So, without further ado, let’s dive straight into this thing.

Nathan MacKinnon

Grade: A+++

Taking a little page out of Kyle Keefe’s page, it is only natural for MacKinnon to earn something above a regular A+. Thought the past few seasons, MacKinnon has made himself a bonafide superstar in the league, but he took things to the next level this season, helping the Avalanche reach the second round for the second consecutive time. Not only did Mackinnon lead the Avs in points (93 – 35 goals, 58 assists) this season during the regular season, but he was also a man on a mission during the playoffs, tallying 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists).

MacKinnon recently won the Lady Byng trophy and is still up for the Hart Memorial and Ted Lindsay awards.

Gabriel Landeskog

Grade: B

Despite being injured for most of the regular season and only tallying 44 points in 54 games played this season, Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog did have himself a solid season. Prior to his freak injury against the Dallas Stars in the second round, Landeskog was on a roll in the playoffs, tallying 13 points ( 2 goals, 11 assists). I think we can all hope for a healthy season for Landeskog next year.

Mikko Rantanen

Grade:B+

One thing that became kind of obvious to me throughout this entire season, is that it appears the league has begun to become used to Mikko Rantanen. He can still do a lot of amazing pass and plays, but it appears that he can only pull this type of stuff off against weaker opponents, the rest of the league has adapted to him. So how will Rantanen adapt to this? Only time will tell.

Similar to Landeskog, despite being injured for half of the regular season, Rantanen had himself a regular season with 41 points (19 goals, 22 assists). Once he was fully healthy for the playoffs, he looked like regular Mikko again, tallying 21 points (7 goals, 14 assists) in 15 playoffs games played.

Andre Burakovsky

Grade: B+

Out of all the main offseason signings Avalanche GM Joe Sakic made during the offseason, Avs forward Andre Burakovsky was one of the main players who showed he can succeed with the Avs system. Finishing the regular season with 45 points (20 goals, 25 assists) and 17 points in the playoffs, statistically speaking Burakovsky was the best offseason signing Sakic made. As an RFA, it will be interesting to see how much the Avalanche will pay to keep him.

Nazem Kadri

Grade: B-

Including his buzzer-beating GWG against the St. Louis Blues in the round-robin games against the St. Louis Blues, Nazem Kadri impressed a lot of people, myself included, in his first full season as a member of the Colorado Avalanche, especially in the faceoffs. Finishing with 36 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in the regular season and 18 points (9 goals, 9 assists) in the playoffs, Kadri reminded everyone that he can still find the back of the net.

Despite his defensive hiccup in Game 7 of the second round against the Dallas Stars, I thought that Kadri was awesome this season for the Avalanche. One area that I thought he helped the Avalanche with a lot was faceoffs, as Kadri finished the season as second best with a 56.8 faceoff percentage. One area I thought Kadri was a welcome addition to was the Avs first unit powerplay. Not only adding another scoring force but by helping the Avs win the faceoff and remain in control of the opponent’s zone during the powerplay right away.

Joonas Donskoi

Grade: C+

Out of everyone in the top six, Donskoi was the one who probably disappointed me the most. He wasn’t terrible, but he also wasn’t amazing either. Donskoi finished the regular season with 33 points (16 goals,17 assists) and only tallied six points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 9 playoff games played with the Avalanche. I am not really sure if Donskoi needs more time to get adjusted to the Avs playstyle, or if he is just way to injury-prone, but this past season was definitely a disappointment for Donskoi, and hopefully, he can redeem himself next season.

The post Colorado Avalanche 2019-20 Season Review: The Top Six appeared first on The Rink.

Well, that is not what any of us were expecting — and it is still a little bit of a shock.

I even hate having to write this recap, but we just have to rip off the bandaid, no matter how much it hurts.

The Colorado Avalanche have officially been eliminated from the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs after falling to the Dallas Stars 5–4 in overtime. In what could only be described as a back and forth affair all game lone, the Stars had the last laugh as they tallied the game-winner, punching their ticket to the Western Conference Finals, where they will face the Vegas Golden Knights.

Kicking off the opening frame, the Avs would fall behind after Stars forward Alexander Radulov tallied his first goal of the game on the powerplay to give the Stars the 1-0 lead. Not long after, the Avalanche came up with the equalizer as Avs forward Vladislav Namestnikov tallied the equalizer.

One of the main players who piqued my interest early into the game was Avs forward Logan O’Connor. Just like the past couple of games, O’Connor seemed to be relentless on the puck, and he was getting rewarded with some opportune chances, including a near goal in the early minutes of the opening frame.

As time continued to dwindle in the first period, the Stars attempted a breakout of their own zone — but Avs forward Andre Burakovsky anticipated the pass, intercepted it, and promptly sniped it past Anton Khudobin to give the Avs the 2–1 lead into the second period.

The second period continued to be another back and forth affair like the first period, as the Stars came up with the equalizer with Stars forward Antii Kiviranta tallying his first goal of the game. With the score now tied, the Avalanche would head onto the powerplay, something they have struggled within this series, where Avs forward Nazem Kadri tallied a goal of his own, giving the Avs the 3–2 advantage to head into the third period.

PING!
Kadri almost had his 2nd today on the PP #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/UVnIDtDTyF

— Fuck Dave Portnoy (@TheReplayGuy) September 4, 2020

Similar to the first couple of periods, the final frame continued to be a back and forth affair as the Stars tallied the equalizer off the stick of Radulov early into the period. There would be no quit from the Avalanche, however, as Namestnikov tallied his second goal of the game to help the Avs regain the one-goal lead — but that would be short-lived as only 10 seconds later Kiviranta would tally his second goal of the game to force overtime.

In the sudden-death period, Kiviranta would complete the hat trick to help the Stars advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they will play the Vegas Golden Knights or the Vancouver Canucks.

So whats next? Nothing on the Avalanche front, as they have officially been eliminated from the 2020 Stanley cup Playoffs. However, you can expect plenty of offseason content from our team as the Avs set their sights on Lord Stanley next season.

The post RECAP: Stars eliminate the Avalanche in 5-4 overtime thriller appeared first on The Rink.

Following an exciting 6–3 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game Five to extend the series and avoid elimination, the Colorado Avalanche will be looking to force a pivotal Game Seven when they take on the Stars Wednesday at 6 p.m.

With both Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz out of the lineup, the Avalanche went with Michael Hutchinson in Game Five, with Hunter Miska as the backup. While Hutchinson did make a few solid saves later in the game, the Avalanche made a statement by scoring five goals in the first period to help come away with the 6–3 victory.

Avs forwards Nathan MacKinnon tallied two points (one goal, one assist) in the 6–3 victory over the Stars, extending his playoff point streak to 13 games. MacKinnon currently leads the league with 23 points (eight goals,15 assists). Along with MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky had himself a strong night, tallying three points (two goals, one assist) in the victory.

Along with MacKinnon, some of the other Avs who currently ride their own respective point streaks are Mikko Rantanen (eight games), Cale Makar (four games), Burakovsky (three games) and Nazem Kadri (three games).

to a 4 goal lead!#NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/6DHubIQgJo

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 1, 2020

According to Colorado head coach Jared Bednar, the Avs are still “grumpy” about where they stand in the series, which is exactly how they were heading into Game Five. With Bednar keeping his roster plans under lock and key, no one really has a solid idea of what the roster will look like against the stars for Game Six.

Bednar says the #Avs still remain grumpy and are not happy with where they remain in the series. #Avs

— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) September 2, 2020

I usually do a player, or players, to watch section here, but honestly, this is going to come down to so many different factors it is hard to just pick one particular player from each team. Expect the Avalanche to come out similar to how they came out in Game Five—pissed off and absolutely flying. On the other side, I think we can all expect the Stars to expect this from the Avs, and they will continue to try to have a physical presence throughout the game.

Get your popcorn and soda, ladies and gentlemen. Game Six will be another nail-biter.

The post Preview: Avs look to force Game Seven against Dallas appeared first on The Rink.

Following a couple of days off, the Colorado Avalanche return to action looking to even the series against the Dallas Stars on Sunday. After coming away with a thrilling 6–4 victory over the Stars in Game Three, the Avalanche will seek to ride their momentum to level the series at two games apiece.

After leaving Game Three in the second period, Colorado defensemen Nikita Zadorov will be in the lineup Sunday against the Stars. Zadorov recording the first multi-point game of his playoff career in Game Three after recording a goal and an assist.

Nathan MacKinnon is also on an 11-game point streak, the longest in franchise history during the postseason. MacKinnon tallied two assists in the Avs’ 6–4 comeback victory in Game Three. The previous record of 10 games was set by Avs legend and now general manager Joe Sakic in 1996 and in 1982 by Quebec Nordiques icon Marian Stastny.

Jamie Benn

I am putting Benn down as the main Dallas player to watch for not only his scoring ability but due to how Game Three ended and his overall antics in the last game. From taking a run at MacKinnon to cross-checking Gabriel Landeskog at the end of Game Three, you can just feel that Benn will be trying to leave some type of impact this afternoon.

The post Preview: Avs look to carry momentum to tie series against Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Following a disappointing 5–2 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday, the Colorado Avalanche will look to avoid falling into the dreaded 0–3 hole when they take on the Stars in Game Three Wednesday night.

So far in comparison to the first round against the Arizona Coyotes, it appears as if the Avs’ depth that they brought in during the offseason has completely been drained—as Colorado is simply just being carried by the superhuman efforts of Nathan MacKinnon.

Leading the playoffs with 18 points (Seven goals, 11 assists), MacKinnon has stepped his game up to a whole new level for the second round of the playoffs.

After getting off to a 2–0 lead in the first period with goals from MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen in Game Two, the Avalanche ran into a series of unfortunate events to help the Stars score five unanswered goals to escape with the 5–2 comeback victory. Despite falling down two games in the series, the Avalanche are confident in their group.

“For us, it’s a seven-game series for a reason,” Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said after Game Two. “We feel more than anything we’re in this thing, and we’ve been up 2–0 before and we know how quick it can turn and all of a sudden—tie series. It’s a seven-game series for a reason, and there’s no quit in this group.”

According to Colorado head coach Jared Bednar, Matt Calvert remains day-to-day and his status for Game Three is yet to be determined, though Calvert could be a game-time decision.

Alongside MacKinnon’s 10-game point streak in the playoffs, Rantanen is on a five-game point stream (three goals, five assists), while Landeskog is on a four-game point streak with one goal and six assists.

I expect the Avalanche to come out hard as they did in Game Two and play more than 20 minutes of hockey for Game Three against the Stars. They know going down a 0–3 series deficit against a talented Stars squad would be extremely difficult to come back from, and I expect Colorado’s depth players to step up to the plate and help out the top line.

Players to watch

Mikko Rantanen

Riding his own point streak, it seems as if Rantanen is finally beginning to find his legs, tallying a goal of his own in Game Two for the Avalanche. With the Avs against the wall, I can see Rantanen taking the next step to help the Avs have a better chance of coming away with the victory. Whether it will be five-on-three or on the power play, I expect Rantanen and the rest of the top line to be at their best tonight in Game Three.

Joe Pavelski

Known for being an Avs killer, the longtime Shark has proven to be a little bit of a pest for the Stars in this second-round series against the Avalanche. On this talented Stars roster, Pavelski is a lightning rod of energy for this squad. If the Stars continue to have their way, expect him to have something to do with it.

Win or lose, Game Three will be a contest that you will not want to miss. Will we see a return of the Avs’ depth players, or will Colorado’s misfortunes continue? Only time will tell. Puck drop is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. MDT.

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Players to watch

Our predictions

The post Series Preview: Avs to face Dallas Stars in Western Conference Semifinals appeared first on The Rink.

The opportunity has finally come for the Colorado Avalanche to eliminate the Arizona Coyotes and advance to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now facing elimination, it will be interesting to see what Arizona Coyotes squad the Avalanche will be facing. If they are facing a motivated team, this game could be close. However, if the Avalanche continues to ride the momentum from Game 4, the Avs can very well see themselves strolling into the second round.

Following their 4–2 loss in Game 3, the Avalanche came back for vengeance in Game 4, dismantling the Coyotes 7–1 to take the first 3–1 series lead. The victory would be memorable, as they would chase Coyotes superstar goaltender Darcy Kuemper out of the net for the first time in the series. Now will it continue to be a factor in Game 5? Only time will tell.

One of the most notable players for the Avs during their Game 4 victory was Nazem Kadri, who tallied 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist), who now has 9 points throughout the playoffs, leading the Avs in goals (4) — the best part of this? Kadri has 0 penalty minutes so far. Keep in mind, Kadri missed the past two playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs due to suspension.

Kadri had 10 points (3 goals and 7 assists) in his 19 previous playoff games in his career with the Maple Leafs from 2013-2019.

“I just try to come to play and compete every single night,” Kadri said. “That’s what good pros do, and I just felt like I didn’t have my best game last game so I just wanted to give it everything I had. Got a couple of nice breaks early, and obviously that makes the rest of the game a little bit easier.”

Player(s) to watch:

Gabriel Landeskog

While it may come as a shock, the Avs captain is scoreless so far in the first round against the Coyotes. Landeskog has the reputation of finding the back of the net at important times, so keep an eye on him to make a difference in Game 5 as the Avs look to advance to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Coyotes Top Line

With their leading scorer in Conor Garland possibly out (not yet confirmed, but did not participate in the Coyotes practice yesterday), the Coyotes will be looking towards their top line of Taylor Hall, Derek Stepan, and Clayton Keller to make a difference and try to force a Game 6.

While most of the league is predicting the Avalanche to advance to the second round today, the Avalanche will be approaching the game just like any other game in the series. They are aware the Coyotes will be coming out out of the game, and only time will tell how they will counter it. We expect to see the same intensity that we saw from the Avs in Game 4 to close out the series.

The post Preview: Avalanche look to advance past Coyotes in game 5 appeared first on The Rink.

The Kuemper fortress has been broken.

After falling to the Arizona Coyotes in Game 3 by a final score of 4-2, the Colorado Avalanche came out swinging in the first period, tallying 3 goals in the first period and limiting the Coyotes to three shots in the opening frame.

In what could only be described as a complete team performance, the Avalanche blitzed the Coyotes en route to a 7-1 victory. While multiple Avs players put up multi-point performances, one of the main players who stood out from the rest was Avs forward Nazem Kadri, who tallied 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in the victory.

Cale Makar, Matt Calvert, and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist, and Philipp Grubauer made 14 saves.

First period

It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to gain control of the game, as they took a 1-0 lead at 14:07 of the opening frame as Avs forward Matt Nieto deflected a pass from Calvert on a 2-on-1 to give the Avalanche the lead.

A couple of minutes later, Kadri tallied his first goal of the game at 16:07 on the power play when he jumped on a loose puck in front of Darcy Kuemper. He wouldn’t be done there, however, as Kadri increased the lead to 3-0 at 19:39 of the first period with another powerplay goal, converting on a rebound in front of the net that came from a Nathan MacKinnon shot.

Second Period

A famous phrase in hockey is that a three goal lead is the worst lead in hockey. However, this would not apply to the Avalanche as they continue to put pressure on the Coyotes, as Joonas Donskoi would convert on a 2-on-1 rush with Andre Burakovsky to extend the Avs lead.

The Coyotes would ruin Grubauer’s shutout bid at the 13:31 mark of the second period as Coyotes defenseman Jacob Chychrun found the back of the net. That goal would close out the period and the Avalanche held the 4-1 lead heading into the final frame.

Third Period

Scoring the last goal of the second period, the Coyotes were probably thinking they would carry the momentum to attempt a comeback. The Coyotes would replace Kuemper in net for backup goaltender Antti Raanta to begin the third period.

However a comeback would not be in the cards for the Coyotes, as Makar had other plans. Only 19 seconds into the final frame, Makar would pick up a pass from the side board and go coast-to-coast for a highlight reel goal to give the Avs the 5-1 lead and squash any momentum the Coyotes may have built from their powerplay goal in the second period.

Calvert converted on MacKinnon’s pass at 2:57 for the 6-1 lead and Rantanen tipped Erik Johnson’s slapshot from the point at 16:24 to give the Avalanche the 7-1 lead, putting this game to bed.

Things would get chippy towards the end of the game, as Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse checked Makar into the boards from behind, drawing attention from everyone on the ice. Out from the pile, MacKinnon ended up ragdolling Coyotes forward Christian Fischer shortly after Fischer cross-checked MacKinnon to the face — a mistake he should never forget.

While we do not know the extent of the injury, Arizona lost Conor Garland in the middle of the second period. Both sides have had some “unfit to play” players heading into this game, as Colorado forward Vladislav Namestnikov and Arizona forward Nick Schmaltz were ruled unfit to play before the game.

Player of the Game

Nazem Kadri

With two goals and an assist in the Avs 7-1 victory over the Coyotes, Kadri continues to be one of the best players for the Avalanche. After being suspended in his last two postseason appearances with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kadri has had 0 penalty minutes through his first six games — all while tallying six points (2 goals, 4 assists).

I asked Kadri about this postgame:

"We exchanged some words and I felt like he gave me a couple extra shots that were unnecessary and I had to let him know about it.

"I get under people's skin—I've figured that out the last few years. The important part is staying composed"#Avs https://t.co/zPToYtGSAQ

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) August 18, 2020

What’s next?

The Avalanche will be looking to advance to the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs when they face the Coyotes on Wednesday, August 19 at 3:30 p.m. MDT.

The post Recap: Avs take commanding 3-1 series lead with 7-1 victory appeared first on The Rink.

Ready for some more playoff hockey?

Good.

Only 24 hours after the Colorado Avalanche came away with an exciting 3-2 victory in a tightly contested Game Two, the Avalanche have an opportunity to increase their series lead over the Coyotes on Saturday. A win on Saturday would help the Avs claim a 3-0 series lead, and create a situation where the Coyotes could be facing elimination in Game Four on Monday, August 17 at 3:30 p.m. MDT.

However, if Game Two taught us anything, the Coyotes will more than likely be ready to give it their all to possibly avoid this situation. So far in this series, we have seen two completely different Coyote teams — one who allowed the Avalanche to completely establish their style of play and dominate all aspects fo the game, and one gritty and in your face style. We suspect that the Avs will see more of the same from the Coyotes, so don’t be surprised if this game ends up being a close one again.

Joonas Donskoi and Vladislav Namestnikov are considered day-to-day by Avs head coach Jared Bednar, so it will be interesting to see what the lineup will look like for Game Three. If one of these players are not able to return to the lineup tomorrow, one of the main players who could make an appearance would be former DU Pioneer and Colorado Eagles standpoint Logan O’Connor — however, time will tell.

Starting in goal the past two games, it will be interesting to see if the Avs continue with the hot hand and keep Philipp Grubauer in net, or if we may see Avs goaltender Pavel Francouz make his official postseason debut (minus round-robin) in Game Three against the Coyotes. Francouz last played in the Avs round-robin series when the Avs shutout the Dallas Stars 4-0.

Players to watch

Nazem Kadri

With one game-winning goal and assist, Avs forward Nazem Kadri continues to be a difference-maker for the Avalanche in the playoffs. Kadri tallied four points (One goal, three assists) in the round-robin series and has continued to prove that he can be a difference-maker in the playoffs for the Avalanche. After being suspended the past two playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs, questions were circling about how he would perform with the Avs in the playoffs. So far, he continues to be one of the best Avalanche forwards. It truly seems like he is playing with a chip on his shoulder and is on a mission to prove critics wrong — which is good for the Avalanche.

Michael Grabner

While I felt like I could pick a few Coyotes who could be a difference-maker in Game Three, I eventually kept circling back to speed Coyotes forward and penalty-killing specialist Michael Grabner. While there was some controversy in regards to his goal in Game Two, Grabner was able to help the Coyotes tally their first real goal against the Avalanche — since the first goal was an unfortunate own goal. If Keller and Phil Kessel are unable to get things going right away for the Coyotes, keep an eye on Grabner.

The post Preview: Avs Seek to Extend Series Lead Over Coyotes appeared first on The Rink.

It wasn’t pretty, but the Colorado Avalanche found a way to come away with the Game 2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes with a late third period tally from Avs forward André Burakovsky. With the victory, the Avalanche take a 2-0 series lead and have the opportunity to increase their series lead Saturday at 1 p.m.

Compared to Game One, this was a completely different looking Coyotes squad right from the opening faceoff. They were in your face and constantly held a two-man forecheck that seemed to catch the Avalanche off-guard. However, good playoff teams find a way to win, and that is exactly what the Avalanche were able to do.

After being held without a shot, but finishing Game One with two assists, Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon tallied his first goal of the series, as he just seemed to be all over the ice. Tyson Jost tallied a goal of his own, and Phillipp Grubauer made 30 saves to help the Avalanche come away with the victory and extend their series lead over the Coyotes.

“Nobody feels like they have to dominate,” said MacKinnon, who had two assists in Game One. “We’re all trying to chip in. We have such a deep team and we’re ready, hopefully, for a long run. To do that, we need all four lines to be going and they were today.”

Clayton Keller and Michael Grabner scored for the Coyotes, while Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves for the Coyotes.

Avalanche forward Vladislav Namestnikov left the game late in the third period after a collision with MacKinnon and is not deemed day-to-day by Avs head coach Jared Bednar. Joonas Donskoi is also considered day-to-day for the Avalanche.

After a lopsided Game One and a tightly contested Game Two, we can make bets that the Avalanche can expect more of the same style of play from the Coyotes that they saw today. Expect another tightly contested style of game on Saturday.

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Following a fairly successful round-robin series to obtain the second seed, the Colorado Avalanche will begin their quest for the franchise’s third Stanley Cup when they take on the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

This will be the first time that the two teams will face off against each other since the 2000 Stanley Cup Playoffs, where the Avs defeated the Coyotes in 5 games in the first round to advance to the next round. That season the Avalanche made it to the Western Conference Finals where they eventually fell in seven games to the Dallas Stars.

While the Avalanche are among some of the favorites to lift the Stanley Cup this season, they will have to focus on the task at hand against a tenacious Coyotes squad, who is fresh off an impressive performance by eliminating the Nashville Predators in four games. Coming into the playoffs as a favorite, the Avalanche are in a similar role that the Calgary Flames were in last year — when the Avalance eventually shocked the Flames in five games. Expect the Avs to not overlook the Coyotes.

X-Factors

Nathan MacKinnon (COL)

Finishing the regular season with a team-leading 93 points, MacKinnon will continue to be an important part for the Avalanche if they hope to claim the Stanley Cup. While MacKinnon has not found the back of the net yet following the round-robin games, we can expect him to take his game to the next level for the first round of the playoffs against the Coyotes. The clear goal for the Coyotes will be looking to shut down MacKinnon, but this year the Avalanche reap the benefits of four lines who can score — something that they did not have in last year’s playoffs.

Clayton Keller (ARI)

One of the Arizona Coyotes superstars that the Avalanche will want to keep in check is Clayton Keller. Although not having the same attributes as MacKinnon, Keller is more than capable of taking over a game. Leading the coyotes with 4 points through the play in series against the Nashville Predators, Keller is likely feeling optimistic about his play heading into the first round against the Avalanche.

Game Schedule

Game 1: Wednesday, August 12th 3:30pm MDT

Game 2: Friday, August 14th 12pm MDT

Game 3: Saturday, August 15th, 1pm MDT

Game 4: Monday, August 17th, 3:30pm MDT

Game 5*: Wednesday, August 19th, TBD

Game 6*: Friday, August 21st, TBD

Game 7*: Sunday, August 23rd, TBD

The post Series Preview: Colorado Avalanche vs Arizona Coyotes appeared first on The Rink.

With the round-robin series coming to an end, the battle for the top spot in the Western Conference comes down to the Colorado Avalanche and the Vegas Golden Knights. The winner will nab the top seed in the Western Conference, while the loser will secure the second seed for the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In their last game before the break, the Avalanche beat the Knights 7–3 at the T-Mobile Arena with former Golden Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare tallying two goals in the victory. During the regular season, the Avs held a perfect 2–0–0 record against the Knights, tallying 6–1 and 7–3 victories respectively. The interesting thing about these lopsided victories was that the Avs beat Vegas on the road both times.

Since the Golden Knights arrived into the NHL in 2018, the Avalanche hold an all-time record of 5–3–0, but currently, ride a four-game winning streak against the highly entertaining Knights.

Following an exciting day of eliminations during the qualifying round, the Avs now have a better idea of who they will face in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a victory over the Knights, the Avalanche will face off against the Chicago Blackhawks, who are coming off of a surprising series win against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers.

If the Avs happen to lose this showdown against Vegas, they will capture the No. 2 seed and will meet the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the playoffs, who are coming off on an exciting series against former Avs forward Matt Duchene and the Nashville Predators.

So…who should you keep an eye on during the Avs showdown against the Knights?

With two assists, I think we can expect a big performance from Avs superstar Nathan MacKinnon. Knowing everything that is at stake, expect MacKinnon to take control of the game, and put the Avs on his back with an exceptional performance.

On the other side of the die, the player to watch for the Knights will be forward Mark Stone. With 4 points (2 goals, 2 assists) in the two round-robin games played, Stone has been on a roll as of late and has found his offensive touch.

The post Avalanche Aim For Top Seed Against Golden Knights appeared first on The Rink.

Prior to the pause in the regular season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Avalanche struggled the most with the Dallas Stars, as the Stars swept the Avalanche in the season series. While the postseason is always a different beast, it seems as if the Stars have had the Avs’ number in recent matchups with their stout defense and strong goaltending behind Denver native Ben Bishop.

However, it will be very interesting to see how the Stars’ defense will be able to handle a fully healthy Avs roster.

In this round robin showdown against the Stars, it will likely be another closely contested battle. It was also noted that Colorado head coach Jared Bednar was not happy with the performance of a few players in their performance against the Blues. It can be expected the Avalanche will be coming out flying to start the game to see if they can beat Bishop early.

Special teams will be an interesting storyline to follow for Colorado, as the Avs’ penalty-killing unit held the Blues to one power play goal on Sunday. While the Avalanche have been able to establish a strong penalty-killing unit, their power play continues to leave something to be desired, only scoring once in their five opportunities with the man advantage against the Blues.

Players to watch

Cale Makar — Colorado Avalanche

A little quiet in the game against the Blues, the player to watch against the Stars should be Calder Trophy candidate Cale Makar. If Makar is able to get his game going, it will make the Avs’ dynamic offense deadly, and can also be enough to immediately improve the Colorado power play. Expect Makar to have a big game against the Stars.

Roope Hintz — Dallas Stars

If there has been one Stars player who has impressed in each showdown against the Avs before the pause, it has been Finnish forward Roope Hintz. The speedy Dallas forward has caused fits for the Avalanche in the past, and I can see him doing so once again in this round robin showdown. Look for Colorado to lock him down.

The post Round robin preview: Avalanche vs. Stars appeared first on The Rink.

This time it all counts.

After an exciting day of NHL Qualifying games where we saw plenty of surprises, we will finally be able to enjoy an Avs game again as the Colorado Avalanche will set their eyes on obtaining the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference when they take on the St. Louis Blues on Sunday in the first game of the Round Robin series to determine seeding for the rest of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Starting against the Blues on Sunday, the Avalanche will also take on the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, August 5, and the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, August 8 to determine the Western Conference seedings for the playoffs.

So, what is actually important about obtaining the top spot in the Western Conference in this bubble situation? There is no home ice, no fans, so what could possibly be the motivator for winning your way towards earning the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference?

This all comes down to strategy, as Avs head coach Jared Bednar will want to have the ability to have the last line change. This may not sound that important, but it really becomes paramount in later games in series when you want to make sure you have the right people on the ice at the right moment. Hypothetically, imagine the Avalanche have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals. There’s three minutes left in Game 7. Winner takes it all and the faceoff is in the opponents’ zone. Bednar would want the ability to have the last line change to put out the best possible players he can to help the Avalanche score the game-winning goal and take home the Stanley Cup.

Sounds nice, doesn’t it? That is how important the last line change can be in the playoffs.

What can you expect in this game against the St. Louis Blues?

In layman’s terms, expect a hard-hitting and fast-paced game.

After a poor exhibition game showing against the Chicago Blackhawks, the Blues will be looking to tune up their physical game on the Avalanche with the hopes of slowing the Avs down and enforcing the style of game that helped them win a Stanley Cup last season.

I expect the Avs to try to use their speed to enforce their own style of play to dominate the Blues. If the Blues will be looking to make some big hits, the Avalanche have plenty of grit of their own to match that. However, one of the specific players fans will want to keep an eye on during this game will be Nazem Kadri. Suspended the past two playoffs with the Toronto Maple Leafs, this may be a defining game for the talented forward. Which Kadri will we see against the Blues?

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Avs defenseman Samuel Girard will be back in the lineup after missing the Avs 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild in their lone exhibition game.

What has led up to this showdown with the Blues?

Leading up to this round-robin showdown, the Avalanche and the Blues have been practically equal throughout the season (before the pause), as they split the season series. They nearly perfectly split goals for and goals against as well, with the Avalanche leading 15-14 in that category.

With the pre-pause season series set in stone, the Avalanche defeated the Wild 3-2 in their exhibition game, while the Blues fell to the Blackhawks 4-0.

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Before the Stanley Cup playoffs officially begin, teams will have an opportunity to get their legs back under them with exhibition games leading into the weekend. Naturally, these tune-up games are being held between teams who have long storied and brand new rivalries. This is no exception for the Colorado Avalanche as they will take on the Minnesota Wild for a midday showdown.

The lone exhibition showdown against the Wild will be used to help players get their legs back under them, as the Avs prepare to battle for the top spot in the Western Conference, along with the St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and the Vegas Golden Knights. Following their exhibition game against Minnesota, the Avalanche will begin their quest for the Western Conference crown against the defending Stanley Cup champions on Sunday, August 2 at 4:30 pm.

What to expect against Minnesota

I think once the players are able to knock off some rust after the first period, things could get fairly physical between the Avs and the Wild. Although it may not be on the same scale as Toronto vs Montreal or Calgary vs Edmonton, this is a rival for the Avalanche, and things can get heated quickly. However, I am only expecting a few hard hits and maybe a few post-whistle scuffles, as this is still only an exhibition game after all.

As reported by the Colorado Avalanche, there will be no experimenting with line combinations or testing players in particular situations. So with this in mind, look at the Avalanche to head into their exhibition showdown with the lineups they have recently been using, shown below.

Another thing fans can expect in the Avs exhibition showdown against Minnesota is to see both Pavel Francouz and Philipp Grubauer in the net at one point during the game against the Wild. It doesn’t matter who is starting the game, as both goaltenders will be in the net at one point of time against the Wild. Bednar has also stated that Grubauer and Francouz will split time in the net between the three round-robin games.

While it is not set in stone, there is also the strong possibility that we will see Bowen Byram play some minutes against the Minnesota Wild. After attending training camp last season, and playing in a few preseason games with the Avalanche, Byram tallied 52 points in 50 games for the Vancouver Giants.

With six games happening, it will be a full day of NHL hockey — something that fans have been waiting since March to say. In what should be an entertaining showdown, be sure to turn into Altitude or NHL Network to catch the Avalanche take on the Wild in their lone exhibition game at 12:30 p.m. MDT.

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Despite missing plenty of key players due to injuries, including Sidney Crosby, the Penguins continue to look impressive, putting together a 16-6-4 record. After participating in practices, there is a high chance that Crosby plays tonight against the Avalanche. Colorado will also see a familiar face on the Penguins roster, as former Colorado Eagles forward Andrew Agozzino was called up the Penguins active roster. Carrying a 7-2-1 record through their past 10 games, they will be a good test for the Avalanche to kick off this important midseason home stretch.

Hitting a midseason slump, the Avs carry are 3-6-1 record in their last 10 games played, with key losses coming against the Minnesota Wild, Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, and the Chicago Blackhawks. With the top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen being reunited, it appears as if Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has decided to shift the lines.

Below is the projected lineup that you can expect from the Avs.

Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog – 29 Nathan MacKinnon – 96 Mikko Rantanen
95 Andre Burakovsky – 91 Nazem Kadri – 13 Valeri Nichushkin
83 Matt Nieto – 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare – 11 Matt Calvert
17 Tyson Jost – 37 J.T. Compher – 81 Vladislav Kamenev

Defensemen
27 Ryan Graves – 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard – 6 Erik Johnson
16 Nikita Zadorov – 28 Ian Cole

Goaltender
39 Pavel Francouz
31 Philipp Grubauer

Healthy Scratch: Mark Barberio

Injury Report: Joonas Donskoi (concussion protocol), Colin Wilson (lower body, out indefinitely)

With Grubauer struggling to find his form, the Avs will be turning to Pavel Francouz, who was in goal for the Avs narrow 1-0 loss against the Islanders.

“We feel like he gives us a good option to win a hockey game,” head coach Jared Bednar said of Francouz, who owns an 11-4-1 record, 2.32 goals-against average and .929 save percentage this season. “He hasn’t played in a little bit. He’s played good when he’s been in.”

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This is the exact case for the Colorado Avalanche at the midway point of the season.

After starting their three-game road swing strong with a 5–2 victory over the New Jersey Devils, the Colorado Avalanche now find themselves with a two-game losing streak following a 1–0 shutout loss to the Semyon Varlamov and the New York Islanders, and a 5–3 loss to the New York Rangers — a game in which the Avalanche blew a 2-0 first period lead.

In these two recent losses to the Islanders and the Rangers, one common theme that I quickly picked up on were these thoughts;

• Why shoot it at that tough angle instead of passing to the wide-open man in the slot or the back door on that odd-man rush?
• Why try to dangle in the slot on a powerplay instead of getting a quick shot off or passing to the open man?
• WHY SO MANY DEFENSIVE AND NEUTRAL ZONE TURNOVERS?

I put extra emphasis on that last one because I feel like it is a common theme in Avalanche games.

Let us go back a couple of weeks when the Avalanche defeated the St. Louis Blues 7–3, and it seemed as if the Avs were back to their dominating ways. If you take a look at the goals in the game for the Avalanche, there were two very clear observations;

1. The Avs were playing to their identity; speed.
2. They shot when they needed to shoot, and they passed when they needed to pass.
3. Limited turnovers in the defensive and neutral zones, and forced turnovers from the Blues

If you take a look back to this victory against the Blues, the Avalanche were doing everything well. They jumped up to a quick 3–0 lead, and even when the Blues fought back with two goals of their own, the Avalanche did not give up. Taking a look at the figures provided by The Athletic, despite giving up more giveaways the Avalanche led the game in shots (42), takeaways (16), and faceoffs won (39).

Despite coming away with a victory over the Devils in their next game, it was clear that the Avs have lowered their game following their dominating performance against the Blues. This downward spiral has continued into their recent struggles. If you want a good example of simple hockey, take a look at the game against the New York Islanders.

One important reason why the Islanders are having a successful season and was able to come away with an important 1–0 victory over the Avs was due to their simple style of hockey.

Is it exciting? Absolutely not. Is it impactful? Clearly.

If the Avs want to get back to dominating opponents in the second half of the season, they need to get back to simple hockey. You can play a quick brand of hockey without the unnecessary fancy passes.

Take the simple shot and make the simple play, and score more goals.

It’s that easy.

Let us know what you think below

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Colorado continued where they left off, as Rantanen tallied his second goal of the game only eight seconds into the final frame. The Devils would get themselves back into the game with a shorthanded tally from Blake Coleman, followed by Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Jesper Boqvist exchanging goals to make the score 4–2 Colorado. Rantanen would tally an empty-net goal to give the Avs the 5–2 victory as time wound down.

The good

• Mikko Rantanen’s second career hat trick
• Sam Girard continues to remain hot after a four-point night vs. St. Louis
• Ian Cole continues to find the back of the net
• Philipp Grubauer seems to be getting back to his old self

The bad

• Colorado continues to look for fancy passes on odd-man rushes, leading to blown goal opportunities

The ugly

• The Avalanche struggled on the power play, striking out on three chances
• Turnovers, turnovers and more turnovers

The post The good, the bad and the ugly: Avs at Devils appeared first on The Rink.

In the victory, Avalanche forward Nathan MacKinnon had his fingerprints all over the first period, finishing the opening sequence with three points (1 goal, 2 assists), extending his point streak to six games. Avalanche forward J.T. Compher also recorded a three-point performance. Along with strong offensive contributions, Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz closed out the game by making 34 saves.

Nathan MacKinnon recorded 1-2—3 in the opening frame to extend his point streak to six games.
@Mackinnon9 has posted three points in a period on three occasions in 2019-20 (also Nov. 12 at WPG and Nov. 7 vs. NSH). https://t.co/WAMJT30kv7 #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/Bkyvf2OgZy

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) November 29, 2019

Colorado wasted no time in the game against the Blackhawks, as they would get up to a quick 3-1 lead following the first period, which all started with a goal from Compher one minute into the opening period. The Avs and the Blackhawks would exchange goals before Avalanche rookie defensemen Cale Makar tallied a powerplay goal to help his team bring a 3-1 lead into the second period.

Goal No. 8 of the season for our No. 8!#AllHailCale #GoAvsGo https://t.co/zUc5PkZD9P

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 29, 2019

Now tied with all NHL defensemen with 26 points, Makar continues to make a name for himself in the NHL in his first full season with the Avalanche. With his 26 points, Makar leads all NHL rookies in points with only Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes (21 points) and Buffalo forward Victor Olofsson (20 points) behind him.

Carrying plenty of momentum into the middle frame, the Avalanche continued to find the back of the net in the second period as Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin channeled his inner MacKinnon for a highlight-reel goal, and Compher tallied his third point of the game by finishing off an odd-man rush firing a shot past Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford to give the Avalanche the 5-1 lead. Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane tallied the lone second-period goal for the Blackhawks to bring the score 5-2, where it would stay with no goals in the third period.

Nathan MacKinnon to JT Compher.

Perfection. #GoAvsGo https://t.co/eU2ZAPCgHw

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 29, 2019

Despite the end result, there was some positivity for the Blackhawks as Kane extends his point streak to 14 straight games — the longest streak in the NHL this season. These two teams do not have to wait long to face off against each other again, as they will clash in the final game of their home-and-home series at the Pepsi Center tomorrow at 7 p.m.

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