microphone pointed towards the media and we ask our questions. Perhaps you should contact the Avs directly or they will read this and improve on their postgame audio.