Brennan Vogt

Brennan is continuing to grow his career in writing and will join the folks over at MileHighHockey.com. He plans to do a lot of the same work that he did for us here, but will be in the press box a lot more. You can always find all of his links here and follow him on Twitter here. If you want to look back on any of his articles, you can find them all online, and you can find Brennan’s profile here.

Savvy Rafkin

Savvy will take this opportunity to take some time away from writing. She will still follow the Avalanche and Eagles, though, with just as much passion. If you would like to keep up to date on what she is doing, you can check her links here. You can also continue to follow her on Twitter here. The same thing applies to Savvy. We will keep all of her articles online for you to read if you would like to here.

Chloe Wright

Chloe is eager to get back at it and has accepted a position as a writer with InsideTheRink.com. She will continue to cover the Avalanche and Eagles there as well as all things hockey. Her links will continue to develop so you can keep up with her here. She will be very active on her Twitter, which you can follow here. Unfortunately, she had little time to write a lot for us, but you can find those articles here.

So long does not mean goodbye

Every one of them deserves our thanks for the effort they put forward for The Rink. We know they put in countless hours of work for us and we cannot thank them all enough for it. We wish them all luck in their future endeavors, and for now, this is The Rink Colorado signing off.

The post So long does not mean goodbye appeared first on The Rink.

What went right?

Jason Polin

Polin opened the scoring for the Eagles tonight on the power play with a one timer in the slot. “Obviously it’s nice to see the puck and then see the red light, but it’s a great pass by Tynan,” Polin said. “Anyway, I can help the team win. It’s what I want to do, and unfortunately, it didn’t work out the way I wanted tonight, but we’ll bounce back.” Polin also drew several penalties with his aggressive play. This put the Eagles on the power play and shifted the game their way.

Jason Polin rips his first goal of the year with a dandy from the slot on the PP. Assists from Olausson and Tynan. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Klxp282eHv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 13, 2024

Jayson Megna

The Eagles brought Megna back to Colorado this year after playing for the Colorado Avalanche in 2022. He showed exactly why the team named him captain in these last two games. Megna has led through leadership and example. He has been one of the few players on the forecheck and creating chances shorthanded. In two games, Megna has secured two assists with hard work.

What went wrong?

Power play

Last night, I said that the power play was showing they had some chemistry already. The unfortunate part is that they cannot convert on their chances. Over the first two games, the power play unit has only converted twice in 14 chances. It is a young season, they still have a lot of time to figure it out, but the Eagles had a conversion problem last season too.

Great fight here in the 3rd between Onyebuchi and Middleton. Onyebuchi actually stops the fight after Middleton's face gets cut. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qGqJYKFND7

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 13, 2024

Conclusion

Over two games, the Eagles have shown that they are a much faster team than last season. They still have some grit with players like Matt Stienburg and Keaton Middleton as well. So this will be an interesting season to watch as we get to see GM Kevin MacDonald’s work all come to fruition and institute the Colorado Avalanche system. The Eagles will not play again until next Friday against the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena in Loveland.

Interviews

The post Special teams play vital role in Eagles’ first loss appeared first on The Rink.

Penalty kill

The penalty kill was on point tonight. Despite a discipline problem, with seven penalties in the game for the Eagles, the kill unit did their job. There were several times that Eagles forwards caught the Roadrunners off guard and rushed up the puck. Ondrej Pavel, Jayson Megna and Matt Stienburg all had breakaway chances. Stienburg converted on the shorthanded rush. “He handled probably the bulk of the penalty kill for us,” said head coach Aaron Scheekloth. “He made a lot of strong reads, and just like on his goal at the end of his shift, he sees Megna create a lot of time and space in the slot, and he finds just enough legs to get there and get good poise on the collection, and finds open spot. I thought he was strong.” Tucson would only finish the night one for seven on a great night of killing.

They just had to break the ice! Matt Stienburg rips his first for the year and shorthanded!!!!! Assists come from captain Megna! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Pc4VCnuaZA

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Power play

The power play unit was strong even though it converted once in seven chances themselves. There was confidence in moving the puck and they did it with ease. Jacob MacDonald would score the first goal of the year on a power play for the Eagles. There was an unfortunate play in the third that Jean-Luc Foudy took a hard crosscheck during a power play. He did not return to the game. After the game, I saw Foudy walking around in the hall with no limp.

In triumphant return, Jacob MacDonald breaks the shutout and gets the 1st Eagles' goal of the year on the PP. Assists came from Phillips and Tynan. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ft55SlgA4m

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Conclusion

There were few things that went wrong for the Eagles’ home opener tonight. I could say that it went almost as planned. The Eagles won 3–1 and saw a fast team hit the ice with only a week and half of practice under their belt. Compared to last season, this team is much faster, going in line with what the Colorado Avalanche has built in the NHL. This team will be fun to watch this season. They play again on Saturday night against the Tucson Roadrunners in Loveland at 7 PM.

Matthew Phillips scores down low with the assist coming from Nikita Prishchepov, his first pro point! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ppwGOK7KDZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 12, 2024

Interviews

The post Eagles win home opener appeared first on The Rink.

We have signed forward Nikita Prishchepov to a three-year entry level contract.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/VLIX4xrhSk

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 6, 2024

The trade

Yesterday the Avalanche picked up John Ludvig on waivers from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Everyone knew it was going to lead to something else. Well, that happened just over 24 hours later with a trade. Colorado traded Erik Brännström to the Vancouver Canucks for Tucker Poolman and a 2025 fourth round pick. Vancouver will keep twenty percent of Poolman’s salary ($500,000) and Colorado will place him on long-term injured reserve. This will free up about two million dollars for the Avalanche. Poolman has not played a game since October 2022 because of a head injury and his career could very well be over.

Olausson (closest) and Prishchepov (both in white) are paired together for the moment. Prishchepov has had a little trouble keeping the puck on his stick but showing some speed. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NcGrgycQNz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 2, 2024

Nikita Prishchepov

Only a couple of hours later, Colorado signed Nikita Prishchepov to an entry-level contract. He joined Colorado after being drafted this last summer in the seventh round, 217th overall. Prishchepov jumped out during the Rookie Faceoff and continued to impress during training camp. He was the only player going into the camp with no contract and made it obvious that he wanted to earn one. He showed he can be strong, have a great foundation for the game and play at the dot well. However, Prishchepov is still a very raw prospect. He will report to the Colorado Eagles to start the season.

The shootout thread!
Nikita Prishchepov#Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/kzNiw09nx5

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 5, 2024

Conclusion

Overall, the Avalanche came out on top today. They cleared room in a salary cap that will be tight throughout the season and gained a draft pick. This also makes Sam Malinski’s spot more secure as the sixth defenseman. Colorado also secured some much needed depth in Prishchepov. He will get some more time to develop under head coach Aaron Schneekloth and associate coach Dan Hinote. I am impressed with the moves that Colorado has done today and it will only help the salary cap all season long.

The post Avalanche wrap up busy day in the office appeared first on The Rink.

MacDonald returns home

Jacob MacDonald did a stint with the Colorado Avalanche and Eagles from 2019 to 2022 before being traded to the San Jose Sharks. MacDonald became a fan favorite in Loveland, wearing the captain’s “C” for a season. When he was given the opportunity to sign as a free agent with Colorado “when I found out I had an option to come back, my wife and I spent the summers here,” MacDonald said. “So this is home for us. And had an option: come back and stay at home. It was a pretty easy decision.”

MacDonald and the organization

MacDonald knew he was part of a rebuild in San Jose, but to have the chance to sign with a winning organization was too hard to pass up. “Hopefully that was beneficial to some of those younger guys there,” said MacDonald. “But yeah, like for me personally, I wanted to be in an organization that’s pushing for wins and winning hockey games at every level. So for me to go along with coming home, it’s kind of a check.”

Prishchepov continues to impress

Nikita Prishchepov was the Avalanche seventh round draft pick from this summer. He came to the development camp and rookie camp and stood out in a good way. So far, he does not have a contract, but he is hanging on, fighting for a chance to earn one just like Ivan Ivan last year. “Prishchepov has kind of elevated himself into a position where he got some games at rookie camp and had a strong performance there,” head coach Aaron Sneekloth said. “Then he took the next step at Avs camp and got some exhibition games. And now he’s joining us at camp.” So he has caught the eye of the coaching staff.

Olausson (closest) and Prishchepov (both in white) are paired together for the moment. Prishchepov has had a little trouble keeping the puck on his stick but showing some speed. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NcGrgycQNz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) October 2, 2024

Conclusion

Nothing is for sure with making a team, or staying on it for that matter. But MacDonald and Prishchepov are doing everything they can to stick around and make an impact. MacDonald will probably be part of the leadership group just like he was before. Prishchepov is a story that I will continue to follow. But the kid has looked good so far and could earn his place here in Loveland this year.

The post MacDonald could not pass up chance to come back to Colorado appeared first on The Rink.

Ivan Ivan

Ivan Ivan is a player that I have watched grow into a stronger skater and shooter in the past year. At first last season with the Colorado Eagles he was kind of timid and now with the confidence, he has become aggressive. Ivan will come to the play a lot more now and steal the puck in the offensive zone, creating more chances. Ivan showed he will get below the net on the power play and keep the plays going. The progression in one year has been unbelievable and we could expect possibly a late year call-up for Ivan at this rate.

Samuel Girard throws it down low to Ivan for a gorgeous one timer to Wood and the PP goal and the 1-0 lead. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/y55sZk8zCj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 29, 2024

Justus Annunen

Justus Annunen did a great job in first preseason performance, giving up only one goal in 15 shots. Tonight was a different story. Annunen stayed in the entire game despite seeing a rough second period and shaky defense. He saved 32 out of 37 shots on goal for a .865 save percentage. Two out of the three goals that he allowed in the second looked as though they were complete flukes. Annunen may have lost sight of the puck, which is troubling since the goalies work on puck tracking every morning. Goalies have poor games indeed, but this looked like a man out of the zone completely.

Cameron Hebig tosses it on net and throws Annunen off to take the lead #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/PaBWqh6xMV

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 30, 2024

Oliver Kylington

Oliver Kylington may be the odd-man out on defense at this point. With Sam Malinski performing so well during the preseason, this may leave no room for Kylington on the opening roster. He has performed well, but has not stood out as much as Erik Brännström or Malinski. The Avalanche do not want to put Malinski on waivers and risk losing him. They could not take that risk. There was a play in which Kylington shut down an odd-man rush, but other than that, he has not popped out to me.

#NHL GameScore Impact Card for Colorado Avalanche on 2024-09-29:#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/vcyDOd87QP

— HockeyStatCards (@hockeystatcards) September 30, 2024

Conclusion

Do not overreact to the losing streak. I cannot say that enough. These are a mix of NHL, AHL and junior players that have had little time to play together. These games do not count and we have not really seen any of the top-six forwards play. I am not the least bit concerned over the 6–3 loss and the losing streak. I love getting extra looks at the AHL players and prospects though. We can probably expect more NHL level players to roll into the lineup next game. The Avalanche will be back at it on Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights in Denver at 7:30 PM. The game will air on TNT.

Cal Ritchie goal alert!!!! Ritchie with a heck of a fake shot and the sweet backhand shot for the finish. Malinski and Brännström on the assists #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SYiOcfnrVi

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 30, 2024

The post Avalanche suffer third straight loss in preseason appeared first on The Rink.

Keaton Middleton

Keaton Middleton is in the last year of his two-year extension and appears that he does not want another one. The lumbering defenseman has been slow to get to the corner on almost every play. Middleton’s reach has been the big thing that has worked for him, but his skating has improved little since last season. With the defensive core being so deep this season, I unfortunately do not see Middleton getting a call-up based on his performance over the first two games.

Sam Malinski

Sam Malinski solidified his spot on the Avalanche roster even more tonight with a play in the game. Malinski was diving in front of pucks to block shots and setting up passes down the ice for the offense. During the power play, Malinski showed he could run the unit and have it succeed by working the puck around the zone. He definitely made it a harder decision for the coaching staff after tonight to send him to Loveland.

what a block by Sam Malinski on the penalty kill #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ptwnRHZ7Lc

— Lucasparmenter23 (@Lucasparmenter0) September 28, 2024

Kovalenko with some hussle and gains his second assist of the night as Parker Kelly powers a shot past the goalie #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/efkbTKUutS

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 28, 2024

Nikolai Kovalenko

Nikolai Kovalenko had two assists tonight, one of them while on the power play. We saw the style of play that we were expecting at the end of last season from Kovalenko. He was crashing the net and creating chaos down low to help set up the power play goal for Ivan Ivan. His rushes to the net reminded me a lot of a smaller Gabriel Landeskog. We even saw sparks of his speed throughout the game. Kovalenko was not playing his natural center position, but he adjusted well on the wing, making a case for the opening night roster.

Ivan Ivan gets a beautiful setup on the PP from Kovalenko after some great movement from the entire unit #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/6xOrftFKr4

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 28, 2024

Conclusion

It is the preseason and a couple of losses are nothing to get upset over, especially in the first two games. Considering that the Avalanche fielded an AHL roster tonight and still put up a fight was impressive. It gives us hope for what the Colorado Eagles may have brewing in Loveland, putting together a solid roster themselves. Malinski and Kovalenko showed us what the young talent on this team can do, and what we should be excited about. The Avalanche will be back at it on Sunday night in Denver against the new Utah Hockey Club at 5 P.M.

The post Avalanche fall short 4–2 in second preseason game appeared first on The Rink.

Altitude finally has a fix

As of this morning, Altitude has announced that they have partnered with TEGNA to provide 20 games for free from local channels 9 and 20. Just like in the old days. These broadcasts will still appear just as if they were on Altitude, just being shown for free from local television stations. This will be beside the 17 nationally televised games already in place this upcoming season.

BREAKING: Altitude To Offer New Streaming App and Locally Broadcasted Games on @9NEWS and KTVD20

https://t.co/0e4wsy2pc2 pic.twitter.com/FST8B0kkrF

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) September 26, 2024

The app we have all been waiting for

Several teams have come up with apps to download on your device and watch the games that way. Altitude has had an app available in previous years, but you had to be subscribed to the channel to get access. Those days have ended. Altitude+ will now be available to everyone in the nine state market for $19.95 per month. There, you can watch the channel just like normal. This will be an option to catch EVERY game other than the nationally broadcasted games.

Mark it on your calendars!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/RKBQCuc7JJ

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 26, 2024

Conclusion

The team has finally acknowledged the voices of the fans. They will have an option to watch the team, no matter what cable subscription you have, for the first time in nearly five years. It may not be a perfect option, but considering the circumstances, it is a start. This could be a lasting option that we will see for upcoming seasons and beyond, but this is an option that could make everyone happy.

Have questions? Check out facts graphic below!

And head to https://t.co/g7tGbdn5dQ for more information. pic.twitter.com/QVxofefjqF

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) September 26, 2024

The post Avalanche and Altitude finally have options available to everyone appeared first on The Rink.

LOC'd in for six more years

We have signed Logan O'Connor to six-year contract extension!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/SeMEoRPKY0

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 23, 2024

Earning his way

O’Connor played three solid years with the University of Denver Pioneers and won a national championship in 2017. After that, the Avalanche invited him to take part in their development camp that summer. He would impress the team so much that he earned himself a contract with the Avalanche and forgo his fourth season with the Pioneers.

The #GoAvsGo signed Logan O'Connor to 6 year $2.5M Cap Hit extension (in Yr 3/3 $1.05M Cap Hit Deal).

Yr 1 3M
Yr 2 2.25M
Yr 3 3M
Yr 4 2.75M
Yr 5 2.2M
Yr 6 1.8M

All salary. Year 1-5 6 team no trade clause, Yr 6 4 team NTC

Rep'd by @alroy42 @rsghockey https://t.co/eDBiIC9q3H

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) September 23, 2024

The Colorado Eagles were the main team where the gritty forward spent his rookie season. In 64 AHL games, O’Connor tallied 42 points. This would earn him five games of NHL time in his first season as a pro and put him in the conversation for the roster the following year.

The mayor of Denver is here to stay #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/yBR5gnxQ5e

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 23, 2024

The conversation gets real

The sophomore season for O’Connor would lead to 16 games played with the Avalanche in 2019–20. He even would score his first NHL goal, ending the year with two goals. It was in Loveland where he shined once again. In just 40 games with the Eagles, he tallied 25 more points. The 2020–21 season O’Connor became a permanent fixture on the Avalanche and has not looked back since. He has since played 220 games and added 34 points to his career total. Not to mention he won the Stanley Cup in 2022, beating Tampa Bay in six games.

Put pen to paper #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/jLmQnPxTK2

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 23, 2024

Conclusion

O’Connor has made it obvious that he loves this town by signing his third contract with the team. The fans love him as well. He has become a mainstay on the Avalanche through hard work and determination. The former Pioneer was never drafted onto the team, as coach Jared Bednar said, “you want a spot, you earn it.” Well, O’Connor certainly has done that.

The post O’Connor extended six more years for Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

Here are the groups for the final day of #Avs training camp #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/7jguMPvkSt

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 22, 2024

Cuts

The Avalanche ended day three yesterday with a few cuts to the roster by reassigning some players. The Avalanche reassigned Max Curran to his junior team, the Tri-City Americans of the WHL. We expected it since the fifth-round pick from this year hadn’t signed a contract yet. The others all had AHL contracts and were not much of a surprise: Neil Shea, Briley Wood, and Garret Pyke.

We have announced the following transactions:

Neil Shea, LW, Briley Wood, C, and Garrett Pyke, D have been reassigned to the Colorado Eagles American Hockey League camp.

In addition, Max Curran, C (Spokane – WHL) was reassigned to his junior club.

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 21, 2024

Jere Innala

Jere Innala was signed by Avalanche earlier in the summer to an entry-level contract and will play his first season in North America. During skate sessions he has impressed me with not only speed, but his shot as well. Innala has a knack for finding the open ice at the top of the slot and setting up for a one-timer. Today, when he was pinching into the lower slot, he kept his head up the entire way. This helped him avoid the traffic in front of him and get the shot off. He had started on the bubble for me, but has firmly put himself in the fight for the fourth line in the last few days.

Oliver Kylington

Oliver Kylington was a late arrival at camp because his equipment arrived later than he did. But he hit the ice on day two and has not looked back since. He has been great on the zone exits and is an enormous body down low. Kylington has not hesitated to hit players when they were in his space, no matter who they were. I like him as a second or third pair for the Avalanche this season.

Injury updates

The team has ruled out Artturi Lehkonen, who had off-season shoulder surgery, from the season opener on October 9th. He has been practicing on his own for some time now, but has taken no contact. Forward Ondrej Pavel, who sustained an upper-body injury on October 16th in the Rookie Faceoff, has been skating on his own. He could not grip a stick with his left hand at all, so I would expect him to be out for a minimum of four weeks.

I have been watching Pavel closely and suspect he has an arm or hand injury. He hasn't gripped the stick with his left hand once since stepping on the ice. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/tt0vT7grJa

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 22, 2024

Lehkonen is getting the power back in shot for sure. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/pUA2HqySi1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 22, 2024

Conclusion

The next two weeks will be fun to watch (if you can find a stream of the game). With a lot of players fighting for the bottom part of the lineup, the competition just among the Avalanche will be interesting. Not to mention, the storyline of when captain Gabriel Landeskog will make his triumphant return. The tight salary cap will make the moves from this point forward very interesting for the team as well. Just hold on everyone…. this season will be fun!

The post Avalanche wrap up training camp; prep for first preseason game appeared first on The Rink.

Pierre-Édouard Bellemare

Pierre-Édouard Bellemare is the only player here on a professional tryout. As a former member of the Avalanche 2019–2021, it may give him a leg up on the younger players trying to make the cut. Since before camp, he has been all out, playing the body and not the puck (even taking down Cale Makar). At age 39, he may have lost a step, but is doing his best to keep up with a fast group. The Avalanche could use his skills at the dot and on the penalty kill, so a league minimum offer would not be a bad idea. As a team player, he could teach his skills to other players before he leaves.

Here’s Bellemare chatting with Parker Kelly about faceoffs. Those two might be in direct competition for the 4C job. https://t.co/CDEwsRNyMx pic.twitter.com/cbVJ9ufDeS

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) September 21, 2024

Sean Behrens

Sean Behrens popped today. He understood drills and executed them with ease. Behrens did not let the heavy play get to his head at all. When the puck was flying around boards, Behrens could keep it in the zone with no issues. His experience from college was showing in his first professional camp. Now, this does not change my mind that he will stick on the Avalanche roster this year, but he could see himself as a call-up. Behrens told me he has a modest goal this year, “to be in the conversation for a call-up to the Avalanche.”

Sean Behrens gains entry and Cal Ritchie sets Matt Stienburg up to one-time it into the open net. pic.twitter.com/5TwJggv4H7

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) September 16, 2024

Nikita Prishchepov

Nikita Prishchepov has shown some surprising speed through the two days of training camp that I have been here. This makes it easier for him to get around the corners when breaking in on the zone and get a shot off. He had a few exceptional moments to make him stand out among the second group skating today. One moment was when he drove around a defenseman and then sniped a corner on a diving Adam Scheel. At this point in camp, without a contract in hand, he will report to his QMJHL team, the Victoriaville Tigres. But, he may be something to look forward to for Avalanche and Colorado Eagles’ fans next year.

The shootout thread!
Nikita Prishchepov#Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/kzNiw09nx5

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 5, 2024

Conclusion

Bellemare is someone that I am cheering for both as a writer and as a fan. A player putting off retirement for one more chance at the Stanley Cup is something special. If he makes the squad, the only concern is that there is less playing time for someone like Parker Kelly. Watching the Eagles group, it sparks some excitement for the prospects that are in the system. Behrens may make his NHL debut this season and the fans can’t be more excited about it.

The post Coverage from day three of Avalanche training camp appeared first on The Rink.

Jack Ahcan

Jack Ahcan may not have a chance for the top-six defensemen, but he is sure trying to impress while he is down in Denver. The 5’ 8” blue-liner was in the right spot during all the drills. Despite his size, he was pushing around the bigger forwards, maintaining his spot on the ice. He gets down and uses that low center of gravity to his advantage. On top of this, Ahcan will provide an offensive punch for the Eagles. He scored 38 points in 70 games last season, regularly placing himself among the top five in scoring on the team.

Some great feet by Ahcan on the right end and then Malinski and Weinstein on the other #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/rKdIOdtAF4

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 20, 2024

Nikolai Kovalenko

Nikolai Kovalenko made it look easy today, scoring on almost every shot that he took. In the second group, he was among one of the fastest on the ice and can lay a hit from time to time. Kovalenko’s wicked wrister is deceiving and can throw goalies off. People have highly expected his arrival in the system because of his development in the KHL. Kovalenko will be one of the may forwards that is the battle for the fourth line of the Avalanche.

Nikolai Kovalenko showing out again. Gooood start to this camp

— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) September 20, 2024

Jayson Megna

Jayson Megna is coming back to the organization on an AHL contract but looking to earn himself a two-way deal. Today he showed his speed off on a line with two players that he will probably play with in Loveland. Anytime he got the puck, though, he made sure that the coaches knew with a “ping” sound as he hit the back of the net. In the simple scrimmage, Megna showed a hunger for the puck that not even the rookies had.

Jayson Megna keeps sniping the bar in the back of the net…. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 20, 2024

Conclusion

Although two of these plates will not likely see the Avalanche roster, it is fun to see their competition and drive. Training camp brings out something in players that you normally do not see during the regular season: the drive for a job. Really, there are seven roster spots available and it is up to every single one of the bubble players to impress to a point that they gain one. Tomorrow, I will be right back at Family Sports Center for day three of training camp to catch the next update!

The post Coverage from day two of Avalanche training camp appeared first on The Rink.

Ivan Ivan faceoff win, Max Curran feeds Bryan Yoon and Yoon gets puck on net for Jason Polin to chip home. pic.twitter.com/wVZpkEn5MI

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) September 15, 2024

Ivan Ivan

— After playing the entire season with the Colorado Eagles, Ivan earned himself a NHL contract with the Colorado Avalanche. During game two of the Rookie Faceoff, Ivan flooded the slot and kept throwing rubber on net. During one power play chance, Ivan had three shots alone. He dug deep in the corners, something I know he has been striving to be better at, and caused a couple of turnovers. Ivan will be a sight to watch this year in Loveland with a real chance to fight for a spot on the Avalanche roster next year.

Ondrej Pavel

— Ondrej Pavel continued to show exactly why the Avalanche and Eagles love him. Pavel is extremely aggressive on the forecheck and it comes into play on the penalty kill. Today, Pavel did a lot of that. He pushed the forecheck hard and stole the puck to create breakaways. He plays a lot like Logan O’Connor and has the same speed bursts that O’Connor does. The Czechia native made his NHL debut last season and could be in the running for a call-up this season for depth.

Matthew Stienburg

After being originally drafted 63rd overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Matthew Stienburg did not join the Avalanche system until 2022-23. Today, Stienburg played to his strengths. He got around the corners and created chances and added physicality. Trying to turn the tide in the Avalanche’s favor, Stienburg dropped the gloves in the second period and won the fight. The Canadian has a reputation for being physical and using both his body and fists. He adds a bit of sandpaper whenever he is in the lineup. I do not see him making his NHL debut soon, but he was impressive today.

FIBIGR WHAT A SNIPE! pic.twitter.com/FCvmJkiB1Z

— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 14, 2024

Conclusion

It is important to remember that these games do not count. Colorado struggled on the power play without Oskar Olausson and Calum Ritchie in the lineup today. The hope is that by watching these games; it shines a light on some prospects. The few that I highlighted today were just a few who played well, but it gives some hope for the future.

The post Standouts from Avalanche game two loss in Rookie Faceoff appeared first on The Rink.

We have invited Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to training camp on a Professional Tryout (PTO). #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/E4JAnT1MLg

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 11, 2024

Situational

PEB has a proven track record of being a great penalty killer. Colorado has had some recent struggles with the penalty kill, so why not bring him back? This could be less time that Cale Makar will have to spend on the ice, so that would be even better.

The fourth line has some question marks on it. PEB could offer some forechecking power and a little of offense to mix. When he was with the Avalanche in his prior stint, PEB provided 22 and 11 points playing on the fourth line. Also, the salary cap will be an issue throughout the season for Colorado. IF PEB signs a contract, they could get him on the cheap, possibly around the league minimum mark.

bruins @ avalanche 10/10/2019

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (2nd of season)

(31st of career) pic.twitter.com/fRmgPZH9De

— random avs goal every day (@avsgoaleveryday) November 8, 2022

Could this be just for training camp?

One thing that came to mind right away for me was, could this be just for training camp? In the six games that the Avalanche play, they have to suit so many veterans (see section 15.4-c of the CBA). Could the Avalanche be bringing on PEB to avoid having to play their part of the roster in camp?

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare with a GORGEOUS one-time shot! 3-1 Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/7Svla0xpgx

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 1, 2021

Conclusion

PEB has always had one thing that young players seem to lack these days. He has a personality. PEB is a known prankster in the locker room and loves to play around during warm-ups to lighten the mood. The Avalanche may just need this back at the beginning of games to help them go into games with a better mindset. The salary cap will be tight, but the penalty kill needs a PEB back in it.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was crushed to find out they won’t actually be playing on Lake Tahoe… pic.twitter.com/VGrU4ydtZs

— World Hockey Report (@worldhockeyrpt) January 12, 2021

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Sean Behrens (#GoAvsGo) with a thunderous open-ice hit on Macklin Celebrini pic.twitter.com/8MMFekaXQG

— J.D. Burke (@JDylanBurke) April 11, 2024

Avalanche defensive depth

The Avalanche are going to be deep in the defensive position this season. The offseason signings of Jacob MacDonald, Calvin de Haan, Oliver Kylington, Calle Rosén and Erik Brännström definitely helped with that. Not to mention, Behrens was going to be in competition for the last spot if none of these signings happened with Sam Malinski. The former Cornell captain may have had the upper hand simply in the one year of experience that he has in the NHL (23 games with the Avalanche).

AND THE PIOS CONNECT!

Tic-Tac-Goal by Sean Behrens to give DU a 3-0 advantage.#GoPios pic.twitter.com/HWdc7Lj8qN

— Denver Hockey (@DU_Hockey) March 3, 2024

Adjusting to the professional season

One thing is for sure, the professional season is far different from the college season. To start, players play about twice as many games (40–45 games compared to 70–80). Playing every other night compared to twice a week can take a toll on your body. Especially someone as small as Behrens’ size (5’ 10″ and 176 lbs). Samuel Girard, who is roughly the same size, has said that he will lose up to 20 pounds in one season, making him even smaller. Behrens will have to figure out how to maintain his weight and keep it on for the entire 76-82 game season.

Sean Behrens with the assist on the OT winner for DU! #GoAvsGo #GoPios pic.twitter.com/z6uwvXHz8f

— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) April 12, 2024

Gaining experience

With a three-year entry-level contract, Behrens will have time to gain experience in the AHL and make the change. Peter McNab always said that it took about 200–300 games to really start getting the defensive game at the pro level. With three years of NCAA hockey under his belt, the hope is that Behrens will need less than that.

As discussed on @fanhockeylife, Sean Behrens is one of the most unheralded pieces of the stacked University of Denver Pioneers. He has 23 points in 30 games. The Avs have themselves another solid defender. pic.twitter.com/uPrYeT8FAn

— Fantasy Hockey Doctor – Victor Nuño (@VictorNuno12) February 19, 2024

Conclusion

With such a deep defensive core and time to develop him, there is no need to rush Behrens. The one year at the AHL level will only do good for him. His style suits the Avalanche and he dropped into the Eagles with no problem. Watching him play those two games with the Eagles, he adjusted quickly, but Behrens admitted that the speed of the AHL was a shock at first. Hopefully, the Avalanche won’t get desperate enough that they have to go that deep in the defensive prospect pool. Behrens should play to impress, but without the worry of trying to make the NHL roster this season. Behrens should take this coming season as a learning experience and bulk up his body as well as add to his already massive skill set.

The post Can Behrens make the jump to the NHL this season? appeared first on The Rink.

O’Connor and injury

Last season was the fewest games that O’Connor had played since his first year on the Avalanche. O’Connor and the team decided it was best to get the surgery and have the entire summer to heal. “I was skating mid-June,” he said, “so it gave me lots of runway before this season to sort of ramp it up and be feeling good come camp.” A lot of players begin skating in July, so he is already ahead of the game.

Roaring 20s

O’Connor hopes to be reunited on the “Roaring 20s,” line along with Miles Wood and Ross Colton, who he found instant chemistry with last year. “I would definitely like to if that’s the case,” O’Connor said. “I think with all of us, we’re comfortable playing with whoever, though, obviously at the start of the year a lot of things can change, and guys can be in and out, or coming back from injuries from last year or whatnot. So I think we’re comfortable with that. I think Bedsy knows he has that line to go to if need be. And if that’s the start of the season, great if it’s 10 or 20, games in. So be it. I think just see where things shake up and go from there. But I definitely enjoy playing with them.”

Cal Ritchie

O’Connor had the pleasure of skating at the DU Pro Camp last week with some other teammates like Behrens, Devon Toews, Samuel Girard, and the new NHL hopeful, Cal Ritchie. “He’s a really talented player,” O’Connor said. “He’s a lot more mature and bought in professionally than I’d say most guys his age are. I feel like he knows what he needs to do off the ice. Training wise, acting like a pro, recovery wise, nutrition wise, he’s bought into all those things, so that’s great to see. And then his talent level just shows through right away. He’s very skilled with good decision making, great release. So it’s been cool to watch him and sort of trying to help him out along the way.”

Behrens

Sean Behrens had a whirlwind end of the season last year. He won his second national championship, signed his first entry-level contract and reported to the Colorado Eagles all within a week. Behrens has his sights set on wearing an Avalanche sweater, not just an Eagles’ one. As in the way that he has approached this season, it hasn’t been much different from the past.” It’s been a lot the same,” Behrens said. “I think, even though it’s a new challenge and it’s a different opportunity. I think what I’ve done the last couple summers to get ready for the season with Matt Shaw and at DU has helped me a lot. And I think that helped me start off the season really well. So I think just kind of it’s been the same summer, and it’s just a different challenge coming up for the season now.”

Being mature enough

One thing that was very refreshing when speaking to Behrens was hearing how mature he was for a 21-year-old man. It seems like a lot of kids now want to rush their way into the pros where Behrens had the sense to know that he needed more time in college. The extra experience of 44 games helped him build up an already great game. “I think after my sophomore year I wasn’t really content with where my college career was at, so I thought that was a huge part of why I wanted to come back,” Behrens said. “And I think also, you look at it from a maturity standpoint, like this year, I took a lot of steps maturing, becoming a more rounded person off the ice with nutrition and habits and stuff like that. And I thought without this year I would have been a step behind at the next level in that area.”

Conclusion

Getting both Logan O’Connor and Sean Behrens back in the organization will inject the both teams with some much needed energy. The Avalanche have sorely missed O’Connor’s forechecking ability, along with his speed. Having another option for a puck moving defenseman with Behrens will open up a lot of options for the Eagles and hopefully the Avalanche. Both players have great hockey sense every fan cannot wait for them to come back.

Logan O’Connor interview

Sean Behrens interview

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There were many challenges along the way. Not only would Carle be starting seven freshmen at one time. Even the starting goaltender, Matt Davis, would be out with an injury for nine games. This would allow freshman Freddie Halyk to step in and take the role for a short time. The Colorado Avalanche even invited Davis to their development camp over the summer. “He played well and I think obviously his performance turned a lot of heads at the Frozen Four and through the end of our season,” Carle said. “So great for him.”

Team USA

While the season was in a full run, Carle would leave the squad for the honor of being the head coach of Team USA in the World Junior Championships. And 20 years after his brother Matt won it, head coach Carle would win it himself.

“I think we won six now, since that first one,” Carle said about the program. “And so the growth of the game in our country is because of expansion by the NHL in the western and southern markets. The player count of players playing in the USA, playing in the United States is highest of any country in the world, and so I think just to be a part of that, I just envisioned myself as a kid from Alaska, and to have an opportunity to represent our country on that stage. It’s as good as it gets for a hockey player, and just really proud of the guys that we were able to come together and win a championship for our country.”

Working together

In the past years, the Avalanche and Pioneers have reached an understanding. With players like Paul Stastny, Logan O’Connor and now Sean Behrens, all going from DU to the Avalanche. “I’m not sure if it’s strategic or planned by any way, but I think it’s certainly good to be aligned,” Carle said. “And we love the relationship that we’ve had with them obviously, going back to Paul and then into Logan and now Sean Behrens and Tory [Pitner] and Jake [Fisher] drafted by them this summer. It’s a great opportunity to continue that relationship.” Carle was a coach at last year’s development camp. The hockey highway connection continues to be strong.

Conclusion

The Pioneers will look to defend the national championship in a strong NCHC conference this season. The Pioneers will carry a bigger target on their back. Every team has improved and Carle thinks that North Dakota, Minnesota-Duluth and Colorado College have even gotten better. Either way, DU looks to add to the trophy case next spring and bring everyone some exciting hockey along the way.

The post Coach Carle talks of success and the road ahead. appeared first on The Rink.

Bryan Yoon

Bryan Yoon, who is a native of Parker, Colorado, was most recently with the Hartford Wolfpack (NYR) of the AHL. Yoon has deep roots in the state, attending Colorado College from 2018 to 2023, leading the Tigers as captain of his last season. Yoon received an invitation to the Colorado Avalanche development camp in the summer of 2023 and secured a contract with the Grizzlies. He received an invitation to the Eagles training camp, but they released him early on. Later in the season, the Grizzlies loaned Yoon to the Wolfpack, where he played 18 games and earned a AHL contract for the rest of the year.

Yoon shows some sparks of offense when given the opportunity, but is primarily a stay-at-home-defenseman. Considering the depth of the Eagles at defense, they will probably send Yoon to the Grizzlies immediately. If there are injuries to Avalanche or Eagles players, he may be first on the list.

BRYAN YOON JUST SCORED HIS FIRST PRO GOAL!!!! #OnTheHunt pic.twitter.com/DyVoEZjjYT

— Utah Grizzlies (@UtahGrizzlies) December 2, 2023

Tye Felhaber

Tye Felhaber is a Pembroke, Ontario native and has been in the ECHL and AHL since he turned 18 seven years ago. Felhaber spent the entire season with the Milwaukee Admirals (NSH), playing 50 games and tallying 23 points (10–13). He was sent to the Admirals the season before on a loan from the ECHL Fort Wayne Komets (EDM) and gained a foothold in the lineup. He is a goal-scoring forward with a high-end shot and excellent skills to match. Felhaber projects as a solid top nine forward who can bring additional value as a trigger man on the power play. Expect him to be a bottom-six forward for the Eagles.

TYE FELHABER pic.twitter.com/EnHjNg2s12

— Milwaukee Admirals (@mkeadmirals) March 26, 2023

Keaton Mastrodonato

Keaton Mastrodonato is a native Powell River, British Columbia, and has spent his professional career with the Dallas Stars organization. Mastrodonato started with the Texas Stars after playing at Canisius College for four years. Mastrodonato started his professional career with the Dallas Stars organization, playing for the Texas Stars before being loaned to the Idaho Steelheads of the ECHL, where he has been since. While in Idaho, Mastrodonato racked up 42 points (24–18) in just 48 games. He will provide speed and a quick wrist shot to the bottom-three for the Eagles and a lot of points for the Grizzlies.

YOUR NEW PROGRAM RECORD HOLDER FOR CAREER SHORTHANDED GOALS, KEATON MASTRODONATO!

5-3 #Griffs pic.twitter.com/0lgcAbRQQB

— Canisius Hockey (@GriffsHockey) February 18, 2023

Conclusion

At this point in the season, both the Avalanche and the Eagles are signing depth players. These will all be players that can jump from one league to another and can play a distinct style of game in both. So do not expect many big names to come out in the coming weeks. Yoon is one player that I have had my eye on for a year or two now, so it will be exciting to see what he can bring to the table if given a chance.

The post Eagles sign three more depth players appeared first on The Rink.

His past

Scheel spent three years at the University of North Dakota, where he would help lead the team in success through the NCHC Championship. During his college years, Scheel had a combined record of 52–18–5 with seven shutouts. His impressive 20–4–1 with a 1.74 GAA, .931 save percentage would lead UND to the Quarterfinal round of the 2021 Frozen Four, where he lost to Minnesota-Duluth in five overtimes. This would help Scheel secure his spot on the NCHC All-Star Team and the title of NCHC Goaltender of the Year.

Going pro

Coming out of college undrafted, Scheel was free to sign with any club he chose to. The Dallas Stars were his choice, and he would spend most of the year with their ECHL affiliate, the Idaho Steelheads. While in Idaho, he would secure the honor of Goaltender of the Week three times. His 1.97 GAA would be the best in the league and his .932 save percentage. Scheel’ success would run out in the Kelly Cup Finals as the Steelheads fell to the Florida Everblades (STL) four games to none.

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Scheel spent the entirety of last season with the AHL Chicago Wolves. As the team struggled to put any momentum together, his numbers struggled as well. The Wolves did not have any affiliation with an NHL club, so they were completely on their own for the year to put a roster together. Chicago would finish last in the Central Division and have since signed an agreement with the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Conclusion

Adam Scheel shows a lot of quickness in the crease. He is still learning the position at the pro level and has seen some success in the ECHL. Hopefully, this will carry over to the Utah Grizzlies and, when needed, the Eagles. But Colorado now has a goalie problem. They have two goalies on the roster that are on two-way contracts with Trent Miner and Kevin Mandolese. They also have two AHL contracts with Jake Barczewski and now Scheel. Healthy competition is not a bad thing, but overstock can be.

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Stanley Cup Champion Dan Hinote has been named associate head coach of the Colorado Eagles.

Happy to have you back in the organization, Dan!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/b3DXpGwc9Z

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 17, 2024

Hinote’s playing days

Hinote has a strong background in hockey. The Avalanche originally drafted him in 1996 (167th overall). After playing for West Point and then the Oshawa Generals, Hinote joined the Hershey (Colorado’s AHL affiliate at the time) in 1998. It was not until October 5, 1998 when Hinote made his NHL debut against the Predators. Hinote would help win a Stanley Cup in 2001 and leave the team for MODO during the 2004 lockout. Hinote would return to the Avalanche for one season and play his final three seasons in the NHL with the St. Louis Blues.

Dan Hinote Sean Avery • Mar 20, 2006https://t.co/OjW2urZakt pic.twitter.com/MWhwbvVHTw

— hockeyfights (@hockeyfights) September 28, 2022

Since Hinote stopped playing

Since Hinote has retired from playing the game of hockey, he has spent time as an assistant coach with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Predators. Hinote would spend time as a pro scout and associate coach, developing players in the U.S. National Development Program.

“Dan has a diverse background in professional hockey, including a decade as a player in the NHL and nearly a decade as a coach in the NHL,” said Avalanche Assistant General Manager Kevin McDonald. “He is a strong teacher of the game and relates well to younger players with his experience playing in college hockey, at the major junior level as well as his time as a coach with Team USA’s Under 17 and 18 teams. We are excited to have Dan back with the Avalanche organization and look forward to having him behind the Eagles bench this season.”

Conclusion

Dan Hinote will bring all kinds of experience with him to the bench. While in Nashville, he helped build the penalty kill and will help make that even better in Loveland. With his scouting and development experience, he will help to guide the team in Northern Colorado. They will need calm and collected voices from both Hinote and Schneekloth to start strongly this year.

The post Hinote returns to Avalanche organization as Eagles’ coach appeared first on The Rink.

A look ahead

The Eagles will play 11 teams in total this season, all teams that they met last season. The Eagles will meet every team on the road as well. There will be 36 home games and 36 road games, totaling 72 games throughout the season. There will only be two teams that the Eagles meet that are not in the Pacific Division. These teams are the Texas Stars (DAL) and the Grand Rapids Griffins (DET).

As usual, Colorado will have a weekend heavy schedule when at home, with Friday and Saturday seeing the most games.

Home dates by day:

— Tuesday–4

— Wednesday–4

— Friday–12

— Saturday–14

— Sunday–2

The Eagles have released their 2024-25 schedule #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WXPRykU0GG

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 11, 2024

Opponents

Tucson (Utah) will be the opening weekend opponent this season. In their four meetings last season, the rivals took the Eagles down three times and only lost once. The Western Conference Champion Coachella Valley Firebirds will come to town four times and meet again on the road four more times. The Eagles once again split an eight game series against Abbotsford, the team that eliminated them from the playoffs last season.

— Henderson Silver Knights (VGK)

— Texas Stars (DAL)

— San Diego Gulls (ANA)

— Bakersfield Condors (EDM)

— Coachella Valley Firebirds (SEA)

— Grand Rapids Griffins (DET)

— San Jose Barracuda (SJS)

— Abbotsford Canucks (VAN)

— Calgary Wranglers (CGY)

— Ontario Reign (LAK)

— Tucson Roadrunners (Utah)

The genuine test will be their longest stretch of six games in 10 days on the road in March.

Conclusion

With a very similar schedule to last season, it will be interesting to see how the Eagles perform. They will come into the year with a VERY different roster than last season. The backup goalie situation is still quite unsure, but Trent Miner gained a lot of confidence with Justus Annunen getting injured for six weeks last season. Either way, look forward to a season packed full of coverage from The-Rink Colorado team!

you can download and sync your calendar here.

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WELCOME BACK MEGS

We are thrilled to have our former captain, Jayson Megna back in Colorado after signing a two-year AHL contract with the Eagles! pic.twitter.com/WdyiVTDqPh

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) July 9, 2024

Waivers and claimed

The Avalanche had planned for Megna to be one of the main bubble players during the fall of 2022. He was fighting for a spot on the roster from day one of training camp. The speedy center got recalled just a couple of games into the season and stuck around. From the middle of October to the beginning of December, he was a regular in the lineup. When the Avalanche felt they needed to send Megna down, they placed him on waivers. Unfortunately for Eagles’ fans, the Anaheim Ducks could not pass up the opportunity. Megna was a mainstay in Anaheim, playing 41 games for them that season.

Jayson Megna with 2 1 and the OT winner featured here: pic.twitter.com/RsMgQvaypM

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) April 3, 2022

Last season

Despite playing his second most NHL games in a season, Megna could only gain a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins. As for the NHL, it was a disappointing year, with Boston only playing him in one game. He played with Providence, Boston’s AHL affiliate, for the rest of the season. Megna would play 69 (of 72) regular season games, tallying 56 points (19–37).

JAYSON MEGNA #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ZqJr7QjoIB

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 26, 2019

Conclusion

Megna will bring many things to the Eagles this year. He will bring speed down the middle and the ability to win key faceoffs. The University of Nebraska-Omaha attendee can play on both the power play and the penalty kill as well. Do not overlook him as an important player, considering his 204 NHL games and 484 AHL games of experience. Megna may only have 33 (12–21) NHL points, but the experience of what it takes to get to the show is priceless. With many youthful faces around the Eagles, he will have the responsibility to step up as a leader this year.

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We've signed Calum Ritchie to a three-year entry-level contract. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/1kTcA94Yr7

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 8, 2024

Cal Ritchie put pen to paper #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/v4EDsh4sce

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) July 8, 2024

Development camp

The Avalanche drafted Ritchie 27th overall in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. This summer was the first year that he could take part in the Avalanche Development Camp because of a shoulder injury. And boy, did he impress. During the scrimmage at the end of camp, Ritchie would tally three assists. The forward flew through the zone with ease and, most importantly, his head was up the entire way. During the drills, his initial speed on his stride has a lot of power and his shot has a lot of accuracy.

Calum Ritchie has stood out with his skating today. He will be heading back to Oshawa in the fall. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/dEvjC4iw7F

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

Last season

This last season, Ritchie played for the Oshawa Generals and would lead them to the OHL finals and losing to the London Knights. Playing 50 games after coming back from the injury, Richie racked up 80 (28–52) points during the regular season, a career high. During Ritchie’s 21 playoff games, he tallied 30 (8–22) points. Ritchie would elevate several of his teammate’s draft status this year, making them get drafted much higher.

Calum Ritchie continues to show why the Avalanche were reluctant to move him in any sort of deal. pic.twitter.com/pREnSnV0eE

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) March 9, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche will have a lot to watch for in the young center. He will fight for a spot on the roster with players like Chris Wagner and Jean-Luc Foudy. If Ritche makes the squad, they would have nine games to decide on if he stays in the NHL or needs to go back to OHL. If Ritchie plays more than nine games, he would burn a year of his contract. So there will be a lot of questions surrounding the Brampton native going into camp. The biggest one will be. Will he stick?

The #GoAvsGo signed '23 #27 pick F Calum Ritchie to 3 year Entry Level Deal

Year 1 855K Salary, 95K Signing Bonus, 125K "A" Perf Bonus
Year 2 855/95/250
Year 3 855/95/350

Cap Hit 950K, AAV $1.19M

Rep'd by @TheHockeyAgency https://t.co/O0nrXFEPVp

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 9, 2024

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Colby Ambrosio

Colby Ambrosio is a recent transfer from Boston College to Miami University (Ohio). As a draft pick from the 2020 draft (fourth round, 118th overall), the Avalanche will hold his rights until August. Ambrosio started out weak at camp, showing very little interest on day one. On day two, he woke up, and the jets turned on. He was flying through the neutral zone on drills on day two, keeping his strides short and powerful. During the game, Ambrosio showed no fear running the puck right up the middle of the ice and splitting the defense. It would pay off as he went bar down for a goal on a diving Nils Wallstrom. Ambrosio showed he has the experience from the NCAA tonight, but will the Avalanche take that into consideration?

Colby Ambrosio is flying this morning. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/XP8QVmwMOr

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 4, 2024

Matt Davis

Davis is a two-time National Champion from the University of Denver (DU). He also is a free agent that was at the camp on an invitation. With the Avalanche’s immediate goalie depth depleted, Davis could be a good option if he will leave school. Davis has great range on the push off while going post-to-post, but has a hole in his blocker. Players during the scrimmage kept taking advantage of his weak blocker, and he had some trouble blocking them. If Davis can get that blocker up, he could be a menace in the net behind Trent Miner.

Matt Davis, a camp invite and two-time NCAA National Champion, has been looking good this camp. Here he going post-to-post. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/D05lEGM28V

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 5, 2024

Boston Buckberger

Boston Buckberger is another DU defenseman and at the camp on an invitation. In his freshman year, he won the National Championship with Davis and Sean Behrens. In just 44 games he would have 27 points (5–22). I have written about him before earlier in the season for DU as a potential standout for them. At camp, he took several hits and show that he could take the punishment. He can move the puck very well and does it in small spaces to open up opportunities for himself. Buckberger is a little small at 5’11”, but he uses that to his advantage to be crafty. The one thing he really needs to work on is his shot from the point, as his wrist shot needs a little more power to it.

Boston Buckberger, a camp invite and DU dman, works his way around the slot here. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SB93F8JCYx

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

Conclusion

There could be a couple of players that may earn themselves a contract out of the last three days. Ritchie, who is a draft pick, turned some heads. The college players may have a tougher time earning that contract with the bar being set higher. But, Ambrosio stood out in the scrimmage and hopefully that will convince the Avalanche to do something about it. Either way, the long summer starts and the work is only beginning for some of these players. We will see if they show up in an Avalanche locker room in the fall.

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Tory Pitner

The Avalanche drafted Pitner this year (sixth round 185th overall) after playing the last two seasons for the Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL. While there, he played 86 games and tallied 33 points (8–25). Today he stood out with his strong physical play on the puck and well-timed poke checks. In positioning drills, Pitner looked very comfortable and will have no issues with the transition to the NCHC. The Connecticut native took his backwards transitions in stride and it did not slow him down much. He will be a great addition to a fast Pioneer club this school year.

Tory Pitner on the transition and passing drill. He has one darn smooth transition. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/IWfjFk7HBW

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 4, 2024

Jake Fisher

The Avalanche (121st overall drafted Fisher, who will be roommates with Pitner this season, in the fourth round). He also spent the last two seasons in the USHL with the Fargo Force. Fisher scored 48 points (24-24) in his 63 games. The main thing that jumped out for Fisher was his shot. His wrist shot is impressive and his accuracy is on point. He appeared to lack the skating, which as a centermen could be a problem. There was no genuine power in the strides, so Fisher lacked the jumpoff speed you expect from a playmaker. Coach David Carle of the University of Denver will definitely try to fix this problem when Fisher joins the Pioneers in the fall.

Jake Fisher, another @DU_Hockey commitment and Tory Pitner's roomie, shows that he is hesitant on his edges. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qIWlwmJYuz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 4, 2024

Chase Bradley

Chase Bradley is a 22-year-old that signed an entry-level deal with the Avalanche on July 1st. Originally a pick in the 2020 draft by the Detroit Red Wings (seventh round, 203rd overall), he never signed with the club. Bradley spent the last three seasons with the University of Connecticut (UConn), playing 95 games and scoring 51 points (25–26). He played primarily on the third line at UConn, but has shown some smooth skating skills at camp over the last two days. Bradley even has a little of stick handling skills to gain some extra room for himself. He may not be the first choice for a call up by the Avalanche, but he looks promising.

Chase Bradley is working on his best Sam Girard impression. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/58NcO3SUlm

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 4, 2024

Chase Bradley maintains his composure in the slot and then dangles the defense on the blue line to get some space #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/sZZLjBYbJc

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 4, 2024

Conclusion

Day two was a lot faster than yesterday and with coach Jard Bednar out there, the dial turned up quickly. Tomorrow will be a shorter morning skate followed by the scrimmage at 4 PM at Family Sports Center. This will be the last chance that some of these kids will make an impression for a while. It is always an exciting time of the year, as this is sometimes the only way we get to see some of these players. Tomorrow will be even more interesting, with the players probably sorted into a new group for their respective teams and the fun begins. Keep it here for all of your coverage of the development camp.

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Calum Ritchie

Calum Ritchie was a draft pick in last year’s NHL Entry Draft. His shoulder injury, which was said to be holding him back, caused him to fall in the draft. Because of the injury, Ritchie could not take part in the 2023 Development Camp, but made a great impression this year. He has a quick deceptive shot that can change angles at the last second to throw goaltenders off. His skating skills were well above most. As he showed excellent edge work in a lot of the drills today. To add to that, he had some speed that helped him break loose around the corners. He will head back to the OHL in the fall unless he signs a deal with the Avalanche.

Calum Ritchie shows off some speed and some stick skills. This is the 1st year he can participate in Dev camp because of injuries. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/bxS8FIvjna

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

Taylor Makar

The Avalanche drafted Taylor Makar, the little brother of defenseman Cale Makar, in the seventh round in 2021. He recently just made the switch from UMass-Amherst to the University of Maine. Both schools have great programs, so he will develop just as well in Maine. Taylor has a bulkier body than Cale and a completely different skating style. Little brother can still get off to a strong start and has a long and powerful stride. Taylor throws his body around a little but can enter the zone quickly if needed. He will be a grinder, not a scoring forward.

Taylor Makar, who is a recent transfer to U. of Maine, looks like he has a bit more power to his stride. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/RaFdUJgBEF

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

Marek Hejduk

That’s right, Marek Hejduk. The son of former Avalanche captain Milan, is at camp on an invitation. We saw him doing informal practices last summer before heading off to Harvard for the year. Hejduk doesn’t have the scoring talent that his dad has with only seven points in 32 games, but he sure skates like him. He is powerful from the start and can take corners very well. His wrister can be impressive as well. Hejduk looked as though he grew a couple of inches over the school year or he was learning how to skate with his body type. Fans would love that he gets signed, but seems unlikely at this point.

Marek Hejduk, who is a camp invite, has improved his skating since we saw him last summer practicing with the club. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/jxgTNkT7BG

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

Conclusion

Day one is a wrap and we still have a ton of ice time to watch with two more days to observe, plus a scrimmage. Some prospects look as though they are taking full advantage of the opportunity, others are going through the motions. Seeing Pavel Francouz in a tracksuit was strange, but something we all will have to get used to. There will be plenty of coverage tomorrow, so keep checking back on our site for more!

Pavel Francouz is here for his new role with the Avalanche #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/3JK6ZH2v2O

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 3, 2024

The post A wrap from day one of Avalanche development camp appeared first on The Rink.

Erik Brännström

Erik Brännström is a defenseman that was drafted in the first round (15th overall) by the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017. He spent one season in their system with the Chicago Wolves and has been with the Ottawa organization ever since then. This last season, he saw a career high in games (76) with the Ottawa Senators and career highs in both goals (three) and assists (17) for the NHL. Brännström is a puck moving defenseman with an excellent skating ability. He can quarterback the power play if needed, but I doubt the Avalanche will use him in this role.4

Erik Brannstrom, signed 1x$0.9M by COL, is a puck-moving defenceman. A strong and ambitious break-out passer and puck carrier who drove play very well in a third pair role, but small and a bit turnover prone. Should be a good spot to see what he's capable of. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/5xyBO7EuPc

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 2, 2024

There are downsides to the Swede. I hear he is soft and not very physical. This is one thing that Colorado has had an issue with in the third pair for some time now. He has issues boxing out the opponents, thus keeping the front of the net clear. This will be a project for the Avalanche. So fans will have to be patient.

Erik Brannstrom lowers the BOOM

Love to see that from the little guy. pic.twitter.com/1xTCqMK61Q

— Martian (@LalimesMartian) February 28, 2023

Wyatt Aamodt re-signs

Defenseman Wyatt Aamodt, who was a restricted free agent due to have arbitration rights, has re-signed with the Avalanche. He has spent two full seasons with the Colorado Eagles and has become an essential part of their penalty kill. Known as “Ammo” around the locker room, Aamodt will let the opponents know he is there with board shaking hits. Aamodt reminds me a lot of how Jacob MacDonald plays, just with a lot more grit to his game. He played several games at forward for the Eagles this season and was very effective in the role for them. He will continue to play on the second or first pair for the Eagles this season.

Ivan plays with the defense before dropping the puck to Hunt and then Wyatt Aamodt buries it as he crashes the net. Tied at 4. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OLhb4ifYH7

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) December 17, 2023

Departures

— Spencer Smallman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals

— Corey Schueneman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues

You can keep up with all the player movement for the Eagles here.

Conclusion

Once again, the Avalanche took care of what they needed to do today. By signing Brännström, they can keep Sam Malinski in Loveland to develop a little more. Colorado also gets a defenseman that is a little more offensive and can play their type of game. By re-signing Aamodt, they avoided arbitration and kept a key penalty killer in the system. Aamodt has yet to play a game for the Avalanche, but I can see it happening soon.

The post Brännström signs with Avalanche, Aamodt re-signs appeared first on The Rink.

Here is the #Avs regular season schedule. The first game against the Stars is on Nov 29th. #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/vQvZ2cfewd

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) July 2, 2024

Valeri Nichushkin

Nichushkin went into Stage Three of the Player Assistance Program on May 13. This will lead to his suspension for a minimum of six months, resulting in him missing 16 games. You can raise it to 17 games at least for him to get on the ice and get back in the mix of things. Big games that he will miss include one against rebuilt Nashville Predators, Utah Hockey Club, Las Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights.

Back-to-backs

When the schedule is released, the back-to-backs always cause enormous concern. This year the Avalanche will have to do 11 of them. Their first set will be in October (27–28) at home against the Ottawa Senators and Chicago Blackhawks. The next one has me concerned on November 29–30, where they play at Dallas and Edmonton at home. The following weekend it will be Detroit and New Jersey on the road.

Breakdown by month

— October: 1

— November: 1

— December: 2

— January: 2

— February: 1

— March: 2

— April: 2

#Avs have an eight-day stretch to end November that goes at Florida, at Tampa, home vs Vegas and finishes with at Dallas, home vs Edmonton in a back-to-back.

Yikes.

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) July 2, 2024

Key opponents

The Avalanche will meet the new Utah Hockey Club only three times this regular season. The first will be on October 24th. Colorado will open the season on national television against the Golden Knights on October 9th and meet only three times through the season. The genuine test will come as the Avalanche meet the defending Stanley Cup Champions on November 23rd and January 6th. Nashville may be the team to beat this year, as they have added Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault through free agency. They meet four times this season.

WE’RE BACCCCCKKKKK

The #NHLonTNT season kicks off with a jam-packed doubleheader on October 9th pic.twitter.com/opjhLfNhLZ

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) July 2, 2024

Conclusion

The key part of the schedule will be the first twenty games for the Avalanche. They will be without both Nichushkin and potentially Gabriel Landeskog during this stretch. Colorado cannot let themselves get into a slump right out of the gate and will have to fight for their victories. Colorado hasn’t completely built the bottom-six yet, but we are making progress. The return of Logan O’Connor will help for sure. Either way, if they slip, do not let yourself go into panic mode.

The post Avalanche release 2024-25 schedule appeared first on The Rink.

Restricted free agents

Colorado extended qualified offers (QO) to two of their four restricted free agents (RFA) yesterday. Jason Polin and Wyatt Aamodt were both given QO yesterday and will also have arbitration rights this summer. Polin will have a case as he made his NHL debut, but Aamodt has never seen a game in an Avalanche sweater. The two that were not given QO’s were Alex Beaucage and Gianni Fairbrother. Colorado sent Beaucage, who was drafted in 2019, to the ECHL this season because of poor performance. Fairbrother, who was acquired in the Alex Newhook trade, saw only nine games this season because of injuries.

Jonathan Drouin

The former junior teammate of Nathan MacKinnon headed to Denver, hoping to reignite his career. And that he did. Drouin would see career highs in every scoring category since joining the NHL. After the Avalanche gave him a chance on a contract of $825,000, he would prove worth way more than that. Drouin would be the first announcement of the day with a one-year contract with $2.5 million. He would take a discount to stay in Denver, but happiness is worth more.

Thank you Jonathan Drouin for nine straight wins! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/9TjA3wit5h

— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) March 24, 2024

Joel Kiviranta

Joel Kiviranta got a chance on a PTO with the Colorado Eagles last season and made the most of it. He would earn a spot on the Eagles’ roster and eventually fight his way to a two-way contract with the Avalanche. An unfortunate injury to Artturi Lehkonen led to Kiviranta’s call up, and he has not looked back since. Kiviranta played 56 regular season games and produced nine points. They confirmed his contract for one year at a value of $775,000.

Joel Kiviranta from Nathan MacKinnon #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/SDWl2k8jlD

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 8, 2023

Calvin De Haan

The Avalanche have a gap to fill on their third pair and Calvin De Haan can fill it. He plays a very similar game to Jack Johnson. Except that he does it better. A defenseman that will block lots of shots and play on the third pair, he can move the puck responsibly. De Haan can block lots of pucks and is reliable in most areas of the game. He has logged 632 NHL games with 141 points (24–117) and can log a dependable 10–15 minutes of ice time per game if needed. De Haan’s contract will be for one-year and worth $800,000, a good value to the situation that the Avalanche are in.

"De Haan lets it go, HE SCORES!"

First goal of the season for Calvin de Haan (@cal_dehaan), first NHL point for Ian Mitchell (@IanMitch15)!@NBCSChicago | #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/JaVEjOUQwz

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) January 23, 2021

Jacob MacDonald

A man that really needs no introduction, or should I say re-introduction? Jacob MacDonald has already seen games in the Avalanche organization in 2019–2023, winning a Stanley Cup. In January 2023, the Avalanche organization made a trade involving the former captain of the Eagles, Jacob MacDonald, for Ryan Merkley and Matt Nieto. MacDonald signed a two-year contract worth $775,000 per year with the organization. He is an offensive defenseman that can carry the puck very well. MacDonald has been used as a forward by the Avalanche because of his speed into the zone. The Oregon native still owns a home in Loveland, so it will be a simple transition.

Hey #Avs fans we are 26 days away from the start of the @Avalanche season!!!! #GoAvsGo #HockeyTwitter #NHL pic.twitter.com/blTtlsqary

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 16, 2022

Chase Bradley

Chase Bradley Chase Bradley was an unsigned draft pick from 2020 (203rd overall) by the Detroit Red Wings. He spent the last three years at UConn as he played in 95 games and tallied 51 points (25–26). Bradley primarily played on the third line, but has great positioning away from the puck. His skating sets him apart on the bottom-six, holding his edges well. The St. Louis native has a hard shot that can be deceptive. Bradley will join the organization on an entry-level deal that will only cost the Avalanche $775,000 when he is in the NHL. Expect Bradley to spend most of his time in Loveland.

#LGRW 7th rounder in 2020 Chase Bradley absolutely hoses #NHLBruins 3rd rounder from 2021 Phillip Svedeback – this goal proved to be the game winner as UConn escaped with a 2-1 win over No. 10 Providence

: @UConnMHOC pic.twitter.com/c2on9NpxcE

— The Puck Drop (@HEApuckdrop) February 4, 2024

T.J. Tynan

The former Eagles’ captain (another one) returns to the organization after spending three years with Los Angeles and Ontario. T.J. Tynan previously played 16 games with the Avalanche as a fourth line center during the 2019–20 season. A player that wins faceoffs and is hard on the forecheck, he will fit right in either in Denver or Loveland. Despite his small stature (5’8”), Tynan can throw his body around and lets you know he is there. Expect Tynan to be one of the first to be called up from Loveland for the center role if needed. The Avalanche have confirmed that Tynan’s contract is only for one year.

TJ Tynan certified beauty pic.twitter.com/DjCm04hCNj

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) March 23, 2022

Parker Kelly

Parker Kelly is a hard working depth forward that will provide energy in the bottom-six of the lineup. Kelly is hard-hitting and can provide support on the penalty kill while adding a shorthanded goal here and there. Last season, Kelly had career highs in points and games played and gained confidence in this last season with zero fights. This contract will be Kelly’s first contract outside of his entry-level contract. They confirmed the contract at two-years, one-way, and worth $825,000 per year.

Tyler Motte directs home the unreal feed from Parker Kelly on the odd-man rush for a SHORTY, 5-3 Senators!#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/msPdV5OmvA

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 17, 2022

Calle Rosen

Calle Rosen is another name that we all should recognize for two reasons. He is a returning Avalanche/Eagles defenseman, and he was involved in a controversial play. During the 2022 playoffs, he was the defenseman who pushed Nazem Kadri into Jordan Bennington, which led to the water bottle incident. Rosen will primarily be an Eagle this year that is a good puck mover with some offensive ability. He can defend his position and has a very active stick. Rosen agreed to a one-year contract with the team.

Departures

— Sean Walker — signed with the Carolina Hurricanes for 5×3.6 million

— Yakov Trenin — signed with the Minnesota Wild for 4×3.5 million

— Brandon Duhaime — signed with the Washington Capitals for 2×1.85 million

— Riley Tufte — signed with the Bruins organization for 1x775k

— Nate Clurman — signed with the Penguins organization for 1x775k

Conclusion

The goal of the day was to sign Drouin, and the Avalanche did that. The rest of the signings were to fill the depth chart back up and get players back to Loveland. I would say today was a very successful day, considering the circumstances. I would have loved to see Riley Tufte stay here, especially since he even said that he was finally getting a chance on the top line. The coming days will tell us how the rest of the Avalanche and the Eagles will fill out. There really does not seem to be anything to worry about.

The post Avalanche day one wrap of free agency appeared first on The Rink.

Ilya Nabokov, Goaltender (38th overall)

The first pick of the 2024 draft for the Avalanche was goaltender Ilya Naboko from Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL. He is ranked number two on the international goalie list and posted a 23–13–3 record as a rookie with a .930 save percentage. To add to that, Nabokov had a 16–6 record in the playoffs with a .942 save percentage. The youngest player to do so, he won the Gagarin Cup and secure the playoff MVP. He has a two-way contract that will end in April 2025, meaning that he could fill the gap left by Trent Miner. He is confident and explosive in the crease to take away angles.

William Zellers, Left Wing (76th overall)

William Zellers, who attended Shattuck St. Mary’s Prep in Minnesota, led all U.S. high school hockey league in goals and points this last season (57–54–111). The University of North Dakota commit plays a fast and physical game and will head to the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL first. Zellers will get in on the forecheck quickly. Even when he is in tight quarters, he can get a shot off, making him a constant scoring threat. Zellers plays a great two-way game, making him effective in both the power play and the penalty kill.

Jake Fisher, Center (121st overall)

Jake Fisher, who will attend the University of Denver next season, is a forward that overpowers his opponents in puck battles. A skater with speed down the middle, he can also rip the one-timers with ease. While playing with the Fargo Force last season, Fisher tallied 47 points (23–24) in 51 games. The centerman would help lead the Force to the Clark Cup championship and secure the win as well. 

 “I chose the University of Denver because the hockey team has a history of winning championships and developing NHL players,” Fisher said. “The coaches have treated me great, and I have a high level of trust in them that they will put me in the right position to succeed. The schooling as well is a high level, and I love the campus and location in the city.”

+=

Jake Fisher cashes in on a gross pass from Mac Swanson and the Force take a 3-1 lead! pic.twitter.com/jDXmiXUnJ4

— xy – Fargo Force (@FargoForce) April 25, 2024

Louka Cloutier, Goaltender (132nd overall)

Louka Cloutier will attend the University of Nebraska- Omaha next season after spending the year with the Chicago Steel. Cloutier broke out after taking over the starting role for the Steel, posting a 14–14–2 record with a .904 save percentage. He is calm and collected in the net, but not a game breaker. Cloutier has a ton of potential and the NCHC will help him develop his game. He will play against the best talent in the NCAA, but fans will need to be patient as he develops his game.

The deficit is only two after a period thanks to stops like this from Louka Cloutier #FeelSteel pic.twitter.com/N8pfwZyVex

— Chicago Steel (@ChicagoSteel) April 7, 2024

Ivan Yunin, Goaltender (137th overall)

Ivan Yunin is an 18-year-old goaltender playing in Russia’s MHL (equivalent to juniors in North America). Yunin is an athletic goalie that plays with a wide stance and can move effortlessly around the crease. Playing his second season for the Omskie Yastreby, Yunin put forth a 2.31 goals allowed average and .909 save percentage. The six foot two-inch youngster can react quickly to changes in the play and make improbable saves.

Maxmilian Curran, Center (161st overall)

Maxmilian Curran, also known as Max, is a strong two-way forward with a high hockey IQ. He needs some work on his skating, but makes up for it with his vision and pass-first mentality. Curran missed the last half of the season because of injury, but was hitting his stride before that. He is a center who can control the play in every zone, playing a smart positional game. Curran’s main deficiency in his game is a lack of grit. Playing with the Tri-City Americans for 40 games, he racked up 32 points (5–27).

Tory Pitner, Defense (185th overall)

Tory Pitner is another player committed to the University of Denver. He will actually be roommates with Jake Fisher this year. Pitner is a stay-at-home defenseman that likened himself to John Marino and Jeff Petry. Pitner is not the biggest kid at 180 pounds, but he can outbox his opponents and dig hard in the corners. He has a very active stick and can take space away from the attackers.

“I chose to attend the University of Denver because of the blend of elite athletics and academics,” Pitner said. “The coaching staff with the hockey program is second to none, and their ability to develop NHL players is something that I really valued and was another reason I chose to attend the university.”

Christian Humphreys, Center (215th overall)

Christian Humphreys will attend the University of Michigan this fall after spending the last two seasons in the U.S. National Development Program. With the USHL team, Humphreys tallied 24 points in just 23 games (7–17). He is a well-rounded forward with strong secondary scoring capabilities. Humphreys is strong on the forecheck and plays well through all three zones. He will need to work on his skating, but the NCHC will force him to get better at that. The Pittsburgh native possesses a strong work-ethic that will help him grow as a player.

Nikita Prishchepov, Center (217th overall)

Nikita Prishchepov is a big center that has great vision that can lead on a pass rather than throw the puck into the feet. He has splendid vision and is patient with the puck. Prishchepov spent the last season with the Victoriaville Tigres of the QMJHL. He collected 67 points (22–45) in 64 games, finishing fourth on the team in scoring.

Nikita Prishchepov conclut la passe de Maxime Pellerin et les @TigresVicto mènent 2-1 dans le #MDSLCH !

Nifty hands from Pellerin as he finds Prishchepov! #CHLGOTW pic.twitter.com/tOpSfjr1Aq

— Canadian Hockey League (@CHLHockey) October 20, 2023

Conclusion

The Avalanche had a need in the crease, and they filled it today with three goaltenders. Colorado may not see a few of them for a couple of years, but goalies may take years to get to the NHL. Trent Miner, who just signed a new contract, has been in the system for three years and never seen the NHL. Colorado added three players that will see development out of the organization in the NCHC. The Avalanche turned two picks into five with trades and did it without giving up a current man on the roster. It was a successful draft for the Avalanche. The only thing I would have done differently is I would have taken more defense.

The post Complete Avalanche draft player breakdown appeared first on The Rink.

MacKinnon wins Hart Memorial Trophy

Nathan MacKinnon has finally won the Hart Memorial Trophy. This season, MacKinnon went up against the likes of Nikita Kucherov and Connor McDavid. This was the fifth time that MacKinnon received the nomination as the most valuable player in the league. MacKinnon set a career high in assists with 89 and demolished his season high in points with 140. This would break a franchise record set by Peter Stastny in 1981–82 season with 139 points. The Colorado center would add 14 points in his 11 playoff appearances. He is the third Avalanche player to win the award after Joe Sakic in 2001 and Peter Forsberg in 2003.

Nathan MacKinnon had 140 points, found the scoresheet in an NHL-high 69 games, posted the second-longest home scoring streak in NHL history (35 GP) and was a top-two selection on 184 of 194 Hart Trophy ballots. #NHLAwards#NHLStats: https://t.co/8blbr6gjLm pic.twitter.com/PWDXrcasJl

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 27, 2024

MacKinnon wins Ted Lindsay

Not only did the star center from Colorado win the Hart Memorial Trophy, he won the Ted Lindsay Award as well. The players vote and present the award to the league’s MVP. This was the first nomination for MacKinnon in his career. Sakic’s win in 2000-01, when it was known as the Lester B. Pearson Award, made him the second Avalanche player to win the trophy. MacKinnon gave a quick reception speech, thanking his team, the owners and congratulating Andrew Cogliano on his retirement.

Nathan MacKinnon has won the Ted Lindsay Award pic.twitter.com/zkXtcQDuR5

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 27, 2024

Makar falls short on the Norris

Despite Cale Makar setting a franchise record for assists by a defenseman in a season (69), his defense fell short. Makar would also break his own single-season record for points by a defenseman, topping out at 90 points. Members of the media felt Makar lacked the overall aspect of his game, which is the qualifier for the award. Makar would finish third in the voting behind Quinn Hughes and Roman Josi.

#Avs Cale Makar finished third in the Norris Trophy voting. pic.twitter.com/uhu85yrkpH

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) June 27, 2024

Conclusion

The Hart or the Ted Lindsay are not the Stanley Cup that is for sure. But they are awards that are well deserved for Mackinnon and his 140 point season. He carried the Avalanche through all 82 regular season games and showed what a genuine leader he can be. After being nominated three times prior to this year, the wait was worth it. Fans felt the frustration on the defensive side of things and that could have cost Makar the Norris. One thing is for sure, this will not be his last nomination for the Norris.

The post MacKinnon adds Hart and Ted Lindsay to trophy case appeared first on The Rink.

Here are all 32 Fanatics Authentic Pro home jerseys for the 2024-25 #NHL season. pic.twitter.com/r2XCli75BO

— icethetics (@icethetics) June 26, 2024

Changes to on-ice jersey

We will not see a significant difference in the product on the ice from what we are already used to. Some teams have changed their jerseys already. But most of the league is going to stay the same. There are a few physical changes to every jersey that will take place:

— An additional layer of fabric inside the lower sleeve to enhance uniform durability intended to reduce material wear from sustained friction against the boards. This enhancement directly resulted from feedback from NHL players and equipment managers.

— New shoulder fabrics replacing the debossed pattern fabric used on the shoulders of the prior NHL jersey.

— A new NHL Shield execution on the front neck of the jersey which includes a special hologram finish.

— Fanatics branding embroidered on the back neck of jerseys.

Here is the view of the #Avs on-ice #Fanatics jersey from the video that Fanatics posted. Not much appears to have changed in looks other than the "dimples" are now gone from the shoulders. #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/480f1wbPvZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) June 26, 2024

What will be available?

In previous years, the only way to get an official on-ice jersey was if the team sold them. Now to buy the same product that is being worn by the players and sold in stores. Adidas had made the same claim but ran into a lawsuit over it. Here are the levels of jerseys that fans can expect to see on shelves starting September:

— Authentic Pro: This will be the same jersey that the players wear on the ice. This will also be the most expensive. This will retail at $400.

— Premium: This jersey will be same as what Adidas sells in stores right now. It still has embroidered crests and patches, a fighting strap, but lacks some details of the Authentic Pro. This will retail for $180-$230.

— Breakaway: For Fanatics jerseys, the Breakaway style is what most fans are familiar with. They are lightweight and fit more like a t-shirt. The patches will be sublimated and lack embroidery. It will retail for $135-$175.

— Practice Jersey: The redesigned practice jersey will be available to purchase. The retail price is still to be determined.

Our Authentic Pro @NHL On-Ice Uniforms are here. Made in Canada, by the same people who have been making NHL jerseys for almost five decades. 

by the legendary voice of hockey, Doc Emrick. pic.twitter.com/7sGiyGPXdQ

— Fanatics (@Fanatics) June 26, 2024

What does the league think?

The players and equipment managers around the league played a role in designing the new jerseys. The front crest and sleeves were two things that were changed at their request. “Fanatics did a great job designing these jerseys,” Austin Matthews said. “They feel comfortable and look breathable, which is important during games. Any little detail that can help us perform at our best makes a difference.” Even the young rookies think they look good. “The Fanatics jersey looks good,” Connor Bedard said. “I like that there is not a lot of change from the older version, and I also like the design of the new practice jersey.”

Here’s a closer look at the new @Fanatics NHL Authentic Pro #Blackhawks Jersey. pic.twitter.com/xmduWzsfc7

— CHGO Blackhawks (@CHGO_Blackhawks) June 26, 2024

Conclusion

The real debut will happen this week at the NHL Entry Draft on Friday night. I am sure there will be some feedback from both fans and players then. The same factory that has been producing the NHL’s jerseys in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, is still making the jerseys. So, this will definitely be something that we all will want to monitor as the summer progresses. But, I am trying to give Fanatics the benefit of the doubt that they will not make too many changes.

The post What to expect from the new Fanatics NHL jerseys appeared first on The Rink.

Thank you Cogs for continuously making an impact on and off the ice.

Congratulations on an outstanding career. pic.twitter.com/JnQCdJpYnP

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 21, 2024

Cogliano has tallied 464 points (190g/274a) in 1,294 NHL contests. He would define the role of a hardworking, middle to bottom-six forward. The Canadian would play 830 games in a row, a testament to his work ethic that was well demonstrated in Colorado.

The Iron Man often played through multiple injuries. This included the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he suffered a check into the boards, breaking a lamina in his neck. Cogliano would briefly leave the game, but returned and finished. He would then have to sit the rest of the series because of the injury.

For reference as to where the injury is on Cogliano's neck. #GoAvsGo #Avs @FullPressNHL https://t.co/2TxuBfXwqj pic.twitter.com/T9lXqi1heF

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 29, 2023

“The game of hockey has given me and my family so much and I am grateful for every moment,” said Cogliano. “I am blessed to have played for so long with some great organizations and amazing teammates. I will miss being with the guys in the dressing room and battling for each other on the ice every night, but it’s time to move on. Thank you to everyone I ever played with, played for and all the great fans for all of their support. I am excited to start my new chapter in the front office.”

A look back in the Burgundy and Blue pic.twitter.com/ZvVZrKs0XW

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 21, 2024

What is next

The gritty forward will not be going far as he will take a front office role with the Avalanche. According to the team, the role will comprise a variety of tasks. These roles will include player development, professional and amateur scouting, as well as working with the Colorado Eagles.

Conclusion

Everywhere Cogliano has gone, he has made the players and people around him better. All the Avalanche players said that Cogliano handled the rally in the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals. He talked to the entire team and got them to all calm down. He will bring this to the front office and the player development program for the Avalanche. The Avalanche will miss Cogliano on the penalty kill, but he will always be available to help.

The post Cogliano calls it a career, stays with Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

It'll be here before you know it.

: https://t.co/IfPhOsfZv2#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/rmN6b17asj

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 20, 2024

The opponents

Colorado will play two games against each opponent, one at home and one on the road. They will take on the Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and the new Utah Hockey Club. Do not expect to see a lot of the big name talent in these games, mostly the AHL players getting some extra looks. The Dallas games will be a matchup of mostly Texas Stars and Colorado Eagles. They split the series last season 2–2.

The Vegas Golden Knights will be in a similar situation with a bit of spice thrown in. The Eagles and the Henderson Silver Knights met eight times last year with the Eagles coming out on top 6–1–1.

Here is where it gets exciting. Colorado will play the new Utah Hockey Club twice this preseason. The road game will not take place at the Delta Center, the home of the new club. Instead, the Maverik Center will host the game. The Maverik Center is home of the ECHL Utah Grizzlies and they are the Avalanche’s affiliate.

Training camp start date

Whenever the preseason schedule gets released, it provides us a good sign of when training camp starts. The Avalanche typically hold their training camp at the Family Sports Center in Centennial, Colorado, where they practice. Based on previous years and the start of preseason, I guess that training camp will start around September 20th.

Conclusion

The waiting this time of the year has to be the worst. But other than the Draft next week and Free Agency, we have something to look forward to. We can slowly fill in our calendars for the start of the season. We can set watches for the announcement of the regular season schedule, usually later this month or in July. Either way, the preseason will be an exciting one to watch with the new club and city in the mix but also while in “home territory”.

The post Avalanche release preseason schedule, what it tells us appeared first on The Rink.

We have signed forward Jere Innala to a one-year, entry-level contract for the 2024-25 season. pic.twitter.com/47C2GTl14i

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 13, 2024

#GoAvsGo signed 26 y/o F Jere Innala to a 1 year ELC, per @PuckPedia:

$870K cap hit / $950K AAV

$775K salary, $95K SB, $80K GP PB, $82.5K AHL

UFA on expiry, rep’d by Markus Lehto @wassermanhockey https://t.co/aFVFqnmK3n

— NHL News (@PuckReportNHL) June 14, 2024

What Innala brings to the team

The winger will provide a powerful one-timer in the bottom-six for the Avalanche. Innala loves to set himself up in the faceoff circle for the shot. He offers quickness for centers and defensemen getting out of the defensive zone. Judging from some videos that I have seen, he is great at reading zone exits.

Jere Innala med mål nummer 11 i slutspelet pic.twitter.com/QWJcXQCEU8

— Frölunda HC (@frolunda_hc) April 18, 2024

It is likely that Innala will start his North American career in Loveland with the Colorado Eagles. He will need some time to adjust to the NHL sized ice and the speed of the game. The AHL will give Innala to get through that adjustment period.

Jere Innala #SHLfi #FHC pic.twitter.com/GhtxWfX58i

— SHL Highlights (@SHLHighlightsFI) January 6, 2024

Innala has had a very successful past. In 2021 Innala would help secure the silver medal for Finland in the World Championships. In 2022, he won the Gold Medal playing in the World Championships with Finland. He tallied one goal in four games, but the next year had more of an impact where he had five points in eight games. In 2018–19, Innala won the championship with HPK in the Liiga. The following season, he would lead the league with the most game-winning goals (8).

Jere Innala cuts the lead in half. Finland is back in the game. #MensWorlds #FINSUI @leijonat pic.twitter.com/E0YwMgDsBH

— IIHF (@IIHFHockey) May 21, 2024

Conclusion

Innala is just the start of the off season for the Avalanche and the Eagles. Innala will provide a hard slap shot and a quick snapshot for the bottom-six for the Avalanche or top-six for the Eagles. Jason Polin and Ondřej Palát will have their speed complemented by him for the Eagles, making them a scoring threat on one line together. His shot will be useful in the power play where the Eagles struggled the most. His champion pedigree should be fun to watch.

The post Avalanche sign Finnish winger Innala appeared first on The Rink.

Video captured Logan O’Connor yesterday, hitting the ice for the first time since surgery in March. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado

@ItsSteveSalazar pic.twitter.com/PuXSL5FuC8

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) June 13, 2024

What this means

With the return of former Denver Pioneer, the Avalanche can count on a gritty middle-six forward. He is a master at killing penalties, leading the team in short-handed goals with three. After his departure, Colorado had to find their way on the penalty kill, lacking his aggressive speed and tactics. This would frazzle the opponent and lead to scoring opportunities for O’Connor.

Logan O’Connor is taking in the practice from the bleachers #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/LJgQUrav8L

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 4, 2024

O’Connor has become known for his speed around the league. This season, he had a top speed of 23.11 miles per hour (mph). This was enough to place him among the 88th percentile in the league. The pesky forward would see just over two and half speed bursts over 20 mph per game, with an injured hip.

LOGAN O'CONNOR HAS HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK! @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/tRDVuvrhzZ

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 20, 2024

The Avalanche desperately need O’Connor’s determination and refusal to give up on a play. He is relentless on his forecheck and would chase down opponents from one end of the ice to the other.

Conclusion

O’Connor’s return will bring welcomed relief to the very shallow depth pool on the right side. I don’t think there were ever questions about O’Connor’s health, but updates are always nice to have. As of right now, Mikko Rantanen, O’Connor, Oskar Olausson and Nikolai Kovalenko are the only right wingers signed to the team. Olausson will be returning from shoulder surgery himself and Kovalenko is still getting his feet wet. The team strongly felt the absence of the fan favorite in the last part of the season. His return will provide a much-needed spark after a playoff exit.

The post Logan O’Connor skates for first time since surgery appeared first on The Rink.

Sam Malinski

Sam Malinski is the most obvious candidate to step into the third pair next season. The rookie from Cornell University played 23 games on the Avalanche blue line tallying 10 points. Playing with the Colorado Eagles, Malinski was just as effective, playing 46 games and earning 27 points. Malinski saw time on the power play for both squads and would be the difference in Loveland. Malinski is an offensive defenseman with great puck carrying skills and a seeing eye snapshot. Familiarity with head coach Jared Bednar’s methods makes transitioning to full time easy for him.

Sam Malinski on the power play ties the game in the ELIMINATION GAME. His first of the playoffs!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/EZSEEaD0Ao

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 28, 2024

Sam Malinski just sent him to another world….#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KbzeaphAgn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 13, 2024

Sean Behrens

Sean Behrens, fresh off of a NCAA National Championship with the University of Denver, joined the Eagles after signing his entry-level contract. As Behrens finished his collegiate career, they named him the NCHC best defensive defenseman. In the two games with the Eagles, he showed his comfort within a period and nailed down his first pro point. Behrens will provide some solid defense on the third pair and some mobility when given an opportunity. The rookie needs time to adapt to the Avalanche system, but a call up is probable early on.

Holland breaks the shutout but most importantly…. Sean Behrens gets his first pro point on the play!!!!! Foudy with secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zztgGVoop6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Jack Ahcan

Jack Ahcan had just one call up with the Avalanche last season and no subsequent action. Ahcan thoroughly impressed me during the Eagles’ season, and he has one more year left in his two-way contract. Leading the power play from the top, he consistently carried the puck into offensive territory. Ahcan surprised many as he regularly leveled defenders much bigger than his five foot nine-inch frame. His 38 points in 70 games played were among the top five skaters for the Eagles.

Jack Ahcan maybe a little guy (5'9") but the man sure can pack a punch…. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/GHQJjkXnzA

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) November 25, 2023

Potential re-signings

Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson has been a pleasant surprise since he joined the Avalanche in 2021 on a professional tryout. Johnson earned himself a standard contract and won his only Stanley Cup that year. The Chicago Blackhawks would sign Johnson to a 35-plus contract and the Avalanche traded Andreas Englund to get Johnson back. He has been a workhorse the last three seasons, playing 74, 83, and 80 games. For less than one million dollars, Johnson would bring leadership and experience to the locker room.

blackhawks @ avalanche 10/13/2021

Jack Johnson (1st of season)

(72nd of career)#GoavsGo pic.twitter.com/mFOEYSmrgN

— random avs goal every day (@avsgoaleveryday) July 9, 2023

Brad Hunt

Brad Hunt was one of the many leaders in Loveland as he wore the captain’s “C” for the second straight year. Hunt spent most his first year in the organization in Denver, playing 47 games for the Avalanche. This journeyman has traveled extensively throughout the league and possesses one of AHL’s most feared slapshots. This would put him on the Eagles’ top power play unit the entire season and lead the team with 49 points. Hunt’s bright energy would benefit both Denver and Loveland, and he would likely come back for a salary of less than one million dollars.

Tanner Kero tips in his seond of the night and third point! Brad Hunt with his best Sam Girard impression to set the shot up! Olofsson has the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5n8jBGfjRR

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Conclusion

Avalanche could easily benefit from these affordable back-end options. Sean Walker’s contract expiring creates an issue that will need to be addressed, but Colorado cannot afford him in the long run. Malinski will receive most of the minutes, but one spot remains. The key problem may be size. The small size of the third pair could lead to issues. Colorado should explore signing a free agent with size.

The post Existing options for Avalanche at defense appeared first on The Rink.

Alexandar Georgiev

Alexandar Georgiev will enter the final year of his three-year contract with the Avalanche this coming season. He saw a career high 63 regular season games and 11 playoff games. During this time, Georgiev would put together a 38–18–5 record in the regular season, his second best season to date. This last season would see his lowest save percentage (.897) of his young career in the NHL, with a debate that fatigue or the defense was the issue. His numbers are comparable to when he was with the New York Rangers, as Georgiev has played four more games with Rangers (129). Unless something goes wrong, Georgiev will carry another heavy workload next season.

Oh my Alexandar Georgiev!#GoAvsGo | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/EffocnQpuf

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 10, 2024

Justus Annunen

Justus Annunen is the first homegrown goaltender for the Avalanche since Adam Werner (drafted 2016 and played two games in 2019). With the injury to Pavel Franzouz, Annunen unexpectedly spent most of the year as a backup in Denver. Annunen played a career high 14 games for the Avalanche and had two shutouts. He impressed management so much that he earned a one-way contract in March. He would even win the hearts of fans as he made spectacular saves and the chant of “JUICE” would live on. Annunen will probably get 15–20 starts next season.

A moment he'll never forget!

Justus Annunen records his first career @pepsi shutout in a big 5-0 win for the @Avalanche. pic.twitter.com/bKpBMTYp9E

— NHL (@NHL) March 1, 2024

Trent Miner

Trent Miner is working on becoming the next homegrown goaltender after Annunen. Drafted in 2019, a year after Annunen, Miner has been waiting for an opportunity to jump to the Eagles and the AHL. Annunen, going down to injury for six weeks, gave the chance, along with a poor showing by Holm. Miner won the crease in Loveland, along with a new contract. He kept the Eagles in games as his confidence grew with coaching from former Avalanche Peter Budaj. Miner saw career highs in every category with the Eagles and as things look toward the future, he will be the starter in Loveland next season.

Awesome work on one end by Miner followed by a RILEY TUFTE goal! Brad hunt and Tanner Kero add even more points tonight. Eagles have scored 4 unanswered!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HJalYxPOkb

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Jake Barczewski

Jake Barczewski is a goaltender that is on an AHL contract for the Eagles, but is currently Colorado’s fourth option. Barczewski most recently led the University of Michigan to the Frozen Four but fell to Boston College. As the starter for the Wolverines, Barczewski would hold a 20–14–3 record and 2.84 goals allowed average. He made his professional debut on April 20, 2024 against the Ontario Reign and get rattled in a 7–3 loss. If the Avalanche cannot sign a backup for Miner, he will be the only option, otherwise Barczewski will head to Utah as the starter.

With 43 seconds left.

Jake Barczewski came with with a huge save! pic.twitter.com/Tq6mmYtQxc

— ashlyn ◡̈ (@AshlynKonieczka) March 30, 2024

Options

Matt Villalta

A goaltender that has been at the top of the ranks in the AHL the past couple of seasons, Matt Villalta is due to be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent this summer. He most recently played for the Tucson Roadrunners and made his well deserved NHL debut with Arizona Coyotes. This last season, Villalta would be part of the reason the Roadrunners jumped five positions in one season. Villalta would finish first in the AHL with 31 wins and a .911 save percentage. The Avalanche could sign him for under one million and have a great one-two punch in Loveland. Furthermore, he is used to a heavy workload and could be a backup in Denver if need be.

Check out this Save by Matt Villalta in the @banner_bank save of the month! pic.twitter.com/Abda6pMmRm

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) December 3, 2021

Oscar Dansk

Oscar Dansk was a thorn in the side of the Eagles this year as he had a .97 goals allowed average in three games. He is an agile goaltender that is quick to the post and has a ton of experience in the AHL. When Jacob Markstrom got injured and Dustin Wolf was sent to the Flames, the Calgary Wranglers gave Dansk significant starting time. He would be an excellent pickup by Colorado to have as a fourth option and would cost less than one million.

Wolves goaltender Oscar Dansk with an absolute robbery on Brett Pedersen. #MBMoose pic.twitter.com/39JpFzSmv4

— Jacob Stoller (@JLStoller) February 8, 2020

Conclusion

Villalta and Dansk are just a couple of suggestions that the Avalanche could get on the cheap this offseason. Either way, Colorado has a goaltender depth problem, and it needs to be solved quickly. If Georgiev or Annunen were to go down to injury, the domino effect would be problematic. This was clear at the end of the season when Annunen fell ill and the team had to recall Prosvetov. When Miner got injured with a lower-body injury, the Eagles had to rely on Arvid Holm for a back-to-back game. Holm had not played in over a month. A cheap fourth option and even a fifth option would solidify the depth and prevent issues in the future. As things are, they cannot go into the start of the season with their options this thin.

The post Goalie situation is thin for Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

pic.twitter.com/7N9rRKYmwT

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 23, 2024

The progress

“It has been a slow form of torture,” Landeskog said about watching his teammates playing. He has been out of the lineup now for 162 regular season games. In both seasons, the Avalanche made it to the playoffs but faced earlier-than-anticipated eliminations.

Gabriel Landeskog posted this as of 20 minutes ago. It appears that everything went as anticipated for his surgery. #GoAvsGo #Avs @FullPressNHL pic.twitter.com/ifDUX4tUxI

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 11, 2023

“I’ve felt really good now for two straight months physically, with no setbacks, major or minor,” Landeskog said. “That’s a real positive.” The last few weeks there has been an obvious ramp up in his rehabilitation. Landeskog has added stops and increased the speed that he is skating around the rink. At one point, Landeskog joined his teammates for the morning skate and did a few drills.

The Swede touched on when he could return to the team and jokingly told everyone “between September and April.” But realistically, you can probably expect a return in the first half of the season. If the were to miss 10 games and 24 days, the Avalanche could start the captain on long-term injured reserve. It will take some time and him seems to understand that. The last game the captain saw any contact was on June 26, 2022, when he lifted the Cup in Tampa.

Landeskog is taking some shots here… looks almost normal. Towards the end, MacKinnon sets him up for a couple of shots from one knee #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/9LH07vZwU3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

“We can’t go and get a guy the caliber of Gabe,” General Manager Chris MacFarland said. “He deserves the time.” MacFarland reemphasized the fact that Landeskog has worked hard through the rehab process and is still the leaders of the club.

Conclusion

There are still some unknowns with Gabriel Landeskog, but he understands he is only 12.5 months into what could be an 18 month process. With Landeskog increasing his activity as of late, it is only an encouraging sign that things are moving along as they should. Fans should not be upset that Landeskog is gone, they should be happy that everything is going so well.

The post Landeskog gives updates on rehab appeared first on The Rink.

We have re-signed Trent Miner to a one-year contract.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/3dtyOaLj8H

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 21, 2024

Miner’s career year

Miner put forward career numbers in every category for his AHL play this season. He posted a 9–6–1–1 record in 18 games. His 2.10 goals allowed average was the best of all the goaltenders that played for the Colorado Eagles this past season. Miner’s .930 save percentage was also top on the team.

Trent Miner #GoAvsGo
1 year / 2-way extension

NHL: $775,000
Minor: $100,000https://t.co/UaJLV2yO6V

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 22, 2024

Earlier in the season, Justus Annunen went down to a lower body injury. This opened up an opportunity for Miner to battle with Arvid Holm for the crease. As Holm’s numbers slipped, stepped in and seized the chance to grab the starting crease. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth was getting to a point that Miner was going to get the net without hesitation every night. This even would happen on back-to-back games.

With a restricted free agent status coming up in July, Miner all but guaranteed himself an offer for next year.

Awesome work on one end by Miner followed by a RILEY TUFTE goal! Brad hunt and Tanner Kero add even more points tonight. Eagles have scored 4 unanswered!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HJalYxPOkb

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

A lower-body injury that Miner suffered on March 20th would unfortunately take him out for the rest of the season. He would return to the bench for the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs, but not see any game action.

Conclusion

Miner has become a goalie that the Eagles came to depend on this last season. With the poor performance of Holm, he stepped up when they needed him and earned his contract. He may have been rough around the edges to start the year, but goalie coach Peter Budaj quickly fixed that. We have seen a similar improvement with Annunen once Budaj could work with him as well. Miner could see his first NHL game this season and it has been a long time coming.

The post Avalanche sign Trent Miner to new contract appeared first on The Rink.

Gabriel Landeskog

Gabriel Landeskog, who underwent knee surgery just over a year ago, now has missed 164 regular season and 18 playoff games. Head coach Jared Bednar said after being eliminated this season that he “was far from playing, but the hope is to get him back next season.” The progress that Landeskog has made in his rehabilitation has been significant. He has gone from being to push off last season to taking part in a drill last week. At the time of surgery, the team established a return date of 12-18 months. So it could be anytime or as late as November 2024 to take contact.

I would think that Landeskog will stay on long-term injured reserve until he receives clearance to play in an NHL level game. This leaves the question of how the Avalanche approach the summer knowing that he could be out a little longer. Do they bring up a forward from the Colorado Eagles to fill in and then send him back? Or do they stay where they are?

Landeskog is taking some shots here… looks almost normal. Towards the end, MacKinnon sets him up for a couple of shots from one knee #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/9LH07vZwU3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

Valeri Nichushkin

On May 13, 2024, the NHL announced that Valeri Nichushkin was entering stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Not only did this occur moments before game four against Dallas, but the NHL announced that Valeri Nichushkin would face a six-month suspension without pay. It was his second departure from the team during a playoff run. On January 15,2024, Nichushkin entered the assistance program and was away from the team for 40 days.

Official word has been released by the league that Val Nichushkin has entered the Player Assistance Program. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/S1w6TzZQuf

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 15, 2024

Nichushkin has a cap hit of $6.125 million per year. The Avalanche are unsure if they can use that money right now because they do not know if he will apply for reinstatement in November. Unfortunately, the Avalanche have no way to get out of his contract. Colorado would have to either trade him or buy him out. The issue with a trade is that because of the risk of taking him, there wouldn’t be much return. With the buyout, Nichushkin would be on the payroll until the 2035–36 season. This situation, coupled with Landeskog’s return, makes it a very difficult offseason.

Jonathan Drouin

The Avalanche signed Jonathan Drouin last July, and he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Coming off of his best 2018-19 season in the NHL since his year in Tampa, he still searches for the Stanley Cup. Drouin put together 56 points and finished with a 51.8 faceoff percentage, his highest since his rookie season. He cost the Avalanche only $825,000 this season, but proved he is worth a lot more. He told Meghan Angley of DNVR that he would like to return to Denver. However, there might be a price involved. You can expect somewhere around $2-3 million, at the very least.

Mikko nails his fourth of the postseason with the goal from the backdoor and the pass from Drouin. Avs take the lead! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4B1i9pnOYY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 18, 2024

Drouin ties his career high in points of 53 that he set in 2016-17 with the Tampa Bay Lightning #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/qmnusQQ6PJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 8, 2024

Conclusion

The work to be done is only the start of the challenges the Avalanche will face this summer. Colorado will have 15 additional players hit free agency this summer. They must decide who stays and who goes. Zach Parise’s retirement has already determined his fate, but deciding on the others will be challenging. I will cover some of these players in later articles, so stay tuned to our site!

The post What is next for the Avalanche? appeared first on The Rink.

Mikko nails his fourth of the postseason with the goal from the backdoor and the pass from Drouin. Avs take the lead! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4B1i9pnOYY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 18, 2024

Takeaways

— The Avalanche obviously had issues clearing the puck out of the zone again. I had mentioned that this was a problem in game four, but during the first overtime it was an enormous problem. During the first overtime, the Avalanche officially had four shots on goal. They had seven scoring chances, but Dallas had 12 chances. The puck was getting in deep and the Avalanche were having problems carrying the puck out of their own zone. In the first overtime, Colorado would spend over two minutes in their own zone.

Benn strikes again #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4XfCH6Z0Xc

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 18, 2024

— The Avalanche did not get double digit shots on goal in any period this game. For a team that averaged 33 shots per game (fifth in the league), they sure were not shooting like it. Colorado was failing to drive to the net. On top of that, they could not get the puck in the offensive zone for any extended periods. The most shots on goal that they could muster in a period were nine. Dallas peppered Alexandar Georgiev all night long, and for extended shifts.

— Georgiev is the one that kept the Avalanche in the game. Multiple mistakes by the defensive core meant Georgiev had to scramble to cover the net. He would keep the Stars scoreless in the first overtime, even through extended shifts by Dallas despite brief respite. His .949 save percentage is exactly what the Avalanche needed from him. He was calm and collected in the crease compared to earlier in the season where he looked panicked.

Duchene, who was the reason for the reversal of the goal, scored to advance Dallas to the WCF. He gets to play playoff hockey… #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0evfxPzkpz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 18, 2024

Conclusion

You can blame Valeri Nichushkin all you want for the loss in this series, but there is a certain point where Colorado had to move on. It became obvious they did that in game five of the series. Was it a shock to them? Yes. But head coach Jared Bednar said he did not want to use that as an excuse. Now it is time to look towards the future. The Avalanche are in a unique salary cap situation. The unknown status of Gabriel Landeskog, if Nichushkin will/can come back, and what unrestricted free agents they try to keep. We will have answers to these questions in the coming months. In the meantime, rest up, relax and recover.

Colorado #GoAvsGo offseason preview:
Roster: 14 (8F/4D/2G)
Cap Hit: $71.78M
Cap Space: $15.91M

Notable RFA:
C Mittelstadt

Notable UFAs:
Y Trenin
B Duhaime
A Cogliano
J Drouin
Z Parise
J Kiviranta
S Walker
J Johnson
C Jones

Draft:
1st x1
4th x1
5th x2
6th x1
7th x2

*Landeskog…

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 18, 2024

The post Duchene wins it in double OT, eliminates Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Cale Makar really stepped up in a big way for the Avalanche tonight. He produced two goals in just over 26 minutes of ice time. In his previous 9 playoff games, Makar had only produced three goals. One of those goals was against Dallas in game one. Since then, the Stars have shut down Makar. He looked a lot more comfortable tonight, handling the puck and skating through the zone.

DUDE WHERE'S MAKAR?! Cale Makar with the 80mph rocket on the PP to tie the game back up! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/xA7LJZbfBU

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 16, 2024

DUDE WHERE'S MAKAR (X2)?!!!! Cale scores in the bloop shot through the 5 hole for the 2 goal lead! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/bLslLFbNNF

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 16, 2024

— Nathan MacKinnon openly admitted to the press that he did not play well in game four. His zero points and a minus three were all the media could concentrate on. Tonight was a different story. MacKinnon awoke the beast and was carrying the puck through the neutral zone and making more attempts on the net. He would end the night with one goal and one assist and a plus one.

MacKinnon makes it a 2 goal lead once again!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zfvkm3gkJV

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 16, 2024

— Special teams were everything that you would want it to be tonight. In the last eight power play chances, the Avalanche could not convert to score. Tonight, they scored twice on three chances. The penalty against Chris Tanev for high-sticking Mikko Rantanen may have been the game changer. Even though it was only a two-minute minor, the Avalanche wasted no time as Makar pocketed his second of the night. The penalty kill unit also killed three of four, making an enormous difference in the game.

Not sure why the Tanev penalty was not a double minor…. there was obvious blood coming from Rantanen's nose #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/16LRJv5HwH

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 16, 2024

Conclusion

This was the complete opposite of what we saw in game four on Monday night. The Avalanche were more aggressive and quicker to the puck. Yeah, you say that athletes have to put feelings aside when things happen, but the Valeri Nichushkin issue clearly affected them. And I don’t blame them one bit. But they looked as if they moved on tonight and adjusted their game. If the Avalanche go into game six on Friday night anything like this, Dallas better watch out.

The post Makar and MacKinnon step up in game five victory appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Colorado failed to exit their own zone the entire game. They struggled to get the puck out of the defensive zone in the first period, allowing 16 shots on goal. The Avalanche were lucky to escape the period with only one goal against. Georgiev was looking like classic Georgiev as he was making save after save. 

Cale Makar loses the puck, and Wyatt Johnston takes advantage with a shorty #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/2iOoK4nVxD

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

— Colorado failed to forecheck throughout the game. Their bread and butter has become to put pressure on the opposing team and they were not doing that tonight. Dallas was beating them to the puck and then out skating them. Having to dump and change was not helping, either. By the time the Avalanche were gaining possession of the puck, it was the end of the shift and time to change. This was leading to them chasing Dallas in the offensive zone from the start of the shift to the end of the shift. The one time Colorado did forecheck, it led to Casey Mittelstadt’s goal.

Mittelstadt finally puts the Avs on the board with some hard work by Drouin #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zUZmY8AYjj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

— Caleb Jones may not be the option if Toews is still sick in game five. Jones was plus one only because he was on the ice during Mittelstadt’s goal. But he had two penalties that cost the Avalanche momentum and Dallas converted on the penalty. The Avalanche may need to go with a more offensively minded defenseman like Same Malinski. He would bring some play that is like Cale Makar in style, as well as some aggressiveness to the blue line. 

Wyatt Johnston with his second of the night as the Stars take a 2 goal lead. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/pYe8LBEWFN

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche will need to learn to play without the efforts of Valeri Nichushkin in the lineup. Yes, he brings a lot to the table, but Colorado needs to adjust and quickly. Drouin can bring some offensive power back to the lineup, but not in the same way that Nichushkin did. Drouin will have to use his speed and snapshot to his advantage. Failure to make the adjustments for these two will doom the Avalanche to an early exit. They will head to Dallas on Wednesday for game five and try to avoid elimination.

The post Morale takes beating as Avalanche lose game four to Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Val Nichushkin has been placed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He is suspended without pay for a minimum of six months before he can be reinstated. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Y3jeGoq5KF

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 14, 2024

Last year

Last season, as the Avalanche took on the Seattle Kraken, Nichushkin had an incident in his hotel room in Seattle. This incident led to him leaving the team for the rest of the playoffs as the Avalanche were eliminated. There were rumors that alcohol and drugs were involved, especially with the condition of the woman that was found in the hotel.

WATCH: Body camera video obtained by 9NEWS shows the moments after police arrive at the Colorado Avalanche team hotel in Seattle on April 22. The team called 911 for EMS for an intoxicated woman found in Val Nichushkin's room.

Nichushkin isn't at the hotel when police arrive. pic.twitter.com/jWWf9Xn6cd

— Steve Staeger (@SteveStaeger) June 2, 2023

Enters program

The Russian forward would later return to the team right before training camp began. Nichushkin would start having himself a career season and then on February 26, he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He would remain away from the team for 40 days as the Avalanche struggled to put offense together.

ESPN confirmed during the pregame program that Nichushkin had failed a drug test. It is unclear what that “drug” was.

Conclusion

This will be the third time that he has left the team for reasons other than injury in less than 12 months. These days, it is not wrong to seek help for issues that he is having, be it mental or otherwise. The problem that he is having is hurting the team and now the Avalanche management needs to consider this. Should Nichushkin stick around? I know some fans will say to keep him and some will say to kick him to the curb.

One thing is for sure, if he violates his treatment plan again, there may not be any coming back. Nichushkin now risks a one year suspension and a ban from the NHL.

These are the various stages of the program pic.twitter.com/G9pDaWFmur

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) May 14, 2024

The post Nichushkin enters Stage 3 of NHL Player Assistance Program appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Avalanche were not aggressive enough in their own zone. Forwards were not stepping up on the defensemen to take the puck away. The Colorado defense frequently drifted to one side, leaving the back door wide open. This happened on the first goal for the Stars. A quick pass across the zone helped, but everyone had shifted to one side.

Hello! -Miro, probably pic.twitter.com/aquSrIfaIn

— z – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) May 10, 2024

— The Avalanche need to stop hurting themselves. Throughout the night, the Avalanche had six penalties and gave the Stars five power play chances. Dallas was able to convert on two of those five chances. The Avalanche could have easily prevented four out of the six penalties. Nathan MacKinnon and Josh Manson both threw the puck over the net, incurring a delay of game penalties. The Avalanche were penalized not only once, but twice, for having too many men on the ice. Watch who you are changing for. I get it, you are trying to gain that extra step, but this has become a recurring problem for Colorado in the playoffs.

Heiskanen with his second of the game on the Walker penalty #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/XiR7ApEdOi

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 10, 2024

— There was a very questionable hit in the second period by Jamie Benn on Devon Toews. As Toews was going around the net with his head down and shoulder lowered, Benn slammed into him. The impact of the hit drove Toews’ head into Wyatt Johnston’s chest, causing whiplash. Officials would review the play and not make a call, but Toews had to leave the game for a short time for concussion protocol. The play itself was dangerous on both ends. Toews had his head down and Benn made contact very close to the head.

Jaime Benn nails Devon Toews with his head down….. there is no penalty on the play. Toews has left the bench for the locker room #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zy7suMfDHm

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 10, 2024

Full quote from #Avs coach Jared Bednar about the Jamie Benn hit on Devon Toews … pic.twitter.com/0yEWK1OncJ

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) May 10, 2024

— The three-goal comebacks are not sustainable. The Avalanche have five comeback wins where they were down by three goals. This is more than any other team this year. It is also not a good way to play hockey. It is always exhausting to trail and fight your way back.

Duhaime gets his first career playoff goal with an assist by the equipment staff! Avs down by 2. Cogliano as the only assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/goCKdy1bau

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 10, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche will need to clean up the penalties that only hurt themselves and help the Stars. Dallas is converting their power play chances at a 30.3 percent rate, the fourth highest of playoff teams. The ice was an issue because of the heat in Dallas today, Colorado will have to take advantage of the faster ice when they get home. The Avalanche will need to score early and often. Scoring early and gaining momentum will make them unstoppable. The Avalanche will meet the Stars again for game three on Saturday night in Denver.

The post Avalanche comeback falls short in loss to Stars appeared first on The Rink.

With his 19th postseason goal, Cale makes franchise history.#GoAvsGo | #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/GXRgqvcztd

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 8, 2024

Takeaways

— It took the whole first period for the entire team to get back to game pace. During the first period, the Avalanche were keeping up, mostly; they just lacked that extra step. They were failing to do a lot of the things that have given them success to this point. That is part of the reason Dallas got the three goal lead. Colorado was having at some points even getting out of their own zone, allowing Dallas extended looks on Georgiev and wearing him out early.

MacKinnon and Rantanen get caught behind the net, and the puck gets taken away for the Stars' first tally #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/9oQdRCJxEl

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 8, 2024

— The Avalanche needed to shut down the neutral zone and do it quickly. The whole first period, the Stars had no issue with puck movement through the neutral zone. Once the Avalanche shut that down in the second, Dallas only got three shots on goal in the middle frame and four in the third frame. It had to become a total team effort, forwards were back checking and defensemen were forechecking. This would pinch the play to a point of a turnover and Avalanche control of the puck.

— Georgiev, despite a rocky start to the game, saved the day in overtime. He had to come through with six key saves to keep the Avalanche in the game, including a massive cross-crease save to steal the game. His .667 save percentage in the first period would improve to .864. It is something that still needs improvement, but he shined at the right times in the overtime win.

What a save! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/2gjaaLkevT

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 8, 2024

— Miles Wood tallied his third goal of this playoff campaign. It was also his first career overtime goal in either the regular season or playoffs. Wood has become a key piece to the depth of the Avalanche with his speed through the neutral zone, very similar to Logan O’Connor. Wood’s ability to put pressure on a man with the puck has become his bread and butter.

MILES WOOD WINS IT IN OT AND THE AVS TAKE A 1-0 LEAD IN THE SERIES!!!!#Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/IDReLrvPWe

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 8, 2024

Miles Wood isn't the only person in his family to score an overtime goal in the #StanleyCup Playoffs. His father, Randy, achieved the feat in Game 6 of the 1995 Conference Quarterfinals with Toronto.#NHLStats: https://t.co/ySXOlNynHI pic.twitter.com/uICAqS8EXO

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) May 8, 2024

Conclusion

If the Avalanche can come out with all cylinders firing on Thursday night, it should be more of an evenly matched game. The Stars will have a little more trouble getting to the net and the Avalanche can push the play a little harder earlier in the game. Georgiev has shaken off some of the rust and hopefully got that one terrible game out of the way. History has told the Avalanche the key to the series with Dallas is not to let it get past five games.

The post Wood has career moment to win in OT for Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

It doesn't take long for Nichushkin to strike back after a feed from Toews and Rantanen. We have a tie game #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/dAUvX2ivdX

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 1, 2024

Takeaways

— Nichushkin and Lehkonen led the way for the Avalanche. They are the only set of teammates to have five-game goal streaks to open the playoffs. Tonight, Lehkonen was credited with a goal that Neal Pionk deflected. Nichushkin opened the scoring for the Avalanche in the first period. Both have been essential to the team and four-game win streak Colorado had to take the series.

Nichushkin and Lehkonen have been quite the goal-scoring duo for the @Avalanche pic.twitter.com/WoX0U85138

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 1, 2024

Lehkonen gets credit for a goal after the puck bounces off of Pionk and into his own goal #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WJA7eZge2I

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 1, 2024

— Scoring came from all around the team, not just the top-three or top-six. Goals came from 12 different skaters during the series. Two of them, Yakov Trenin and Casey Mittelstadt, are trade deadline acquisitions. Zach Parise, who had to step into the first-line role with Jonathan Drouin injured, had two goals. Eleven players provided assists in the series as well, proving even more that scoring is being spread out.

Yakov Trenin gets his own rebound and buries the goal to gain the lead for the Avs. Manson is the only assist at the moment #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Z3PasEdJhz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 1, 2024

— Alexandar Georgiev proved everyone wrong. Everyone was calling for the man’s head after a game one disaster, but he shut out the noise. If anything, Georgiev used the criticism as fuel to fire. He allowed seven goals in the first game and has not allowed over three goals every game thereafter. He would finish the series with a .900 save percentage and 3.03 goals allowed an average. That is high, but with the rate that the Avalanche are scoring, it is more manageable than seven.

Conclusion

The Avalanche fan base was extremely worried after game one in the series. Now they are the most confident I have ever seen them. Georgiev has improved to win the hearts of the fans back. The depth soring is some of the best that we have seen since…well 2022. Am I saying that this will be the year again? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Colorado is playing some of the best hockey that they have all year. The Avalanche now will head home and await the results of the Vegas-Dallas series. Who would you prefer?

The post Avalanche move on to second round in playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Player Name Link= either puckpedia.com or eliteprospects.com

Any other link= original announcement of the contract signing or announcement of movement

Arrivals – Forwards

— Jere Innala — Signed a one-year, entry-level contract on June 13, 2024.

— Chase Bradley — Signed a two-year, entry-level contract on July 1, 2024.

— T.J. Tynan — Signed a one-year contract through 2024–25 on July 1, 2024. 

— Jayson Megna — Signed a two-year, one-way AHL contract on July 9, 2024 through the 2025–26 season. 

— Matthew Phillips — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche worth $775,000 at the NHL level on August 9, 1024.

Forwards

— Oskar Olausson — Second year of three-year, entry-level contract started in 2022-23.

— Nikolai Kovalenko —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Jean-Luc Foudy — Third year of three-year, entry-level contract started in 2021-22.

— Ondrej Pavel —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Matt Steinburg —  Second year of two-year, entry-level contract started in 2023-24.

— Ivan Ivan —  First year of  two-year entry-level contract signed on March 5, 2024.

— Chris Wagner —  One-year, two-way contract signed on April 3, 2024.

— Chad Hillebrand — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will have an AHL contract for 2024-25.

— Jason Polin — Avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, two way contract on July 5, 2024. 

— Tye Felhaber — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

—  Keaton Mastrodonato — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

— Briley Wood — Had signed an amateur tryout agreement on April 16, 2024. It was announced that he had an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

— Neil Shea — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

—  Nikita Prishchepov — Signed a three-year entry-level contract on October 6, 2024. 

—   Mark Senden —  Signed a two-way AHL contract and was reported to be on the Eagles’ roster on October 2, 2024. The terms are unclear.

Free agents – Forwards

— Dalton Smith — Will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. 

— Peter Holland — Will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1st. 

Departures – Forwards

— Henry Bowlby — contract mutually terminated to join Rögle BK of the SHL on November 9, 2023.

— Ben Meyers — Traded to the Anaheim Ducks on March 8, 2024.

— Brett Stapley — Has agreed to a contract with HK Dukla Trenčín of the Slovak Extraliga on May 29, 2024.

— Brandon Cutler — Has signed a contract with EC Kassel Huskies of the DEL2 in Germany on June 17, 2024. 

— Maros Jedlicka —  Had signed an amateur tryout agreement with the Colorado Eagles on April 18, 2024 and did not play any games while in Loveland. Jedlika chose to return to his junior organization on June 18, 2024 and play for HC Kometa Brno of the Tipsport Extraliga in Czechia.

— D.J. Busdeker — Signed a contract with the Augsburg Panthers of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL) in Germany on June 26, 2024. 

— Alex Beaucage —  He was not given a qualified offer by the Colorado Avalanche. Beaucage signed a one-year, one-way AHL contract with the Laval Rocket (MTL) on July 9, 2024. 

— Riley Tufte —  Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Boston Bruins organization on July 1, 2024.

— Spencer Smallman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Washington Capitals on July 2, 2024.

— Cédric Paré — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs on July 2, 2024. 

— Cal Burke — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Vegas Golden Knights on July 2, 2024.

— Tanner Kero — Signed a one-year contract with HV71 of the SHL in Sweden on July 5, 2024. 

— Fredrik Olofsson — signed a two-year contract with EV Zug of the National League in Switzerland on July 8, 2024.

— Ryan Sandelin — Signed a one-year, two-way AHL contract with the Iowa Wild (MIN) on July 11, 2024.

Arrivals- Defenseman

— Jacob MacDonald — Returns to the organization on a two-year, two-way contract signed on July 1, 2024. 

— Calle Rosen — Returns to the organization for one-year, two-way contract that was signed on July 1, 2024.

— Bryan Yoon — Signed a one-year AHL contract on August 12, 2024.

—  Devante Stephens — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 18, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

— Connor Mayer — It was announced that he had signed an AHL contract on September 12, 2024, but the terms were unclear. 

Defensemen

— Garrett Pyke — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a two-year AHL contract through 2025-26.

— Sean Behrens — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a three-year entry-level contract in 2024-25.

— Keaton Middleton — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on February 25, 2023.

— Jack Ahcan — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on July 1, 2023.

— Sam Malinski — Final year of a two-year, two-way contract signed on March 30, 2023.

— Saige Weinstein — Will start a three-year entry-level contract that was signed on October 6, 2023.

— Wyatt Aamodt — Avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche on July 2, 2024. 

—  Derek Daschke — Signed a two-way AHL contract and was reported to be on the Eagles’ roster on October 2, 2024. The terms are unclear.

Departures – Defenseman

— Graham Sward— Had signed an amateur tryout agreement on April 16, 2024. The Avalanche lost rights to Sward on June 1st because he was not signed to an entry-level contract. Sward is now considered a free agent and able to sign with any team he chooses to.

— Josh Wesley —  Signed with HC Pustertal of the ICEHL in Italy on June 25, 2024.

— Gianni Fairbrother — He was not given a qualified offer by the Colorado Avalanche and hit the free market on July 1st. He signed a one-year contract with the Utah Grizzlies on September 3, 2024.  

— Nate Clurman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Pittsburgh Penguins organization on July 1, 2024. 

— Corey Schueneman — Signed a one-year, two-way contract with the St. Louis Blues on July 2, 2024.

— Kyle Mayhew — Signed a one-year contract with the Fort Wayne Komets (EDM) of the ECHL on July 16, 2024.

— Brad Hunt —  Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Hershey Bears (WSH) on August 2, 2024. 

— Michael Underwood —Signed a one-year ECHL contract with the Savannah Ghost Pirates on September 26, 2024. 

Goaltenders

— Trent Miner — Signed a one-year, two-way contract for the year 2024-25 on May 21, 2024.

— Jake Barczewski — Completed an amateur try-out agreement and will start a one-year AHL contract through 2024-25.

Additions – Goaltenders

— Kevin Mandolese — The Avalanche acquired his RFA rights on July 15, 2024. He officially signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Avalanche on July 16, 2024.

— Adam Scheel —  Signed a one-year AHL contract on July 30, 2024.

Departures – Goaltenders

— Arvid Holm — Has signed a three-year contract with Rögle BK of the SHL in Europe as of May 10, 2024. He was previously a Group 6 unrestricted free agent.

— Garrett Metcalf — forced into retirement due to health concerns after signing a one-year AHL contract on July 26, 2023.

— Ivan Prosvetov — Signed a three-year contract with CSKA of the KHL on August 1, 2024. 

Additions – Coaching Staff

— Dan Hinote — Joins the Avalanche organization again as an Associate Head Coach, taking Steve Konowalchuk’s place, on July 17, 2024. 

— Matt Zaba — Joins the organization as the new goaltending coach to replace Peter Budaj on August 7, 2024.

— Kim Weiss — After serving as a guest coach throughout the season and Development Camp, the organization has hired her to replace Hunter Diehl on August 7, 2024.

Departures – Coaching Staff

— Steve Konowalchuk — Associate head coach of the Eagles has been hired as head coach of the Springfield Thunderbirds (STL) as of May 20, 2024. 

— Peter Budaj — the goaltending coach left for an opportunity to join coach Greg Cronin in Anaheim with the Ducks on July 10, 2024. 

— Hunter Diehl — Has left the Eagles after accepting a new role as Director of Hockey Operations at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst on July 22, 2024.

Updated October 7, 2024 12:37 PM MT

The post Colorado Eagles offseason player tracker: 2024 appeared first on The Rink.

EAGLES WIN EAGLES WIN EAGLES WIN! Brad Hunt throws it from the blue-line for the game winner with the assist by Chris Wagner! Foudy with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Q9DykbvUNK

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

Takeaways

— The Eagles started the game strong and continued the pressure through the entire game. Colorado did not take a period or two to get their feet going like they did in game one. From the moment the puck dropped, they played fast. The Eagles continued their forecheck, and that has made them successful all season long. In the neutral zone, Cal Burke created a turnover, and from the slot, Nikolai Kovalenko showcased his talent with a snapshot. The Eagles used everything that made them successful through the entire season and it guided them to victory.

Cal Burke steals the puck and runs into the zone with a nice backhand shot for his second of the playoffs. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/at03wxJYRO

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

“I thought we were skating pressuring, creating some fantastic offensive plays,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “We made some nice plays getting out of [the zone to] create some odd man rushes. To start it wasn’t exactly the start we wanted, of course, we would have liked to have held on and not put the stress on ourselves into overtime, but that’s playoffs.”

KOVALENKO GOAL ALERT! Brad Hunt with some pressure in the zone and drops it to Kovalenko for the goal. Burke with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/DnIllomvZh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

— The defense needed to tighten up in a lot of situations. The Canucks crawled their way back from a 4–1 deficit to tie the game in the third. They were having issues clearing the puck and keeping traffic away from Ivan Prosvetov. The tying goal by Akito Hirose left him wide open in the high-danger zone and available for his own rebound. On the bright side, the defense did shut down the slot. Sheldon Dries has killed the Eagles from there all year long, including last game.

Hirose there to clean up the loose puck as Prosvetov attempts to dive back and cover the puck. Tied at 4. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/MUlZaeMy0U

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 27, 2024

Sean Behrens

Sean Behrens has now played in his second pro game in the organization. His first game against Ontario was a 7–3 blowout loss, but there were positives. He got his first pro point as an assist and the nerves out of the way. The difference in how Behrens was skating from the first to the second was like night and day. He became more mobile and confident in the action. To see his progress in just half of a game was outstanding. I can’t wait to see when he gets a chance for a few games consistently.

“I thought I was a little bit slow the first period of that first game but I think as the game went on, I did a good job adjusting and started moving my feet a little bit more,” said Behrens. “And you know, I feel like I’m more likely gonna adjust and keep up with the pace and be able to find success.”

Conclusion

The Eagles used every tool in their toolbox tonight. They were heavy on the forecheck, heavy along the boards, and pushed the play into the zone. These factors, combined with their speed, led to their success in the overtime win. If they can keep up this type of play and tighten up the defense, they will move onto the next round. Colorado plays again on Sunday afternoon in Loveland to wrap up the series. This time it will be do or die.

Interviews

The post Eagles avoid elimination with OT win against Abbotsford appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles could not get any sustained pressure in the Canucks’ zone. They had their moments, but Colorado did not have a time where they had to make any changes on the fly. When they were fully engaged, several players had difficulty maintaining control of the puck. The forecheck (except for one play) in the offensive zone was almost non-existent as well.

An odd man rush by the Canucks leads to a fantastic save by Prosvetov #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/GRFmA0QvS6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

“It looked like we were a little nervous,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “I felt like, didn’t see big pockets of our structure and our pace and our skating. It looked like we were on our heels a bit, trying to make perfect plays. And I gotta give a lot of credit to habits for putting a lot of pressure on us forces into making some decisions we usually can handle and make some mistakes, few individual errors and coverage and Instructure that gave them some big opportunities.”

Former Avs/Eagles forward Sheldon Dries strikes from the slot to take the lead for Abbotsford #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0dousrYH5Q

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

— The power play converted on its first attempt and went silent afterwards. The first power play that Colorado had in the game started out very slow. It even was getting some screams from the fans as passes were not connecting. With under ten seconds left, Cal Burke could finish the attempt. After that, their second, third and fourth power plays were in shambles. They could not enter the zone and passes did not connect. Only a few shots made it to the net to cause a problem for Abbotsford.

Cal Burke

— Cal Burke has been a bright light at the end of the season despite everything that he has gone through. Burke had to leave the team several times because his mother had passed away from cancer. Despite this, he has always had a smile on his face in the hallways and talks. In his last ten games, Burke has 11 points (four goals and seven assists). He has brought a spark to the offense that has been necessary.

What started as a slow PP turned out great with a Cal Burke goal. Assisted by Ahcan and Malinski #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/TnvM8mEWMn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

“He’s been outstanding,” said Schneekloth. “I mean, for the adversity that he’s gone through this year, to stay focused and keep his mind right when he shows up to the rink is credit to who he is as a person. How serious he takes his game and how he wants to maximize his performance every single night. He’s the guy that lays it out on the ice every single shift.”

Tanner Kero with some relentless pressure to steal the puck and get it in front to Ivan Ivan for the equalizer. Wyatt Aamodt with the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zYLMQx6rH6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 25, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now face elimination with the loss in a best of three series. They will have to put their nerves aside and meet the Canucks every step of the way on Friday night. If they do not, their season is over. The Eagles need more sustained pressure in the zone and to play a heavier game as well. Coach Schneekloth should have nothing to be ashamed of this season. He stepped into a role, knowing the challenges, and took them head on. He led Colorado to a fourth place finish in the division and kept the playoff streak alive.

Interviews

The post Eagles lose game one, face elimination appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Alexandar Georgiev needed to have a “prove me wrong” game, and he did. During game one, Georgiev had a save percentage of .696, in game two he turned it around to .933. Georgiev knew if he had another performance like game one, the crease would be open. The problem is, in the playoffs, once you make a change that early, you can’t go back. Georgiev showed why he had a league-leading 38 wins this season. He knew what he needed to do and did it.

THE JETS RETAKE THE LEAD AND THE CROWD GOES WILD pic.twitter.com/Xbuh5RiZH7

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 24, 2024

— The Avalanche depth activated by providing five of the 11 points scored by skaters tonight. Ross Colton had a surprising face-off win right to Miles Wood to shock Conor Hellebuyck. It would be the beginning of a shift in the Avalanche’s momentum. And the bottom-six players accomplished it. Yakov Trenin also handled a turnover to Andrew Cogliano. Zach Parise would get the goal, but the hard work paid off.

Miles Wood straight off the face-off win from Ross Colton ties the game! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ESTVDMLiDO

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 24, 2024

Zach Parise scores with a nearly empty net after a chance created by Yakov Trenin and his strong forecheck. Andrew Cogliano credited with the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/3Dc6FOuqyB

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 24, 2024

— Special teams came through tonight. In game one, the penalty killing unit of Colorado killed just one out of the two penalties. That one goal ended up being the difference in the loss. Tonight the penalty killing unit killed all three power plays that Winnipeg had. Artturi Lehkonen was blocking shots and taking charge. He definitely stood out on both ends of the ice tonight.

Conclusion

Colorado needed this game, not only to tie the series, but for their confidence as well. As the game went along, Georgiev grew more confident in his movements, but it still needs work. The offense needed a boost from top to bottom and they got it tonight. If they can continue this type of play, it will be a competitive series. The Avalanche will fly home and play again on Friday night at 8 PM in Denver.

The post Georgiev redeems himself in Avalanche victory appeared first on The Rink.

A fantastic save by Barczewski but Middleton slashes on the play #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/gWavpJ6AuL

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Takeaways

— Nikolai Kovalenko is getting more comfortable on North American ice and at altitude. He was taking a lot longer shifts tonight compared to the previous two games, showing that he was building a tolerance. Kovalenko was more than willing to dig into the corners and make plays along the walls as well. This tells me he is adjusting to the smaller ice surface (200×85 compared to 200×100). Previous games, Kovalenko was staying towards the center of the ice, away from the walls.

“It’s hard for me first when I come,” Kovalenko said. “So every time it was just like I just started training. I feel like I am in no condition, like I was on vacation for two months and I feel like, what the hell? But I keep training every time in the gym with the trainer and I will be better at every game.”

— Behrens was understandably hesitant during the first period of the game. But as time passed, you could see that he was getting more comfortable. He was playing in a new system and with a new defensive partner (Jack Ahcan), so I can’t blame him. Behrens may not want to admit it, but for the first period, there is no trust until you get to know your partner. Once that happened, he started throwing shots towards the net and even drove the net.

One of the best shots the defense has so far in the game and it comes from Sean Behrens #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OQkq6NCxsP

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

Holland breaks the shutout but most importantly…. Sean Behrens gets his first pro point on the play!!!!! Foudy with secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zztgGVoop6

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 21, 2024

— Discipline killed the Eagles. Although they were weak calls in the first period, Ontario scored on two out of three of the power plays. The Reign would convert two more throughout the night as the penalty kill unit suffered. Not being penalized could have improved the Eagles’ chances of success.

Turcs x2!#ReignTrain | #ONTvsCOL pic.twitter.com/pHG5GwH2ML

— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) April 21, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles are now in a desperate state. They play their last game tomorrow and Abbotsford won tonight. As the standings sit at this moment, they are out-of-home ice. They MUST win in order to gain it back, or they will play the first round on the road. The veterans that are left need to take charge of the young players in the room and calm them down. Tomorrow at 3pm, they must win against Ontario one last time, it is a do-or-die situation.

The post Behrens makes pro debut in Eagles’ loss appeared first on The Rink.

Wishing you all the best in retirement, Frankie!

Thank you for all you've done for this organization. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/EzgR5yFMPA

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 19, 2024

History

For some in Northern Colorado, he is a legend. In his first year with the Eagles, Francouz helped lead the team to the playoffs. Frankie played 49 games in Loveland with a 27–17–4 record. The chants of “Frankie” would echo throughout the Budweiser Event Center after he made a great save.He played so well in his first year in North America that he earned himself the backup role in Denver the following season.

Playing behind Philipp Grubauer, Francouz saw almost equal time in the crease as a backup his first year. Surprisingly, Francouz would have a better goals allowed average than Grubauer.

Afterwards, the “Bubble” of Covid unfolded. Grubauer went down to injury, forcing Francouz to take the starting role. And the worst happened. The injured Czech was replaced by the third string goalie. The injury would keep Francouz out of action for several months. It took him nearly three months to return to action.

The 2020-21 season for Francouz turned into a complete loss. The injury he got in the bubble was diagnosed as a hip injury. It would require double hip surgery and missing the entire season.

Francouz would come back stronger, as he helped lead the Avalanche to a Stanley Cup Final and victory in 2022. With starting goalie Darcy Kuemper sidelined because of an eye injury, Francouz took over and excelled in the net for seven games. He would record a 6–0–0 record, which included one shutout in game two of the Western Conference Finals.

A lower-body injury in November 2023 would knock the goaltender out of competition for the entire season and the Avalanche would place him on long-term injured reserve. According to Ondrej Mach, Francouz had informed the club that he was going to retire during the summer.

What he is doing now

“All of a sudden I’m sitting here and I’m done,” Francouz told reporters. “It was fun, even if it was hard and complicated at times. Amazing times. I am grateful to ice hockey for the wonderful experiences,”

What Pavel Francouz said to the Czech media today?

Pavel actually informed #Avs about his retirement at the end of last summer (He had little worries what they would tell him but it went good, they get it his body has some limits)
He didn’t want to continue in taking pills…

— Eurolanche (@Eurolanche) April 19, 2024

Despite all of his injuries, “Frankie” brought Denver so much joy in the summer of 2022. If it weren’t for him, the Avalanche may have never won the Cup. He gave his body for the Cup. Now he has daily knee problems from so many years of playing a game. He is still involved with the organization. Goalie scouting is something Francouz enjoys and wants to continue.

Bothered by several injuries, 2022 Stanley Cup champion Pavel Francouz announced his retirement. He is going to be an analyst in Czechia for the upcoming World Championships https://t.co/mjF3iEuMDF

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 19, 2024

The post Francouz announces retirement appeared first on The Rink.

Chris Wagner finishes the play after a pass from Peter Holland and Jason Polin to put the Eagles back up by 2 #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/7qCBE4a9iJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

Takeaways

— I am sure you all want to know about Nikolai Kovalenko. Tonight, he was not as much of a factor. He was playing on the tail end of back-to-back and at altitude. His positioning is solid, he just lacks some defense. He seems to float into the defensive zone a lot and fail to backcheck. It is understandable that he was tired tonight. He hasn’t played games since March 7th. His KHL team got knocked out of the playoffs when he got injured.

Kovalenko is unfazed by a Gull coming straight at him in the open ice #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/OsNLJ6zymB

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

“I thought he created a little bit more last night,” said head coach Aaron Schneekloth. “Obviously a little bit tighter checking game tonight a little more physical on their part. They didn’t seem to have a lot of open space that they had, but I liked his tenacity. You know he had a real good, real good shot and follow up on his rebound that he almost connected on he has got a good stick. It was good for him to experience back-to-back and fight through one of these games.”

— The forechecking game for the Eagles was non-existent for the first part of the game. Last night, the Eagles were laying the forecheck on the Gulls nonstop. Tonight it did not start until later in the second. That is when the game turned around for Colorado and they could push the play more into the offensive zone. The forecheck would directly lead to a goal by defenseman Corey Schuenenman after Ryan Sandelin pushed the play hard into the boards. It made an enormous difference in the game for Colorado.

Ryan Sandelin forces a turnover at the wall for Spencer Smallman to pick up and toss to the blue-line for Corey Schueneman. Eagles go ahead 2-1 #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/pJ0s0BvOo1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

— Keaton Middleton has been a genuine leader on and off the ice this season. Several players, Sam Malinski included, have praised his leadership abilities. Tonight, Middleton scored his first career short-handed goal in the AHL and did not even know it. You can always see him directing traffic for the forwards and teaching the younger defenseman what to do. He wears the ”A” with pride on his chest.

“I don’t do anything different. I just kind of always been like that. I’m just who I am. I’m a vocal guy, and just how it’s always gonna be,” Middleton said.

This was Keaton Middleton's first career short handed goal #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/iTElDBhwP4

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 18, 2024

Conclusion

The Colorado Eagles go into this weekend two points over the Abbotsford Canucks and with home ice. If Abbotsford loses just one game, and same with Bakersfield, Colorado clinches home ice for the first round. Abbotsford, against whom the Eagles have a 4-2-2 record this season, seems to be the likely first round opponent. The last two games against them got pretty rough, so it could be a long two or three games. The Eagles will look to take care of their side of things again on Saturday night against the Ontario Reign in Loveland.

Interviews

The post Eagles one step closer to home ice in playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

Nikolai Kovalenko is wearing number 51 for sure and will be playing LW on the first line centered by Olofsson and Foudy on the RW. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/jeoxc9vkJZ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

Takeaways

— Kovalenko is vicious around the net. Given the opportunity, he loves to go right for a screen around the net. The defense would, of course, beat him up, but Kovalenko was good at taking the punishment. His speed through the zone is getting there, since he looks like he is still adjusting to the altitude. Kovalenko’s hands are fast and deceptive. The Russian-American can slip a puck between his legs with ease. And last but not least, his vision is impeccable. He sees a play coming before it there.

Kovalenko with some hard work into the zone and gains his first assist in North America!!!! Fouldy finishes up with the goal and Olofsson with the primary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/j7kW8oabqp

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

A nifty move by Kovalenko to get around the man as he enters the zone and open up some space #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/6TVzd7h04u

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

“He was tenacious on the forecheck and he had a great stick,” said head coach Aaron Scneekloth. “I thought he worked in space really well and created a lot of offense. I kept his game pretty simple but took advantage of some opportunities when he saw them and made a lot of really nice plays offensively for us.”

— The Eagles snapped a zero for 26 slump on the power play. Tonight, they took advantage of the one opportunity they were given by moving the puck well. They had a few shots and finally converted as Cal Burke slammed his second of the night in. Tonight they looked as if they went back to the basics and it worked.

Cal Burke hammers the shot and breaks the PP drought after the set up Cedric Paré #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/N3VJBU4vrv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 17, 2024

— Arvid Holm was stellar in only his third start in the AHL since January 20th. Holm unfortunately lost the goalie battle with Trent Miner when Justus Annunen went down to injury, but took advantage tonight. The Swedish goaltender earned his first shutout of the season to help the Eagles crawl back to fourth place in the Pacific Division.

Conclusion

With the win, the Eagles slid back into the fourth spot in the division and back into a home ice position. As of right now, they have designated Loveland as the location for all three games of a best of three. If Colorado can beat San Diego again tomorrow, that will only help their case. Maybe the Colorado Avalanche could recall Kovalenko, but I think giving him one more game would be the best option. Colorado holds their own fate in their hands as they play the Gulls tomorrow night at 7pm.

Interviews

The post Kovalenko makes North American debut with Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Defense was tighter and played more to their position tonight. Despite the loss of Sam Malinski to an upper-body injury last night, the defense overall were giving up fewer chances. They were forcing the Roadrunners out past the faceoff dots and taking away quality shots. This made the job for Ivan Prosvetov a lot easier than he could shut down the posts. And because of this, Prosvetov looked calmer in the net compared to last night, where he looked panicked.

Prosvetov with a miraculous save to keep the Roadrunners scoreless! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NRd1ObQC1Q

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 14, 2024

— The Eagles have now scored one or fewer goals in 20 of 68 of their games this season. It is not just the power play that is a problem; it is even strength, too. Colorado cannot consistently put the puck into the net. You can say that injuries have been an enormous factor to this. Jean-Luc Foudy missed over half of the season with multiple injuries. Right as he was getting hot, Oskar Olausson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that sidelined him. Joel Kiviranta had a hot stick and then Artturi Lehkonen got hurt and the Eagles have not seen him since. Their big guns can’t get into a rhythm, unfortunately.

Corey Schueneman with the one timer to tie it back up! Cal Burke with the setup after running around the back of the net. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/TuSEy6BGZO

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 14, 2024

— The team’s failure to follow up with shots to the net could also be attributed to the lack of offense. In both last night’s game and tonight, Matthew Villalta was horrible at holding onto the puck. He was constantly giving secondary chances that the Eagles were not taking advantage of. Colorado was not following their own shots to the net and getting the secondary chances.

We'll give it a ten from Ben #LetsGoTucson https://t.co/mNNWSxAnws pic.twitter.com/69RauygaAQ

— Tucson Roadrunners (@RoadrunnersAHL) April 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now are on a gradual slide in the wrong direction. They have lost four of their last six games, all have been key games to keeping the playoff position. With only four games remaining in the schedule, Colorado MUST win all of them in order to get home ice back. That success may depend on how quickly Malinski, Matthew Stienburg, Jason Polin and Tanner Kero all can come back to the lineup. The Eagles will come home to Loveland on Tuesday to play the San Diego Gulls and hopefully pull a win out.

The post Eagles fall short once again; losing home ice appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Sam Malinski did not play beyond the first period in the game. This will be a significant loss on the blue line for the Eagles and possibly for the Colorado Avalanche as well. About halfway through the first frame, Malinski laid a massive hit in the corner. He seemed fine after that, but never returned to the game after the intermission. Malinski provides a spark on the backend and the power play despite his rookie status. He has five goals and 20 assists in 45 games played with the Eagles this season.

Sam Malinski just sent him to another world….#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KbzeaphAgn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 13, 2024

— The power play continues to suffer. As the Eagles could not convert the three opportunities they had tonight, it would have made the difference in the game. The power play has been a topic of conversation. Colorado has not converted in their last 25 chances in the eight games. Even strength scoring has been falling short with a 5–3–1–1 record in their last ten games.

Cal Burke drives the puck into the zone and throws it over to Corey Schueneman and a tap pass for Ryan Sandelin to push into the back of the net. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/76gjFkVPL0

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 13, 2024

The physical game tonight highlighted the absence of Matthew Stienburg and Jason Polin. Both the forwards, who did not play because of upper-body injuries, play a very physical brand of hockey. Polin can spark the offense into the zone and Stienburg is a third line grinder. Both know how to lay a shoulder into a man and let someone know they are there to take the puck away.

Jason Polin is a MENACE #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/oDqv7U0jaw

— x – Barstool Denver (@BarstoolDenver) September 16, 2023

Matt Stienburg lays a man over the boards and into the benches. He immediately gets jumped by 2 Canucks as a result. Ends in a Eagles PP. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SSQwn5vuww

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

Conclusion

With the loss, Colorado now falls to fifth in the standings and will start the playoffs on the road. In the Pacific Division, the home team’s arena hosts the entire first round. There is no travel. So if the Eagles lose that advantage, this will be huge. Injuries are piling up at the worst possible time. Starting goalie Trent Miner has no expected return date and Dalton Smith (another grinder) is expecting a baby. Tanner Kero, a top-six forward, is out with an upper-body injury and has no expected return date either. The Eagles will battle the Roadrunners again tomorrow night at 8pm.

The post Malinski potentially hurt in Eagles loss appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— MacKinnon went into tonight with 133 points so far this season, six points shy of Peter Stastny’s record of 139. The Canadian had four games to tie or break the record… tonight MacKinnon made sure that he will probably pass it. He racked up four points with a hat trick and an assist. It was his seventh career hat trick, trailing only Stastny (16), Joe Sakic (15), and Michel Goulet (13). The second goal of the night was MacKinnon’s 50th goal, which is the first time that he reached the mark in his career.

MacKinnon reads the play perfectly and is now one goal away from his first 50 goal season in his career #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5C7iOzbCyc

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

MACKINNON NOW HAS SCORED 50 GOALS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS CAREER! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/kC0Ic9xQAi

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

MACKINNON HATTIE ALERT!!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/fC7d11LSiz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

— Cale Makar continues to be more than just a great defenseman. Makar has exceeded his points from the 2021-22 year (86). The young defenseman now has 87 points in 74 games played for the Avalanche this season. With the goal scored in the second period, Makar is the first blue liner for the Avalanche to have two 20-goal seasons.

Cale Makar with a twisted wrister to get the lead back for the Avs and now has 87 pts…..as a defenseman! #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4A0gzBFRRx

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

— Alexandar Georgiev continues to puzzle me with some of his decisions. The first goal by the Wild, Georgiev, was pushing the puck into traffic rather than covering it for a stoppage. I have never played goalie (it is the only position I haven’t), but he had it right on his stick and could have fallen on it. These types of decisions are the ones that worry me this late in the season.

Another day another Kirill goal #mnwild pic.twitter.com/aA5Tsktteb

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 10, 2024

Conclusion

I understand the Wild are not much of a playoff team, but the performance from Colorado tonight is what we expect. Players had their heads up for the passes and they were rushing out of the zone for the breakout. This made it a lot easier for Colorado to exit their own zone and get through the neutral zone. If they can perform like this against Winnipeg on Saturday, they should have no issues. The Avalanche could take a four point lead over the Jets and trail the Stars by only three points.

The post Both MacKinnon and Makar have milestone nights against Wild appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The special teams unit needs to hold the game when the game is tight. Sean Walker had a double minor for high-sticking and the Stars took advantage of both of the minor penalties. Overall, The Stars went three for three on the power play, scoring all of them in the second period. The Avalanche went only one for two with a sweet pass from Nathan MacKinnon to Artturi Lehkonen. The Finish winger has quietly gotten up to a five-game point streak with the goal.

Seguin makes the Avs pay again for the high stick #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/nJT1Ibi2iL

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 8, 2024

Lehkonen nails a one-timer through the five hole to even up the game with the assists coming from Makar and MacKinnon #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/vsG9wGEoOH

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 8, 2024

— The offense tonight suffered from the absence of Mikko Rantanen. Rantanen, who is now in concussion protocol after the Edmonton loss, has played in every game to this point. He drives the offense on the right wing and sets up the power play. Rantanen typically handled much of the faceoffs on the left side, so another person had to compensate for his absence.

— Defensive positioning killed the entire team tonight. In almost every goal, the Avalanche defense was out of position. Samuel Girard went too high into the zone on Wyatt Johnston’s goal, drawing him out of position. Then he failed to get his stick on the ice quickly enough to clear the puck. Cale Makar’s lack of readiness caught him flat-footed several times, forcing him to slide in order to block the pass. Something that is not ideal for a defenseman.

This is why you dont do the wave at hockey games #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5Wn1N0RcFw

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 8, 2024

— Alexandar Georgiev has been on a downward slide lately. In the last five games, he has managed only one (against New York) when it was above a .900 save percentage. Now this is not all Georgiev’s fault, but he is the last line of defense.

Conclusion

The Avalanche are having no issue scoring goals; it is getting scored on that is their problem. With only four games remaining until the playoffs start, this is a big problem to have. Colorado needs to tighten up the defense and make sure pucks are not getting to Georgiev. The last four games will not be easy ones either, as three out of four of the teams are in the playoffs. The Avalanche will rest up a little when they play the Minnesota Wild again on Tuesday night in Denver.

The post Stars outpace Avalanche in Central Division battle appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles played outstanding as a team for the first ten minutes of the game. Then things fell apart. Jean-Luc Foudy sent the puck over to Sam Malinski, who then rifled it on the net, leaving a rebound. Spencer Smallman picked the loose puck up and the Eagles were ahead 1–0. At the ten-minute mark, Colorado led in shots on goal 11–4 and continued to apply pressure. Then the Silver Knight’s first goal came as a complete fluke, and it all fell apart from there.

Holland wins the draw while Foudy and Malinski work the puck towards the net. Spencer Smallman finishes the job. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WzCNWjomya

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 6, 2024

This has to be one of the craziest goals I have ever seen #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Z4eHyyTunu

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 6, 2024

— The blue liners had issues holding the line this afternoon, and it showed. Just three minutes after the fluke goal, a missed pass at the point led to a breakaway by Byron Froese and an easy backhand shot over a diving Ivan Prasvetov. There were many chances for the Silver Knights throughout the game like this, but this one put them ahead. The Eagles never scored after that.

backhand Byron breakaway pic.twitter.com/gJmYyBbvw1

— Henderson Silver Knights (@HSKnights) April 6, 2024

— Colorado had four chances on the power play and could not convert on any of the chances. Not that they didn’t have any opportunities. The puck just never saw the back of the net. In the first power play, Colorado did not get a shot on net until there were 15 seconds left in their chance. The second time around, their puck movement improved dramatically, but they only had two shots on goal.

Conclusion

The Colorado Eagles did not look like themselves after the first goal by the Silver Knights today. Something that was out of the ordinary hit a young team and did not know how to handle it. Colorado needs to get their even strength scoring back as three of their last four losses. They have only scored one goal each. Foudy coming back to the team should help, but the Colorado Avalanche having suffered some injuries on Friday, he could see a recall soon. The Eagles will be right back at it tomorrow afternoon as they wrap up the season series against the Silver Knights at 2 p.m.

The post Silver Knights spoil Eagles’ playoff positioning appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Jonathan Drouin has become one player that the Avalanche can depend on. With his two goals tonight, both assisted by his pal Nathan MacKinnon, were key in the game. In both goals, Drouin went down low and got dirty in the crease. With the second goal, Drouin positioned himself for a perfect tip in from a MacKinnon slap shot. Drouin can do the dirty dangles or the dirty work down low, he will be worth an extension next season.

Cale Makar slings one towards the net on the PP and Drouin waits for it to drop and bats the puck in for the goal number two for the Avs. MacKinnon w the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KLekFCp86L

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 5, 2024

MacKinnon with a one-timer that Drouin tips in for his second goal of the night! Toews w the secondary assist Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5u6GbrqHar

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 5, 2024

— Justus Annunen played well, winning his seventh of the season. The first goal by the Wild that came in the first period and from behind the net caught him off guard. Beyond that, his mobility and vision were excellent. Annunen was seeing high danger situations that he had not seen in games like against Chicago, where he had two consecutive shutouts. This was the best I had seen him move post-to-post since before his injury with the Eagles earlier in the season that kept him out for six weeks. Annunen’s .957 save percentage kept the Avalanche in the game.

Nathan MacKinnon converts the beautiful give-and-go with Drouin, doubling the Colorado lead to 2!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/I7XU4KMmlI

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) April 5, 2024

— The line of Drouin, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen has become a thing in Colorado. The trio has been together for 44 games during the season. It was a line that I had talked about even before training camp started. They have scored 29 goals together in 574 scoring chances while on the ice. So on average they have created over 13 scoring chances per game by themselves. And of all the scoring chances, 110 of them were high danger chances. This line is dangerous.

Already, we are looking at a line of Drouin-MacKinnon-Rantanen. This one could be scary if Drouin can do his thing. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/IVrIe6Kvr0

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) September 8, 2023

Conclusion

The Avalanche will need to keep themselves out of the penalty box as they head to Edmonton tomorrow night. The Oliers have the second best power play in the league with a 27 percent success rate. Colorado had four penalties in the second period alone tonight, surprisingly allowing one goal. The Avalanche will have to keep up the aggressive offense against a faltering Edmonton defense and keep them on their heels. The Central Division playoff race is all but set, with the Avalanche only three points out of first behind the Dallas Stars.

The post Drouin assures win for Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles finally broke a 0 for 13 stretch on the power play. During two of the three games which this took place, Colorado could only score short handed goals against Abbotsford. They finally broke through with some even strength goals last night, but the overwhelming force of the Stars was too much.

Brad Hunt with a clapper to break the PP streak and take the lead! Ivan Ivan and Cedric Paré with the assists on the play. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Hg6KwUCJ6r

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

— Jason Polin has heated up at the right time. With two goals in the last two nights, Polin has started the scoring on both nights against the Stars. With all the injuries and call-ups, Polin, a Hobey Baker Finalist last season, is expected to step up. Tanner Kero is out with an injury and Jean-Luc Foudy is with the Colorado Avalanche, so there is a sizeable gap in offensive production. Not to mention, Oskar Olausson will be out for the year. Polin has been showing more confidence with every passing game, even more so after his first call up to the Avalanche in January.

Matt Stienburg drops it down to Nate Clurman who avoids the poke check to get the puck in front for Jason Polin and the finish. Polin with his 2nd goal in as many days. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/lZhjneEJBg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

— Keaton Middleton has quietly been having a career year. Scoring the third goal of the night and what turned out to be the game winning goal, he is one shy of his career best. Middleton set the career high in his first year with the San Jose Barracuda in 2018-19. Since Middleton has joined the Avalanche organization, he has become a steadfast leader on the blue line for the Eagles. Players have said that he is one of the most vocal players on the ice and it shows in how he directs traffic.

Cal Burke runs down to the corner and sets Keaton Middleton up for a one-timer from the top of the faceoff circle. Schueneman with the secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Nsz4BPH71L

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 4, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles clearly needed a boost in the right direction tonight. They got it from every aspect on the ice, from special teams to goaltending. If it weren’t for Ivan Prosvetov, the Eagles wouldn’t have won this game. He saved 29 of 31 shots on goal and the Stars threw everything they could at him. Colorado will continue their road trip on Saturday against the Henderson Silver Knights in another must win for important points.

The post Polin heats up as Eagles snap losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The shorthanded goal has become the name of the game for the Eagles. With a penalty kill that is 85.25 percent successful, the Eagles pushed the play into the other end against Abbotsford. Ondrej Pavel scored one last night and now Tanner Kero adds another to his list. Of Kero’s 13 goals this season, three have come on the penalty kill. Kero, unfortunately, did not play the final ten minutes of the game because of an unknown injury.

The Eagles strike back with another shorty (had one last night). Tanner Kero charges full force to push the puck in after getting the pass from Jack Ahcan #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/L5esGtFJT1

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

— Matt Stienburg became an agitator out on the ice tonight. He was taking every opportunity to play his style of hockey and let the Canucks know when he was on the ice. During the second period, Stienburg laid a man over the boards onto the bench and stood there waiting for the chaos to come to him. His job has become to not score goals, but to get under the skin of the opponents.

Matt Stienburg lays a man over the boards and into the benches. He immediately gets jumped by 2 Canucks as a result. Ends in a Eagles PP. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/SSQwn5vuww

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

Brad Hunt got in a fight #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/okJERrCZDd

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 31, 2024

— As the penalty kill has had success in scoring the last two games, the power play has not. Combined, the power play has gone 0 for 10. They have been moving the puck well while in the zone, but sometimes it is a matter of getting there that has been the problem. Once the Eagles are in a suitable position, they have been passing the puck excessively, trying to find the right moment to take a shot.

“It’s a lot of games, so you kind of have to learn how to play when you’re tired,” said Sam Malinski. “You’re not always gonna have fresh legs. So sometimes you just gotta play. Stay between the dots and make it a little bit easier on yourself.”

Conclusion

The Eagles played some high octane hockey despite having nine days off before the weekend set. It looked as if they started strongly, but the defense struggled a bit once it got in their zone. Easy shots were making their way through, but this could have been because Wyatt Aamodt was getting some much needed rest. We can probably expect him back in the lineup on Tuesday when Colorado hits the road to Texas. Offensively, Colorado needs to get shots closer to the net to avoid traffic in front of the net. If they can solve these factors, the Stars should not be an issue.

The post Physicality continues as Eagles drop second straight appeared first on The Rink.

The Colorado Avalanche have announced that they have signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way NHL contract. The Avalanche drafted the 24-year-old Finnish phenom in the third round of the 2018 draft and spent two seasons playing in Finland after.

History

Annunen first reported to the Colorado Eagles during the 2020–21 season that was cut short but a worldwide pandemic. He played two regular season games in which he had a .900 save percentage and allowed just under three goals in each game.

Juice for two more years!

We have signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/bRUdUef7yc

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 26, 2024

During his time in Loveland with the Eagles, Annunen has worked closely with former Avalanche goaltender Peter Budaj. He would help him drop his goals allowed an average of 3.01 to 2.55 in just one season. Annunen also achieved the recognition of being named AHL Goaltender of The Month for November in 2021. Over the four years that Annunen held the starting role, he would leave northern Colorado with a record of 60–29–19 and a .905 save percentage.

Annunen would get his first call up to the Avalanche for the Philadelphia Flyers game on December 6, 2021. He would allow five goals in 37 shots in the loss. He would only get one other opportunity for the rest of the season against the Ottawa Senators. Since then, Annunen has been spectacular, posting a NHL career of 2.85 goals allowed average and .908 save percentage. Just this season alone, Annunen would post two consecutive shutouts against the Chicago Blackhawks.

“Justus is a hard-working young goaltender who has earned this opportunity to compete at the NHL level,” said Chris MacFarland. “He has continued to improve and develop his game in the AHL and has played well in his appearances with the Avalanche. We are excited to have him under contract for the next two seasons.”

**Breaking News**
I’m told the @Avalanche are signing G Annunen to a 2 Yr 1 Way Contract Extension that will carry around 833K AAV. #GoAvsGo #HockeyX #HockeyTwitter @INEOSGrenadier pic.twitter.com/ZsD41bRgUl

— Kevin Weekes (@KevinWeekes) March 26, 2024

Conclusion

It has now been confirmed,  and it sounds like the contract will be for $837,500 per year. This is a fantastic deal, considering this avoids his restricted free agency status this summer. The contract will carry past Alexandar Georgiev’s, which means there is a good chance that Colorado could have a starting goalie for less than one million dollars in 2025–26.

The #GoAvsGo signed 24 y/o G Justus Annunen to a 2 year $837.5K Cap Hit extension

Year 1 800K
Year 2 875K

Was a pending RFA after completing his current 775K 2-way deal.

Rep'd by @alroy42 @rsghockey https://t.co/f4Oq1ufF9c

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 26, 2024

The post BREAKING: Avalanche sign Annunen to one-way deal appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— At the beginning of the game, the defense seemed sloppy in all aspects of the Avalanche. Mostly down low in the defensive zone, Colorado’s defensemen were not moving their feet. They had trouble pushing the Penguins out past the faceoff dots as well, allowing more scoring chances in the high danger areas. But, it took Sean Walker to wake the Avalanche scoring up with just under four minutes left in the second period.

Sean Walker gets one back in a hurry for Colorado near the end of the 2nd period!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/uXO9l7IuZT

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 24, 2024

— It never gets old talking about Nathan MacKinnon. After his pal Crosby scored four points, MacKinnon decided it was his turn. MacKinnon took part in three out of the five goals scored today, ending the day with 122 points for the season. He now owns the single season Avalanche record for points, breaking Joe Sakic’s record of 120 points. The Halifax native also extended his point streak to 18 games and his home point streak to 34 games.

Jonathan Drouin cranks home Nathan MacKinnon's feed, extending MacKinnon's home point streak to 34 games!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/vR62Bi7zRo

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 24, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon ties it up at 4 with less than 5 minutes left in regulation!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/aiDJHhmomU

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 24, 2024

— Jonathan Drouin has been a dream come true. The Avalanche grabbed him on a team friendly deal over the summer of $825,000 because he wanted to play with MacKinnon again. The two have been inseparable ever since Drouin showed up before camp. Putting up a goal and two assists today, he now has 46 points on the season, numbers he hasn’t seen since 2018-19. The Halifax Hookup has a connection that links back to their junior hockey days and he has been a joy to watch in Denver.

JONATHAN DROUIN WINS IT FOR THE AVALANCHE IN OVERTIME!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/xYdAArIN0N

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 24, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche showed some true grit today with their comeback win. It was only the third time that Colorado has ever come back from a four-goal deficit and won (March 3, 1999 & Oct. 16, 2007). They now have a nine-game winning streak and have not lost a game since the trade deadline. We could be witnessing something special. The players seem to think so as well. Only time will tell if this is right. The Avalanche will be back at it on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens at Ball Arena.

The post Avalanche and the Halifax Hookup win in OT over Penguins appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— MacKinnon has been on fire extending his point streak to 17 games. He is now only two games short of his career high that were set earlier this season (11–20 to 12–27). During the 17-game point streak, MacKinnon has scored an amazing 34 points. Adding to his point streak, MacKinnon has opened the season scoring in all 33 home games. He trails the great Wayne Gretzky, who had a 40 game streak set back in 1988-89. Mackinnon’s goal tonight was his 43rd goal of the season, marking a new career high.

Regularly scheduled post:

Nathan MacKinnon did it again. pic.twitter.com/uaewgU5mdY

— NHL (@NHL) March 23, 2024

Just amazing from the Dogg #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/2cgb3ieQyp

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 23, 2024

— Rantanen is on pace for career highs in goals, assists and points this season. He is one of two players that has played every game so far this season. With 12 games remaining in the season, Rantanen is only nine points short of his career high of 105 set last season. He has mostly been playing on the first line, but is one player that can shift down to the second line if need be.

Mikko Rantanen rifles home the sweet MacKinnon feed for a power play goal, 5-1 Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/dBZmkm8P54

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 23, 2024

— The Avalanche did not give up a penalty until a minute and a half left in the game. Josh Manson laid a clean hit on Mathieu Olivier and they dropped the mitts. Colorado could sustain their offensive momentum throughout the entire game by staying out of the penalty box.

What a move from Chu Chu!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/sFb1rQqPMP

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 23, 2024

Conclusion

With the moves that the Avalanche have made before and during the deadline, they have become unstoppable. Before, they had to roll two, maybe three, lines through the game. Now, they are so deep, Colorado can roll all four lines AND all three pairs on defense. This makes the workload on Alexandar Georgiev a lot easier. Now Georgiev may play a little more. Next, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins come to Denver on Sunday and will have an early noon puck drop.

The post Avalanche and MacKinnon extend streaks appeared first on The Rink.

Peter Holland with the tap in down low. Spencer Smallman sets up Jean-Luc Foudy for the pass down low and Holland for the finish. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/dpmw53ykjY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

Takeaways

— The Eagles had a lot more energy tonight. After the first five minutes of last night’s contest, the Eagles fell flat and could not keep up with the Wranglers. Tonight, they were skating hard from the get go, checking hard into the boards and driving to the net.

Why not a little fighting the night before St. Patty's Day? Matt Stienburg drops the mitts with Brett Sutter after a hit on the boards. Each got 5 for fighting. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qKehtLTYQz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

“There was a lot to play for tonight not only for us as a group where we are in the standings and what we want to accomplish but a huge night for the organization to play with a lot of pride for Cooper Logan,” said head coach Aaron Schneekloth. “We’re so grateful to help contribute to make somebody’s life better. Motivation for our team to see that situation alone.”

— Sam Malinski had a point for the first time in five games. After noticing that he has been less aggressive lately offensively on the puck, Malinski had a nice redirect to help with Jack Ahcan’s goal. My theory was that it was being paired with a slower skater.

“I think Sam’s game is effective, and he’s dynamic when he’s assertive with the puck, sometimes you overlook the fact that it’s his first year pro,” said Schneekloth. “He’s made some incredible strides for him to come up and play a bunch of games with the Avalanche and then come down to us. It’s a different pace, and it’s a little more chaotic and he still has things to work on as a young defenseman. But his offense and his play shines when he’s driving his feet up the ice and he’s being assertive with the puck.”

The redirects of all redirects! Sam Malinski throws to the front of the net for Jack Ahcan to redirect it right into the back of the net. Ivan Ivan with secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/qlHttdFYmh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

— Trent Miner came into the net and held firm to secure another win. Miner continues to shine in net, setting career highs in every category. He saved 27 of 28 shots tonight and looks more comfortable with every opportunity that he gets to play. Miner will be a restricted free agent this summer along with Arvid Holm, but Miner is proving he will beat Holm out for the job.

Riley Tufte totally redeems himself with the insurance goal to make it 3-1! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/WDfI1WYAc3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 17, 2024

Conclusion

If the Eagles can play a game like they did tonight, they will have a lot of success. Their power play continues to struggle with no goals in 27 chances in ten games. During their four game skid, the Eagles could not score more than one goal every game. So they need to find other ways to score. The next two games will not be a simple task. The Milwaukee Admirals (NSH) will come to town on Tuesday, a team they have yet to bet this year.

Interviews

The post Eagles win Pot of Gold game and snap losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Ondrej Pavel gets the puck down low and finishes with a NASTY wrap around for his 5th of the year. Game tied at 1. Schueneman and Hunt with the assists. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/frRUamwVt8

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

Takeaways

— Sam Malinski has been less aggressive offensively. In the previous four games, Malinski is minus two and has no points. He appears to not be driving into the offensive zone like he previously had earlier in the season. This could be because of a lack of confidence or his defensive pairing. The coach has often paired Malinski with Keaton Middleton in the last few games, a defenseman who is bigger and slower. Middleton cannot cover the middle on an odd man rush as easily as Brad Hunt, for example. So if Malinski were to pinch the play down and fail, Middleton can’t cover it.

Noticing that Sam Malinski has not been as aggressive lately. Not sure if the send down shot his confidence or the pairing has to do w it. He is paired w Keaton Middleton, a bigger slower skating dman #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

— The power play unit has struggled once again. The last time they scored a power play goal was on February 18th against the Bakersfield Condors. Since that time, Colorado has gone 0/23 in nine games and now has lost four games in a row.

— The Eagles as a team lacked energy. The entire team was too sluggish throughout the game. Chris Wagner mentioned he felt the game got off on the wrong foot, but they recovered a bit. But when rushing into the zone after a loose puck, there looked like there very little motivation.

— Spencer Smallman has transformed into a versatile player capable of being used in every situation from even strength to the power play. The team can use Spencer Smallman in every situation from even strength to the power play.

Spencer Smallman gets a slight breakaway and hooked in the process, resulting in a penalty shot. Smallman shoots wide and we sit at 1-0 Wranglers. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/HmIWDyMSKV

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 16, 2024

“He’s been a big impact player for us,” beach coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “He’s so versatile. We can put them up on the first line, the fourth line, depending on who’s available for us, and he drives the puck. It’s got a great stick. He’s got great instincts out there. Obviously tonight showed his speed on that penalty shot and he’s an experienced guy that knows what it takes to win at this level.”

Now in his second year with the organization, Smallman feels the coach’s approach everything the right way.

“They give us great information,” Smallman said. “Great pre scouts on the other team. They’re great at reviewing our own video on what we got to get better at. So just taking in all the good stuff that they tell us. And as well as reading off your line mates.”

Conclusion

The Eagles will have to push themselves for the regulation win on Saturday night against the Wranglers. Colorado stands only four points ahead of them in the standings in third place, and one point behind Tucson. With 15 games left in the season, they have to secure 17 points to make the playoffs for sure. But if they play a game like they did tonight, it will be a tough road ahead. Their next game will be at Blue Arena on Saturday against Calgary.

Interviews

The post Eagles fall in shootout for fourth straight loss appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Valeri Nichushkin has been on a role since his return to the team for the Player Assistance Program. After missing 56 days for an unknown reason, Nichushkin started strongly. Nichushkin had four points tonight and had the overtime winner against the Minnesota Wild on Friday. Before he had left the team, Nichushkin was on a roll of 10 points in nine games.

Val Nichushkin rips Rantanen's sweet feed off the post and in for another Colorado goal, 4-2 Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/sn9XwUru8K

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 13, 2024

— Nathan MacKinnon is on a 13 game point streak and has now set a new career high in points. He came into the game four points ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. With MacKinnon’s goal and assist, he now has a six point lead of Kucherov and 113 points for the season. The Avalanche still have 18 games remaining on their regular season schedule.

A moment for the Dogg's magic this season #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/fyuzwmBVm8

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 13, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon snipes home Nichushkin's pass for Colorado's second goal in 58 seconds, 3-2 Avs!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/lfCoV5k5O1

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 13, 2024

— Justus Annunen is building his confidence against the weaker teams in the league. With two consecutive shutouts against the Chicago Blackhawks, it helped him get used to the speed of the NHL game. The Flames have some great shooters on their team, like Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau. Annunen saved 21 of 23 shots and now is giving a chance for Alexandar Georgiev to get more breaks for the last stretch of the season and playoffs.

— Casey Mittelstadt scored his first goal in an Avalanche sweater. Once the new players have gotten comfortable, they have shown that they can slot in easily. Devon Toews tapped it up to Brandon Duhaime, and that led to a stretch of ice to Mittelstadt. This play showed exactly what Colorado acquired him with his speed and ability to use the snapshot.

Casey Mittelstadt speeds down the center of the ice and beats Vladar for his first goal with the Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/msKj6Oml3n

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) March 13, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche now are on a four-game winning streak, but remain in third place in the Central Division. It was sketchy to start against the Flames with them taking advantage of a wide open blue line. If Colorado’s forwards tighten up the top of the defensive zone, no one can stop them. They won’t have much time to rest with a game tomorrow night in Vancouver against a powerful Canucks team.

The post Nichushkin and Annunen extinguish the Flames appeared first on The Rink.

Sweet wraparound from Logan O'Connor pic.twitter.com/KdRQ3H0ImW

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) December 28, 2023

History

O’Connor has become a favorite over the years. He is a true homegrown player. He spent three years at the University of Denver, winning the National Championship in 2017. The team expected the Alberta native to be the captain for the 2018-19 season, but he received an invitation to the Avalanche prospect camp. O’Connor earned a two-year, two-way entry level contract and turned pro. Spending most of the next two seasons with the Colorado Eagles, O’Connor finally became a full-time member of the Avalanche in 2020-21 and has not looked back since.

LOGAN O'CONNOR HAS HIS FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK! @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo | #NHLNShowcase pic.twitter.com/tRDVuvrhzZ

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 20, 2024

The former Colorado Eagle has earned the hearts of fans with his grit, speed, tenacity, and special teams play. The man never gives up. He has become a penalty kill specialist that will get in front of the puck and block shots at all costs. His forechecking has allowed him to lead the team in short-handed goals this season (three) and is eleventh in franchise history with six.

Logan O'Connor became the second player in @Avalanche / Nordiques history with a shorthanded goal in three straight games, joining Joe Sakic nearly 25 years ago.#NHLStats: https://t.co/JsHVwfQGx9 pic.twitter.com/Fsx6qhm4g9

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) October 22, 2023

Courtesy JFresh Hockey

His grit has become known as he defends his teammates frequently. At the beginning of the season, O’Connor would open the season with a fight in Seattle against Jordan Eberle. In last year’s playoff run, Eberle hit Andrew Cogliano and fractured his neck. During the Stanley Cup run, he and now current teammate Ross Colton would have a spat in the corner.

SOMEONE HAD TO ANSWER THE BELL FOR THE HIT ON COGLIANO — AND IT'S LOGAN O'CONNOR!@ConorMcGahey's call of tonight's fight will have you ready to run through a wall@Avalanche #GoAvsGo #SEAKraken @SeattleKraken pic.twitter.com/YCXuNmxLxg

— 92.5 FM – Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) October 18, 2023

Conclusion

The recent moves by the Avalanche make more sense now. Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin are both penalty kill specialists. Duhaime will bring the tenacity that the Avalanche will miss without O’Connor. Both players have the speed as well. No one can replace O’Connor’s leadership, both on and off the ice. He has shown it at every level he has played and success has followed along the way. Fans will miss him for sure, but they need to think “this will help the team in the long run,” and it’s what is best for him.

The post Avalanche announce O’Connor done for season appeared first on The Rink.

As usual, the day started out pretty slowly for Colorado. Right before their morning skate, they announced they had made a move.

BENNY MEYERS WITH 43 SECONDS LEFT! Jack Ahcan sends it up to Cedric Paré for the drop pass to Meyers. Meyers shoots and the Eagles complete the comeback win! They have now won 8 in a row!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0QfjiHmUc9

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Deadline Day

The team sent Ben Meyers over to the Anaheim Ducks for their 2024 fifth round pick. Colorado now will have two picks in the fifth round this year. The Avalanche signed Ben Meyers in April 2022 as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Minnesota. Meyers played a fill-in role on the fourth line for the Avalanche, showcasing strong forechecking skills with limited offense. When Meyers was on the Colorado Eagles, it was a different story. Meyers primarily played on the top line and power play unit. Last year, the forward split his time between the NHL and AHL, so playing under head coach Greg Cronin is familiar territory. Given the recent influx of forwards, Meyers is likely to receive increased playing time in Anaheim. This is helpful for both teams.

Ben Meyers requires 21 more NHL games played to retain his RFA status. Anaheim #FlyTogether only have 20 games remaining this season, and therefore Myers will be a UFA 6 at the end of the season. https://t.co/8wahWuszSK

— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) March 8, 2024

Conclusion

The Colorado Avalanche would keep it light for the actual deadline day. The Colorado Avalanche did all the heavy lifting in the days prior with the four trades. Meyers needed 21 games to keep his restricted free agent status or he would be a Group 6 unrestricted free agent. The feeling I am getting is that Colorado wanted to part ways with him after this season. The Avalanche are so overloaded in forward that the Eagles may not see many call ups after this point. Overall, the Avalanche came out of the deadline as a better team. They filled in the bottom six and the second line center, both issues all season. The one thing that is an issue is that they did not get a solid back up goaltender. Justus Annunen and Ivan Prosvetov cannot handle the backup roll in the playoffs. Getting a solid, experienced backup goaltender is something that has to be addressed this summer.

The post Slow day wraps up Avalanche trade deadline appeared first on The Rink.

Earlier in the day, Colorado announced they had signed their 2023 sixth round pick Jeremy Hanzel to an entry-level contract. He was a standout at the prospect camp and training camp for the Avalanche.

Trade one

Moments after Colorado signed the budding prospect of Jeremy Hanzel, they announced a trade. Rapid fire seems to be the order of the day for General Manager Chris MacFarland of the Avalanche. Colorado sent their 2026 third-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for forward Brandon Duhaime. The veteran has been part of the Wild for the past three years, where he established himself as a valuable asset on the penalty killing team. He will also bring a physical force back to Colorado after the trade of Kurtis MacDermid to New Jersey on Friday. Fans can expect him to play on the third and fourth lines. Duhaime will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, so consider this his tryout for Colorado.

Courtesy of JFresh Hockey

Trade two

Less than two hours after Hanzel joined the Colorado Avalanche, they traded him away to the Nashville Predators. Colorado would send their 2025 third-round pick and Hanzel to Nashville for forward Yakov Trenin and the signing rights of defenseman Graham Sward. Trenin has spent a lot of time at wing and is an excellent penalty killer. He may chip in a little offensively but will spend most of the time on the fourth line. Sward has great positioning and can use the stretch pass effectively. Trenin will also be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If the Avalanche can sign Sward, he will probably go to the AHL Colorado Eagles to start.

Courtesy of JFresh Hockey

Trade

To #GoAvsGo
Yakov Trenin – $1.7M-UFA
Graham Sward, unsigned, '22 5th

To #Smashville
'25 3rd
Jeremy Hanzel, signed ELC today, '23 6thhttps://t.co/8jordTok6I

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 7, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche are gearing up for a heavy playoff run. They added size and hopefully some depth with Sword. The cost has been high with future draft picks out of the system now, but there is the price of a Stanley Cup. Colorado has shown they can utilize the undrafted college free agent market with Sam Malinski, Jason Polin and Ondej Pavel. They will have to do it some more in the future. But the Avalanche have become a deep and heavy team ready for a playoff run, with room to add more later today or tomorrow.

The post Avalanche make multiple moves before deadline appeared first on The Rink.

Trade One

The team traded Ryan Johansen to the Philadelphia Flyers along with a 2025 first-round pick for defenseman Sean Walker and a 2026 fifth round pick. The Avalanche will come out on top with the trade, saving money. In the end Colorado will save $1.35 million on the salary cap. At the beginning of the season, there were expectations that Johansen would fill the role of the second line center. He has done anything but that. In 63 games with the Avalanche, he has only accumulated 23 points. He has also played as low as the fourth line for Colorado. Walker is a mobile defenseman that will carry the puck into the zone. Even on a bad Flyers team he has 22 points in 63 games.

Provided by JFresh Hockey

Provided by JFresh Hockey

Trade Two

The Colorado Avalanche traded Bowen Byram to the Buffalo Sabres for forward Casey Mittelstadt. It was a one-for-one trade that once again had Colorado saving $1.35 million in the salary cap. Byram has had his fair share of injuries, including concussions. But his recent decline in play this season and the addition of Sam Malinski made him expendable. Mittelstadt was leading Buffalo in points and will be a restricted free agent this summer. He is often a standout with his playmaking ability at center on a bad Buffalo team.

Provided by JFresh Hockey

Provided by JFresh Hockey

Call Ups

To supreme the roster for the game tonight against the Detroit Red Wings, Colorado has made two call ups from the Colorado Eagles. Because of Logan O’Connor’s lower-body injury, they required someone to replace him. Jean-Luc Foudy will get his first chance of the season with the Avalanche after only 12 games with the Eagles. He has been struggling with multiple injuries, but he has six points and has been aggressive on both ends of the puck. Ondrej Pavel will also get his second call to Denver this year. The defensive forward has become a staple in the penalty kill for the Eagles and at the faceoff dot as well.

Conclusion

The Avalanche will save about $2.7 million in the two deals today. They are doing this for one of two things. First, they have to plan on making room for Gabriel Landeskog coming back. We all want to hope that he will, but only time will tell. Second, they are making room for another trade on Thursday or Friday before the deadline. The Avalanche improved with these two trades and are showing they want to go all in again.

The post Byram and Johansen traded by Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

The Eagles have signed forward Ivan Ivan to an AHL contract. He played with the Cape Breton Eagles of the QMJHL and had 90 points in just 64 games. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Zq2XXsGqCp

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) August 7, 2023

The #GoavsGo signed 21 y/o UFA F Ivan Ivan to 2 year Entry Level deal starting next season.

Salary 775K
Signing Bonus 70K
Minors 82.5K

Cap Hit/AAV 845K

Rep'd by @walsha @OctagonHockey https://t.co/x2zmgWzxXq

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) March 5, 2024

Ivan’s performance has impressed the Eagles this season. He has played in multiple roles even as a rookie. The forward has been playing on the power play and on the top line. His stickwork impressed people, as he enjoys attacking the middle of the offensive zone.

Ivan Ivan snaps his 1st pro goal AND on the PP with an assist from a returning Cedric Pare! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/TrIWgnOjXh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) November 8, 2023

Ivan has taken pride in his footwork and his speed, telling us that “I work on that after practice with extra drills.” His speed has helped him gain his 12 goals and 15 assists in the 51 games played for the Eagles this season. Ivan is on a roster full of competition for their starting roles and he has only sat out three games.

Even for a rookie, Ivan has remained very disciplined on a team that has had penalty problems. In 51 games, he has only 20 minutes in the box and rarely puts the Eagles in a compromising situation. The only time the Czech has had more than one penalty was this last Sunday when they lost to Calgary.

Alex Beaucage gets his first goal of the year with a gorgeous feed from Ivan Ivan and Oskar Olausson #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0ACpbLeyZB

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) November 9, 2023

Ivan has a history of throwing points on the board. While playing for the Cape Breton Eagles in the QMJHL, he had 177 points in 191 games. But he reached worldwide fame with his unique name in this last year’s World Juniors. Commentators could not understand that there was a player with the same first and last name. “I get teased for it sometimes,” Ivan said. “But it is just a name, right?”

Ivan Ivan, now that he is locked down in the organization, will be a solid addition to both the Avalanche and Eagles for the next two seasons.

Interviews

Updated: 3/5/2024 2:48PM MT

The post Ivan signs entry-level contract with Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Wranglers made the game a very physical game compared to Friday. Eagles players were taking hits and stumbling off of the ice in droves. Spencer Smallman took a nasty hit early in the first and would head straight to the bench. Cedric Pare was hit late in the first, but later returned in the second to assist on Riley Tufte’s goal.

Tufts right off the faceoff pic.twitter.com/vmKmyF8mqJ

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

— In a game on Friday that only saw two penalties total, Colorado had six penalties alone. Discipline became an issue that players were getting caught for trips, cross-checks and fighting. Calgary was obviously getting to the Eagles, and it showed on the scoresheet with their four power play opportunities. Ivan Ivan received two holding penalties in the corner, both occurring in the first period.

No goals yet but Smitty with some action pic.twitter.com/S4UASPhHaB

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

Peter. Holland. pic.twitter.com/oOl8VYqdfk

— Colorado Eagles (@ColoradoEagles) March 3, 2024

— Colorado needed to simplify the game. When they were odd man rushes, the Eagles were over passing the puck. It led to the plays breaking up and the puck flying off of the stick of the shooter. The Eagles had even less high danger chances because of the over passing, but it would tire out the defense.

Conclusion

The Eagles have only won one game in the Scotiabank Saddledome, so Friday may have been the exception. With the loss, Coachella Valley now has a four point lead in the Pacific Division. They may gain even more ground with a game they play against the San Diego Gulls on Wednesday. Expecting Ivan Prosvetov to continue at the pace that he was (8-0-0, 1.25 GAA and .959 SV%) was unrealistic. Prosvetov had been playing very well, but the first loss had to come, eventually. Colorado will be back at it on Friday in Bakersfield for a two-game series and then home for six games.

No.18 for No.18! pic.twitter.com/HBRTyNO6Bt

— x – Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 3, 2024

The post Prosvetov loses first, Eagles’ win streak ends appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Turnovers killed the Eagles throughout the entire game. Turnovers led to two of Calgary’s goals in the first period and multiple chances throughout the game. Because of the turnovers, the Eagles could not clear the puck out of their own zone and made more work for the goalie.

JONESY! pic.twitter.com/RNBc20GmbT

— x – Calgary Wranglers (@AHLWranglers) March 2, 2024

— Throughout the game, the absence of Cal Burke in the lineup was noticeable to the team. Unfortunately, Burke is out with an upper-body injury after flying into the boards in the last game. The team has classified him as day-to-day for the moment. When he is in the lineup, he is excellent at leading the breakout out of the defensive zone with a pass to the wingers.

— Tanner Kero was a man on a mission tonight scoring his first career AHL four point night. He broke open the scoring for the Eagles with an unassisted shorthanded goal in the second period. He later tipped in Brad Hunt’s pass to put Colorado down by only one goal and then added two assists to the mix.

Tanner Kero with the SHORTY! Kero now has goals in the last 4 of 5 games, and the Eagles are down
4-1 #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/XdJMqopExj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Tanner Kero tips in his seond of the night and third point! Brad Hunt with his best Sam Girard impression to set the shot up! Olofsson has the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/5n8jBGfjRR

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

— Ivan Provestov got off to a poor start, allowing four goals in the first period on 11 shots on goal. On most of the goals, there was not much he could have done, but you could tell it was just not his night. At the intermission, Trent Miner would come into the game and stop all 13 shots he faced. By holding the Eagles in the game, Miner’s performance showcased that he should be offered a new contract at the end of the year.

BENNY MEYERS WITH 43 SECONDS LEFT! Jack Ahcan sends it up to Cedric Paré for the drop pass to Meyers. Meyers shoots and the Eagles complete the comeback win! They have now won 8 in a row!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0QfjiHmUc9

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 2, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles showed grit and determination with tonight’s victory. Or as head coach Aaron Schneekloth would say, “they showed a lot of compete in their game.” For any team to fight back from four goals down, no matter the league, is impressive. Kero is hitting his stride in the season at the right time. He has had eight points in his last five games. With the win, Colorado maintains their position in second place in the Pacific Division with 19 games left. They will face off against the Calgary Wranglers again on Sunday at noon before heading to Bakersfield the following weekend.

The post Kero shines as Eagles score five unanswered in Calgary appeared first on The Rink.

Keaton Middleton totally redeems himself with his 4th of the year after coming out of the box. Riley Tufte with the pressure in front gets the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/YsvXhDe1gq

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

Takeaways

— Early in the game, Colorado struggled to clear the defensive zone. After the goal just 51 seconds into the game, the Eagles could not clear the puck. The defensive core was trying to flip the puck out of the zone rather than carry it out. This caused a lot of turnovers and the Canucks took advantage by peppering Miner with shots. In the first period Colorado allowed 20 shots on goal, but reduced it to ten the following frame by carrying the puck out.

— Trent Miner looked out of sorts early in the game, allowing a goal just 51 seconds into the first period. But as the game went along, he became stronger on the posts and quicker laterally. There were several breakaways, including one in the third period, that completely shut the shooter down. Miner would take the Eagles to overtime and save 40 of the 43 shots on goal, or a .930 save percentage. Miner now has a 4–6–1–1 record in the AHL this season.

— Tanner Kero has been on fire lately. He has three goals in four games and has become a key to the penalty kill.

Tanner Kero whips the puck to the back of the net for his 9th of the year. Olofsson gets another assist with Dalton Smith helping out as well. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/7yHWgCGoET

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

— The addition of Fredrik Olofsson in the last two games has made an offensive impact. He already has two assists in his two games. The coaching staff assigned him to a line with his former Texas Stars teammates, Riley Tufte and Kero. So the need for him to build the chemistry has taken very little time.

— Jean-Luc Foudy has been back from injury for four games and seen the scoresheet twice already. His defensive pressure tonight forced a turnover for Cal Burke to drop the puck back to him and flip into the goal. There were a lot of good things coming from Foudy in the last two games that have led to production.

Jean-Luc Foudy and his hard work pays off! Cal Burke drops a pass back to Foudy and he buries his second of the season! Burke has points in his last 5 of 7 games. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/0Pi8mdmD6V

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

PARÉ FOR THE GAME WINNER! Malinski carries it in and tosses it to Meyers and then to an open Cedric Paré. Eagles have won a season high 7 games in a row. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/8Jy4f1qPQr

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 29, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles are now on the longest winning streak of the season at seven games. With the victory, they still trail Coachella Valley by just two points in the Pacific Division. They are playing with a lot of confidence with the goaltending they have behind them right now as well. Their next opponent, the Calgary Wranglers, will be the hardest games of the road trip. Having a 0–3–1 record against the division rival will only give the Eagles motivation going into Friday and Sunday. If Ivan Prosvetov is facing off against Dustin Wolf, will be a battle that you won’t want to miss.

The post Miner digs deep as Eagles defeat Canucks in OT appeared first on The Rink.

Joel Kiviranta gets revenge on his former team, quickly knotting it up at 1 for the Avalanche!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/JXJZOTJOOV

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 28, 2024

Takeaways

— All three Finnish skaters on the Avalanche score tonight. Joel Kiviranta opened the scoring for the Avalanche to counterpunch the opening goal by the Stars. He did it in just 68 seconds after the Stars scored. Mikko Rantanen added his 31st goal of the year almost four minutes later. As Colorado went to the power play in the second period, Artturi Lehkonen added his goal. Lehkonen has been on fire lately with four goals in the last six games.

A prime example of 'NEVER BACK DOWN NEVER WHAT' on the ice.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/37Mvi93k5g

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 28, 2024

— Cale Makar added an assist on Nathan MacKinnon’s goal, making Makar the all-time points leader for a defenseman in franchise history. Makar passed former Avalanche Tyson Barrie (307 points) in just 293 games. It took Barrie 484 games.

Tyson Barrie: 484 games
Cale Makar: 293 games https://t.co/lxFBicdr4y

— Avs Stats (@avsstats) February 28, 2024

— The first half of the game the Avalanche had trouble with turnovers. There were multiple occasions when Colorado was in the corners in their own zone and would flip the puck to a Dallas player. Usually, as a defenseman, you want to chip it to a teammate behind the net, but that was not happening. The wingers on the half-boards also kept chipping the puck to center ice, allowing Dallas to have prime scoring chances.

Artturi Lehkonen buries the fantastic setup from Rantanen and Drouin, 5-1 Colorado!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/PDyKoBAr89

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 28, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche clearly had the advantage tonight over the Stars with the altitude. By the end of the game, Dallas was struggling to skate while Colorado had no issues. The Avalanche have been having some recent struggles (which showed against Toronto), but they moved on tonight. We saw more of what we have grown to expect with the Avalanche tonight, speed and quick strikes. Next on deck will be the last place Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night in Denver.

The post A Finnish hat trick helps Avalanche victory over Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Nichushkin is on the is wearing a white 4th line sweater #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/6c9170BGgz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 26, 2024

Game Action

It is not clear when the forward will return to game action, but Samuel Girard may give us an idea. Head coach Jared Bednar treated Girard as if he was returning from an injury. On December 22nd, Girard was given the green light to rejoin the team, and he made his first appearance in a game just nine days after. If the same holds true for Nichushkin, we could see a return against Chicago or Detroit next week.

Great news Avs fans…. Val Nichushkin has been cleared to resume skating with the team. We can assume that gradually roll back into the lineup like Girard did. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/EaCN2GX4ia

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 26, 2024

Struggles

The Avalanche have been struggling without the power forward in the lineup. With Nichushkin in the lineup, the Avalanche are 26–11–3, without him they are just 9–8–2. Nichushkin brings something that many players on the team cannot, a two-way game. He will pressure the opposing team on defense to steal the puck. He will then drive to the net like an unstoppable train on its tracks, earning the nickname “Choo Choo” from fans. The power play even has seen a difference as well. Ranked eighth before Nichushkin’s departure, it now ranks 19th since.

#Avs lines according to sweater color this morning
Lehkonen-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Wood- Colton-LOC
Drouin-Johansen-Parise
Nichushkin-Cogliano-Kiviranta-
MacDermid

Jones-Makar-Byram-Toews-Manson-Girard-Johnson-

Georgiev
Annunen #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 26, 2024

Conclusion

With the injection of offense and defense that Nichushkin will provide, Colorado may not have to shop nearly as much next week at the deadline. His 42 points in 40 games were helping the Avalanche cruise to easy victories, or giving them the confidence to do it. If he can have the same boost in play that Girard had after his return, the man will be someone to fear on ice. This will for sure give the Avalanche some confidence by moving forward down the stretch.

The post Nichushkin returns to Avalanche after Player Assistance Program appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Ivan Prosvetov has been a significant change for the Eagles during the last month. Since Prosvetov joined the Eagles on February 4th, Colorado has gone 7-2. Those two losses are coming from Trent Miner, who has played outstanding this year himself. In the AHL this season, Prosvetov has played seven games and had seven wins. Two of them were shutouts. He has a 1.14 GAA and .961 save percentage.

Prosvetov with his 2nd straight shutout, 7th win and the Eagles now have won 5 in a row! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/JexgpBptkd

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

Let's just say Prosvetov is on his game tonight….#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/MgNgXvi3yj

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

“He’s been sent here to get some playing time,” said head coach Aaron Scheekloth. “And he’s taken full advantage of it, showcasing the qualities and strengths that he has in his game and he’s helping us win some hockey games. And he was outstanding, I’d say tonight, especially the last five minutes where we were kind of under a lot of pressure and they had a lot of time with the goalie. He was there to give our group a lot of confidence.”

— The Eagles now have won five straight games, one short of their season long six games. The earlier streak was January 20 to February 2, and they rocketed up from seventh place to fourth. Colorado, as of right now, holds the second place spot in the Pacific Division with Abbotsford ahead for the next two games.

Riley Tufte sends a pass to the top of the slot for Keaton Middleton to drop down and finish. Eagles up 2-0. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zNmU7ywVkn

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

— The Colorado Avalanche announced it today that Oskar Olausson will undergo shoulder surgery on Monday. It unfortunately will end his season.

“It’s disappointing where we feel for Oskar, obviously,” Schneekloth said. “We felt we had his offensive production and power play production on the rise and he was playing really good hockey before that injury. And nobody wants to hear that kind of news, but he’s gonna have a road to recovery and be ready for next season and he’s got a great, great attitude and great medical staff. We’re working with him, so he’ll come back stronger and ready. It’s disappointing. You never want to see a player.”

A shot-pass from Brad Hunt sets up Matt Stienburg for the redirect to the net to put the Eagles up 1-0. Secondary assist from Dalton Smith #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/rmKfubBh3g

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 25, 2024

Conclusion

As the Eagles are hitting their second longest stride of the year, they will hit the toughest part of the schedule. Two games in Abbotsford, where they hold a 2–1–1 record against the Canucks. The games have so far this season have been battling right down to the last minute. Then it will be on to Calgary to meet the Wranglers, who they have yet to win a game against in four matchups. Assuming that Prosvetov stays with the Eagles, these games could be close. Meanwhile, Justus Annunen has gotten a couple of games with the big club, but is mostly riding the bench.

Head Coach Aaron Schneekloth interview

The post Prosvetov earns second shutout, Eagles win fifth in a row appeared first on The Rink.

Jared Bednar on having Gabriel Landeskog back for the home opener: "Guys love seeing him. We love checking in with him (to) see how he's doing in his rehab process. He can help keep it light and it's always good to have him around being one of our leaders and the captain of our…

— Meghan Angley (@megangley) October 20, 2023

Knee Surgery

It’s a story that I have told several times before, so I will keep it short. During the Edmonton Bubble, Landeskog’s knee received a slice from teammate Cale Makar. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t play in the bubble again because of the injury. Fast forward to the end of the 2021-22 season, with six weeks left in the regular season. Landeskog went under the knife in order to compete in the playoffs and win the Stanley Cup. The captain tried to work his way back for the 2022-23 season after arthroscopic surgery in October 2022, but never could. Colorado shut him down in April 2023 and he underwent knee cartilage transplant surgery in May. It has been a battle of careful rehabilitation ever since, with him joining the team last month.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gabriel Landeskog (@landeskog.92)

How can the Avalanche bring Landeskog back?

There are a few ways that the Avalanche can bring the Swede back into the game. At the earliest, the Avalanche can bring him back because of the long-term injured reserve guidelines, will be the playoffs. Landeskog could play in game one of the first round, but it would be a bold move after two years away from game action. The reason being is that Colorado has used his salary cap hit to gain players for the year. The Avalanche were planning on Landeskog missing the entire season (at minimum), so they used his salary to gain players like Ross Colton and Miles Wood.

Before Surgery

Oddly satisfying…. Landeskog working on transitions #GoAvsGo #Avs @FullPressNHL pic.twitter.com/oSdBsYPKx8

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) March 27, 2023

After Surgery

Gabriel Landeskog skating prior to practice, and I have to say, moving quite well. pic.twitter.com/EsrWSDthpn

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) February 17, 2024

Landeskog… a Colorado Eagle?

The NHLPA Collective Bargaining Agreement allows for Landeskog to be sent to the AHL on a conditioning loan. The team has the option to send him down to the Colorado Eagles without having to go through the waivers process, but the catch is that he has to consent to it. Colorado team has the option to send Landeskog down for a game or two just to test how the knee will do. The primary concern would be that he would re-injure the knee because the intensity of the gameplay ramps up just like the NHL. The longest we could see him in Loveland would be six days and three games, so it would have to be timed just right.

Just hold off

A lot of fans are saying just to hold Landeskog off entirely until next season. I can only imagine what he is going through mentally. Any hockey player wants to get back on the ice as soon as possible. Any extra time that Landeskog takes to let his knee heal helps himself and the team down the road.

Conclusion

There are multiple options that the Avalanche could take in rolling the captain back into the game. Dropping him right into the NHL may not be the best thing for his long-term health. One must think about the player’s well-being after they have finished playing the game, not just while they are playing it. The best option may just be to let him wait until next season. Landeskog can ramp up intensity on the play with training camp and see how the knee reacts.

Good morning #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/giypfCK4kH

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 20, 2024

The post How to ease Landeskog back after knee surgery appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Brad Hunt has been a genuine leader on the team as of late. In just the last four games, he has had six points, three of which were in tonight’s victory. Hunt led all skaters with one goal and two assists. He never takes credit for any of the plays that he makes, saying that “it is a team sport and we are all having fun out there.” Hunt is one defenseman that can play in all situations in the AHL, using his powerful slap shot to clear the shooting lane. After tonight, Hunt leads the team in points 14 goals and 24 assists.

Cedric Pare with some heavy pressure to force a turnover as Peter Holland picks up the puck. Pare sends the puck across the slot over to Brad Hunt for his 14th of the year. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/LvWjDvYpZg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

— After missing 10 games because of an injury, Ben Meyers had an immediate impact with his return. Just 49 seconds into the game Meyers helped assist on Cedric Pare’s opening goal. Meyers set up the lead pass for Pare to take off into the zone and set the tone for the entire game. Later, he assisted on another goal by forechecking into the zone and throwing the puck into the center for Peter Holland to score.

For the second straight night, Cedric Pare opens the scoring for the Eagles. Ben Meyers with the only assist after missing 10 games due to injury. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NaS8LoMAFN

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

Peter Holland now with a goal and an assist for the night as he is left all alone in the slot. Ben Meyers collects his 2nd assist of the night and Wyatt Aamodt joined the party. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/rFQFdx3UTM

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

— The only thing that was a problem tonight was the Eagles’ discipline. They gave the Condors six power play opportunities throughout the game. A lot of the penalties were because tempers were getting heated. It was the sixth meeting of the season after all. But the players need to keep that under control. They killed off all the penalties, putting themselves at third in the league at 84.5 percent.

Conclusion

As of tonight, the Eagles are in third place in the Pacific Division and only two points out of second place. They have gone on a wild run lately, going 13–3 in the last 16 games. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth has credited their special teams to all of their recent success and the health of the players. As long as the Eagles can get a trickle of healthy players coming into the team, they will only get better. Colorado has a few days off to rest; they don’t play again until Friday at home against the Henderson Silver Knights. By that point, the Eagles could have one or two more players back in the lineup.

Standings for the Eagles before tonight's contest against Bakersfield. Tucson and Calgary both won last night so standings pretty much stayed the same. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/CJLt9LivZY

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 19, 2024

The post Hunt stays hot while Eagles sweep road trip appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Peter Holland has now played seven games since returning from injury and has five points. That may not seem like much, but he has been a constant offensive threat. He draws the defense towards him, making it so another player is open. Holland has so much experience that he is hardly ever out of position as well. He ended the night with three assists.

Goal has been updated to Brad Hunt coming from Keaton Middleton and Peter Holland #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/80TtY8xDRM

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Pare has become a dominant force on the Eagles’ offense. Pare scored the first goal of the night for Colorado to set the pace for the team in the game. So far this season he has 24 points, surpassing his AHL career high last season of 21. And Pare has done it in one less game than last season. Colorado still has 25 more games to play this season, where Pare will probably get about 14 more points,

Just 1:05 into the game, Cedric Paré picks up the lose puck to open scoring with the assists coming from Matt Stienburg and Peter Holland. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/BnYNCcC0jv

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

— Riley Tufte scored his first goal since January 21st. He has openly admitted that he has been getting a little frustrated with his lack of production, but has been useful in other ways. Tufte still ranks second on the team in points with 14 goals and 15 assists. But Tufte can power his way to the net, similar to how Valeri Nichushkin can. By doing this, Tufte creates chaos in front of the net and throws the defense off.

Riley Tufte redeems himself with a PP goal right after he exits the box. His 14th goal of the year and 29th point of the season. Holland tallies his 2nd assist of the night and Malinski gets on the board. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/bvspHXCMEJ

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 18, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles now sit in third place in the Pacific Division and five points out of first place. Their penalty kill ranks ninth in the league, killing 83.9 percent of their penalties. It has been a shining beacon all season for the Eagles when the power play was suffering. Depth scoring has become a key for the team with so many injuries, Pare has stepped up and rookie Ivan Ivan has been producing more than expected. Colorado looks to take their two winning streak to Bakersfield tomorrow night. It will be the third time that they have played each other in eight days and hope to keep a seven point lead in the standings.

The post Holland key in Eagles’ win over Firebirds appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Ivan Ivan has been on a roll lately. Currently sitting in fifth place on the team in points is the rookie, with 23. Tonight, after taking a nasty elbow to the head in the first period, he came back to score his ninth goal of the year. Ivan’ skills have noticeably improved as he has grown more comfortable with the pro game.

Brad Hunt runs around the zone and sets Josh Wesley up for the one timer. Ivan Ivan picks up the rebound for his 9th of the year #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ideXz4PzBs

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

“I’m always staying after practice,” Ivan said. “I spend 20-30 minutes working on my skills. But, I’m trying to work on stuff like skating. It was always my main thing. So I still gotta get better at that and stick with it. It’s kind of my fear. So I’m just trying to work on everything. Basically trying to get a drill with everything. That’s [what I] gotta keep doing.”

“Yeah, he’s coming into his own,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “He’s getting real comfortable in the hard areas. You see him go after retrievals in the offensive zone and protect the puck and he’s powerful when he escapes and so you know, he’s trending in the right direction. His growth has been exponential this season. And he’s been a really good player for us.”

— Ivan Prosvetov, once again, secured a win for the Eagles. Prosvetov’s three games with the Eagles resulted in three wins. The team won all three games when they desperately needed the points. While Justus Annunen has been in Denver, Prosvetov has been holding down the fort in Loveland. He has 1.54 GAA and .957 save percentage so far while in the AHL this season.

Cory Schueneman redeems himself after a drop pass from Sam Malinski and the Eagles take the lead! Chris Wagner gets the secondary assist.#Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/YgXAKr5iFP

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

— The Eagles persevered, despite not scoring in the first half. They have been pushing the play forward the entire game without stopping. Colorado, even when down a goal or two, keeps the same pressure up on their opponents.

Eagles health updates
Wagner and Wesley IN
Aamodt UBI
Clurman UBI
Pavel recovery from flu
Olausson day-to-day UBI
Meyers about a week UBI
Foudy week-to-week UBI
Fairbrother long term LBI
Beaucage, Busdeker, Holm healthy scratch#Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/S0gixO43zh

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 15, 2024

Conclusion

There is a long list of injuries that Colorado has at the moment. Normally, you would think that it slows them down. It has done quite the opposite. The Eagles are 8–2 in their last 10 games. They are holding pace with the top teams in the league, like the Hershey Bears and the Milwaukee Admirals. Every player is taking hold of the opportunity to step up and help the team win. They are currently in fourth place and will head out west on Saturday to take on the Coachella Valley Firebirds, who are first in the division. On Sunday, Colorado plays Bakersfield once again and then heads home.

Ivan Ivan interview

Coach Schneekloth interview

The post Ivan scores to help secure Eagles’ win over Condors appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Nathan MacKinnon tripped over the Florida net with 12:29 left in the third period and immediately left the ice. He did not return to the game. There is a possibility that he did not return because Colorado was so far behind. It was also reported that he was getting his chin stitched back up, so it may have taken some time.

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A post shared by 1929 HOCKEY (@1929hockey_)

—They left the backdoor wide open for the Panthers to walk through. The first goal scored by Carter Verhaeghe on the power play was completely wide open. The pass came across the slot and was right to Verhaeghe, from Aleksander Barkov. It became a recurring issue throughout the entire game as Florida tried to take advantage of the rest of the game.

Carter did THAT pic.twitter.com/Hyfh83OK1b

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 10, 2024

— Once again, passes to the center of the ice cost the Avalanche a goal. Samuel Girard tried to pass the puck to Josh Manson in the slot and Manson missed the pass. Barkov picked up the loose puck and whipped it past Alexandar Georgiev for Florida’s fourth goal of the night.

A Barky goal is the automatic winner of our @Publix Grab & Go Play of the Game pic.twitter.com/OQTDlB0Q7o

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) February 11, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche clearly has something going on. This now becomes their longest losing streak of the season, as they have had several of three games. Good news is that they usually come out swinging, going on a long winning streak after. Colorado reportedly had a closed door team meeting after tonight’s loss, so let’s hope that helps them. The Avalanche will continue their road trip on Tuesday in Washington against the struggling Capitals.

The post MacKinnon sustains injury, losing streak continues appeared first on The Rink.

Zach Parise in burgundy and blue.

That is all.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/KfxuU4t0P2

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 9, 2024

Takeaways

— Colorado kept trying to clear the puck in the center of the ice. One thing that I learned in hockey was to avoid clearing the puck through the center of the ice. Several defensemen threw the puck up the middle and it led to the Hurricanes having multiple chances on the net, one ending up in the back of it.

Martin Necas cashes in on Carolina's beautiful passing play for his second goal of the first period, 2-0 Canes!#CauseChaos pic.twitter.com/j8w3vzLlI9

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 9, 2024

— The Avalanche have been 0/12 on the power play so far on the road trip. In three games so far, Colorado has yet to score a power play goal. Every time tonight that anyone got the puck, the Hurricanes had a player on the man with the puck. Their sticks were in the passing lanes and the coverage was excellent. One thing that did not help was that Jonathan Drouin negated the power plays twice by taking penalties.

— Colorado is only halfway through the road trip and coach Jared Bednar had his best players on the ice for over 20 minutes. Mikko Rantanen had 27:02 of ice time and did not even register a point. Cale Makar played for almost 26 minutes, but was shut down as well and had a very scary moment in the second period. And for the second straight game, Nathan MacKinnon was shut down and skated over 24 minutes.

Cale Makar was slow getting to the bench after getting tied up with Jesper Fast#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/fzmOWwvorA

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 9, 2024

Conclusion

When the Avalanche get the puck carrier double teamed, they need to learn how to spread the love. Yes, MacKinnon does a lot of the offensive work but with him being shut down for the last two games, Colorado has to get the puck to other forwards. The defense needs to get back to their game of skating the puck out of the zone, not passing the puck out. Passing it out led to costly turnovers that left Georgiev out to dry. The Avalanche will play again on Saturday against the Florida Panthers.

The post MacKinnon shut down again, Avalanche lose third straight appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Discipline became an issue in the first period. The Eagles had four penalties in the first period alone, making it difficult to gain any momentum until the second period. One penalty was a roughing penalty from Riley Tufte, but the other three put them on the kill.

Tufte lays down the hit and has no issue throwing down the mitts too #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/KlEpBQ2jpT

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 4, 2024

— Fatigue became a factor later in the game. This was the fifth game on the road trip, with two in Henderson and two in Ontario. This game was also in the second half of a back-to-back, but that is typical for the AHL. The Eagles, who have suffered from several injuries on the trip, showed a little fatigue in the second and third periods.

— Trent Miner held the Eagles in the game. Now playing in his 12th AHL game of the season, he has doubled his career appearances in the league. He has also officially played more games in the AHL than in the ECHL for the first time in his career. Tonight, he showed his confidence has grown with the experience. His lateral movement was excellent, showing that his time with coach Peter Budaj is paying off. Miner had a 2.05 goals allowed average and .920 save percentage for the night.

— Dalton Smith scored the only goal. After only playing six games last season because of a shoulder injury, Smith has not had many chances to score. As head coach Aaron Schneekloth has said, “he knows his role on our team,” Smith is more of a grinder than a playmaker. But Smith sure looked like a playmaker with the help of Jack Ahcan, Spencer Smallman and Ondrej Pavel.

Dalton Smith scores his first goal in almost a year! Ondrej Pavel, with constant pressure, forces a turnover with help from Spencer Smallman. Jack Ahcan gets the secondary assist #Avs #GoAvsGo       #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/kQDjfylzsz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) February 4, 2024

Conclusion

The “team is really clicking,” as Cal Burke said tonight before the game and this road trip showed that. The Eagles are coming home with eight out of possible 10 points. They jumped from seventh place to third, in a matter of five games. Miner can probably expect more work with Justus Annunen being recalled to the Colorado Avalanche. The Eagles will come home on Friday to play their division rival the Abbotsford Canucks, hoping to gain even more in the standings.

The post Eagles fall to Gulls, end winning streak appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The Eagles forecheck smothered the Reign in the first period. For much of the first period, the Eagles pressed forward and would not let up much. They were doing it so much that the Reign had two power play chances and still were getting chased into their own zone.

A great example of the type of player that Ondrej Pavel is. Always on the forecheck and very aggressive on the PK. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/GrHMbHSZSg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Sam Malinski brought his NHL experience with him. Having played 22 games for the Colorado Avalanche this season, Malinski is showing more quickness on the puck and confidence in the zone. He is taking the shots more often with his head up, waiting for the zone to be clear or passing the puck off. Malinski is also attacking the zone more aggressively, reading the play faster, which helped him drop into the zone and score his goal.

Tanner Kero with a hard forecheck to steal it away. Oskar Olausson slows the pass down for Sam Malinski to rocket one home for a 2 goal lead. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/mXYIrxWqjI

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Jean-Luc Foudy, who is now in the regular lineup, is looking better with each game. In just his sixth game back-and-forth game in a row, had his first multi-point game of the season. Foudy’s assist came from a feed up to Malinski at the point and then a Brad Hunt goal. The goal came with some work in low. After the shot from Hunt and a rebound attempt by Cal Burke, Foudy snapped it into a nearly open net.

Foudy feeds Malinski and sends it over to Hunt for a slapper and the 3 goal lead. Foudy now with a 3 game point streak. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/ao8j3Rbx6e

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

Jean-Luc Foudy nails his first of the year on the PP with the help of Burke down low and Hunt up high. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/e4nGxmG9z3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

— Chris Wagner, also in his sixth game back, caught fire with his first two goals with the Eagles. Not just a scorer, but a leader with impact.

Spencer Smallman sends the pass across the slot over to Chris Wagner for his first of the year and first as an Eagle. Keaton Middleton with the secondary assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/AOeYlu8mT3

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 31, 2024

Conclusion

Colorado is now within one point of fifth place in the Pacific Division. Head coach Aaron Schneekloth now has clarified that they do not want to settle for seventh. With just two points behind, they are close to catching up with the Abbotsford Canucks in fourth place. Everyone is getting hot at the right time and getting healthy. Peter Holland, who has not played since the end of November, may even play on Friday. The power play has gained some real momentum, scoring at least once in their last eight contests. The Eagles will look for their sixth straight win on Friday night against the Ontario Reign.

The post Malinski and multi-point night extends Eagles’ win streak appeared first on The Rink.

Really scary play here. Lehkonen goes head-first into the boards after contact with Oleksiak. Just the smallest shove by Oleksiak threw him off balance. No penalty on the play.

Thankfully, Lehkonen was able to skate off, but he was moving very slowly and went down the tunnel. pic.twitter.com/uvtpRw5S7F

— Sound Of Hockey (@sound_hockey) November 10, 2023

Takeaways

— The Avalanche offense is back. During the seven minutes that it took for MacKinnon to get his hat trick, they were passing at will. It was mostly that the Capitals were out of position, but the Avalanche were hitting the tape on every pass. They were moving along the edge of the zone quickly and even right through the slot.

Fastest hat tricks – Quebec Nordiques/Colorado @Avalanche franchise history (1979-present):
2:48- Alain Cote (4/1/1982 vs BOS)
3:27- Joonas Donskoi (3/31/2021 vs ARI)
4:36- Michel Goulet (10/12/87 vs MTL)
5:31- Dale Hunter (10/21/81 vs WSH)
6:37- Nathan MacKinnon (Tonight vs WSH) pic.twitter.com/4U0cduAEF0

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) January 25, 2024

LET THE HATS FLY #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/OIotG7fDvt

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 25, 2024

— Cale Makar is seeing the net on another level. While trying to kill a penalty in the first period, Makar stole the puck in his own zone and ran it all the way into the Capitals’ zone. Without breaking stride, he snapped it from the blue line to open the scoring. He has been one of the most consistent players, other than MacKinnon, with nine points in the last five games.

An electric shorty from number 8⃣#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/iVAIVWhT7j

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 25, 2024

— Alexandar Georgiev looked a lot calmer in the crease tonight. According to Meghan Angley, Georgiev has been staying late after practice to get some extra work. As of late, he has been letting a lot of goals past him with a 2.98 goals allowed average this season. Tonight, he only allowed two goal. Georgiev’s lateral movement was excellent, making it look easy.

— The one thing that looked horrible tonight was that the Capitals were walking right through the slot. There were some opportunities that they had that they would rush in right past the two forwards who had their backs to the play. It led to a high danger chance by the Capitals and almost a goal. Georgiev was fortunately reacting well to those situations tonight, and it became a routine play for him tonight.

Conclusion

MacKinnon led the way with four goals and one assist. Mikko Rantanen was not far behind with one goal and assisted with every MacKinnon goal. The special teams started the momentum with a goal by Makar while the team was down a player, followed by two goals by MacKinnon during a power play. If the Avalanche continues to pass the puck like they did tonight and Georgiev performs how he did, is this the Avalanche everyone truly feared? And this was a team without Valeri Nichushkin in the lineup. A healthy Avalanche team is something that we will never get this season, but this may be as close as we get. And it is scary for the opposition. The Avalanche will be back at on Friday night against the Los Angeles Kings.

The post MacKinnon nails four goals in victory over Captitals appeared first on The Rink.

AND THATS THE GAME! Paré wins the faceoff and Ahcan sends the puck up to Oskar Olausson to finish it off 6-5! #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/eXxWQULTp2

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

Takeaways

— Goaltending has struggled as of late. The coaching staff pulled Trent Miner about halfway through the game on Saturday and replaced him with Arvid Holm. Miner was not seeing the puck very well and had allowed a couple of bloop goals. Justus Annunen even misplayed a puck himself early in the game on Sunday to give San Jose an early lead.

“They scored three quick ones,” coach Aaron Scheekloth said. “You don’t want the game to get out of reach. So it’s kind of reset for the group and to ensure alertness on the bench as well for players wanting to tighten things up. Miner has been great. He’s been working hard. He’s been earning his ice time and had an off night. So that’s what happens at every level. It’s unfortunate, I know. He’s gonna want some of those goals back and Holm came in and finished the job.”

Danil Gushchin dumps a shot on net and it pokes right through Miner's 5 hole #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/NtBdOo0TRg

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

— The power play has clicked in all ways for the Eagles. They went one for two on Sunday and two for four on Saturday. With a conversion rate of 50 percent, the goals have rolled in for them and the team has grown more confident. Many of the players are showing their excitement in the hallways as they walk out of the locker room with big smiles.

“We just took the pressure off ourselves,” forward Ryan Sandelin said. “Sometimes you go to those three games and you’re kind of squeezing the stick a little bit. I know everybody was frustrated, but sometimes it’s just about sticking with it.”

Well that didn't take long, the Eagles strike back with two quick goals. Jason Polin with his 1st of the year, assisted by Paré, and an unassisted goal Ben Meyers. Now 2-1 Eagles #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zW46fXGSmk

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 21, 2024

— The penalty kill has been excellent recently. The Eagles now have killed 16 penalties in the last four games in a row. Their success rate in penalty kills is 84.6 percent, placing them 5th in the league. Special teams have been the key for them all season.

Conclusion

The Eagles may be in the middle of the pack, but coach Schneekloth is doing something special here in Loveland. He is building a team and they believe in a new system, and it is working. Games have tilted in their direction as both the power play and penalty kill have become more aggressive. The right players like Olausson, Jason Polin, Brad Hunt and Riley Tufte are all getting on track. With this, the Eagles have found success. They will look to take the success on the road to battle the Henderson Silver Knights on Friday and Saturday.

The post Olausson and Ivan spark Eagles to weekend sweep at home appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The defense continues to struggle in their own zone. This may sound like a broken record, but they continue to make big mistakes. The first goal scored by David Pastrnak, Cale Makar chased the man behind the net, drawing himself out of position. A similar situation occurred on the next goal. Sam Malinski found himself low in the corner and out of position. Alexander Georgiev went out too far on the play himself, but the other side of the ice was wide open for a pass.

A serving of Pasta before you even had a chance to sit down. pic.twitter.com/oqKNibHMBn

— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2024

— The top three forwards are being overplayed every game. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Jonathan Drouin have all played over 21 minutes each of the last three games. All three of them played over 27 minutes each in Montreal two games ago. This is a pace that is not sustainable for even the best athletes in an 82 game season.

Fighting for every inch #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/iZ9fmMOhKp

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 19, 2024

— Samuel Girard has been on fire since his return from the NHL Player Assistance Program. In his 10 games since his return, he has seven points (all assists) and is plus-6. He has been more aggressive in the play and shows even more confidence. Girard has been one of the best defensemen in the last ten games for the Avalanche.

How about three servings of Pasta? @NHLBruins | #NHLBruins | #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/io7xbq2KXj

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) January 19, 2024

Conclusion

Many people seem to think that Georgiev is the problem for the Avalanche. In a way, they are not wrong. But, the problem is also in front of him. The defense continues to have issues that fall back on Georgiev’s shoulders. Devon Toews and Makar can not do it all on their own. Malinski, for as little experience as he has, has been outstanding. Josh Manson has been getting better, missing most of last season because of injuries. But, that the Avalanche have 15 come from behind wins shows there is a problem in the overall defensive structure. The Avalanche play in Philadelphia on Saturday morning against the Flyers next.

The post Avalanche fizzle out in Boston appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Colorado struggled to get the puck out of their own zone. The Avalanche failed to clear the zone on a penalty kill and it led to a goal by the Canadiens. Another play in the third period where Nathan MacKinnon thought he had tripped a player and stopped playing. The Canadiens kept up with the pressure and scored a goal.

The definition of a goalscorer's goal.

: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/bFwo3UqiMY

— NHL (@NHL) January 16, 2024

— Cale Makar had three points during the game and now sits at 297 career points. With the goal, Makar now has 75 career goals to tie for Avalanche defenseman Tyson Barrie for the franchise lead for defensemen. In what took Barrie eight seasons to do, Makar has done in only four and a half.

#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ThG6Bt3XxY

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 16, 2024

— The absence of Nichushkin was noticeable in every aspect of the game. Zone exits were not as fast or prevalent in the second line. The forecheck was almost nonexistent with both Wood and Nichushkin out of the lineup. The only player left to do the forechecking was O’Connor.

Question to #Avs coach Jared Bednar: How do you replace Val Nichushkin?

Bednar: You don't.

— Corey Masisak (@cmasisak22) January 16, 2024

— Montreal held Nathan MacKinnon to one point tonight. It has gotten to where a lot of fans expect two or three points from MacKinnon. MacKinnon only contributed with an assist tonight, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t put in the effort. Montreal blocked 25 shots to Colorado’s nine. So they were playing to take away the angle from the shooter and help the goalie.

Conclusion

The Avalanche could get some healthy bodies back into the lineup as soon as tomorrow night. Coach Jared Bednar hinted that some fresh bodies may come into the lineup against Ottawa. Does this mean Wood? Lehkonen? Or some Colorado Eagles that are flying in to join the team? We will have to find out. Colorado will have to force the puck in north-south direction with Nichushkin on the ice and learn to adapt. It will be a quick turnaround as they play in Ottawa against the Senators tomorrow night at 5PM Mountain Time.

The post Avalanche struggle without top talent against Canadiens appeared first on The Rink.

The announcement came today that Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Nichushkin has entered the program for an unknown reason at this time. He is now the second player from the Avalanche to enter the program this season. Nichushkin will be away from the team indefinateley. Earlier this season, Samuel Girard entered the program for depression and alcohol abuse. Since Girard’s return, there has been a noticeable difference in the quality of his playing.

Official word has been released by the league that Val Nichushkin has entered the Player Assistance Program. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/S1w6TzZQuf

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 15, 2024

pic.twitter.com/cXM2QeYTGW

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 15, 2024

His past

Last season in April, Nichushkin was involved in an incident at the team hotel before game three of the first round. A woman, who was not his spouse, was discovered intoxicated in his room that morning. She had to be treated by the team doctor and eventually by paramedics at the scene.

Nichushkin was later seen leaving Seattle with team security at the airport. He stayed away from the team for the remaining playoffs. Nichushkin would stay to himself mostly for the summer training in Russia.

The release of the body cam footage of the Seattle incident would unveil more details. Here is a very detailed breakdown from local NBC report Steve Steager:

WATCH: Body camera video obtained by 9NEWS shows the moments after police arrive at the Colorado Avalanche team hotel in Seattle on April 22. The team called 911 for EMS for an intoxicated woman found in Val Nichushkin's room.

Nichushkin isn't at the hotel when police arrive. pic.twitter.com/jWWf9Xn6cd

— Steve Staeger (@SteveStaeger) June 2, 2023

Nichushkin has been highly consistent for the Avalanche this season. After missing a good portion of last season from foot and ankle surgeries, he is fully healthy. He has been on pace for career year so far with his 22 goals and 20 assists. Nichushkin hardly ever goes more than one game in the lineup without adding a point to his tally. His forechecking style is aggressive and something that a lot of teams cannot handle, forcing a lot of turnovers by the opposing team.

If he believes entering the program is necessary, good for him. The Avalanche will find a way, as they did without Girard. If Nichushkin improves as both a person and player, this move will benefit.

The post Nichushkin enters NHL Player Assistance Program appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Chris Wagner made his Eagles’ debut after missing 32 games with a lower-body injury suffered in the offseason. He made his presence known with some hits along the boards and has been described as a “heavy hitter” by General Manager Kevin MacDonald.” Wagner brings over 720 games of professional experience to the team and even said of himself, “I guess I am the old man now.” Wagner is no stranger to Colorado as he has played 26 games for the Avalanche in 2015-16. This time around, though, he had the choice to sign here rather than get picked on waivers.

“Just first, like my relationship with C Mac from years ago, we had a couple of good discussions about opportunities up top and then playing here,” said Wagner. “And another thing was the distance between the AHL team and the NHL team being only an hour away, the city and people. Loveland, Windsor, and Fort Collins are really nice areas.”

— Meyers finished the game with a goal and an assist tonight. The goal was when it mattered, though. He has been playing on the top line and really been driving the offense when he is on the ice. Meyers will lead the drive out of the defensive zone with a pass and then speed up the ice for the pass. When Meyers is with the Eagles, he really stands out as the offensive force that the Colorado Avalanche expects him to be.

MEYERS WINS IT IN OT!!!!!!!!!! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/iyW2UdSXTz

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

— There was more visible communication among the defense. As the plays developed in the Eagles zone, you could see the defensemen making motions to cover a man. Sticks were going up and pointing in directions that the other player needed to cover. You could even hear them yelling at each other. Communication is key.

— Ryan Sandelin exploded offensively with a goal and an assist. Now with three goals and one assist on the season, tonight was his first professional multi-point night. This was all on Hockey Fights Cancer Night and his mother in the crowd, a cancer survivor herself.

Ryan Sandelin answers back to tie the game at one as he rushes into the zone and snaps it past the goalie. Keaton Middleton with the assist. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/aOgw9tCCET

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 14, 2024

Conclusion

The Eagles played with a renewed vigor tonight after three consecutive shutouts. Tonight, they scored their first goal in nine periods and fought back to an overtime win. Not only did they score some goals, but they got one on the power play as well. Two things that they have been struggling with. The Eagles will not have long to celebrate, as they play again on Tuesday against the Bakersfield Condors in Loveland.

The post Meyers snaps Eagles’ three game losing streak appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

Foudy

Jean-Luc Foudy is back to his usual routine! #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/gZBqHVgzak

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— Foudy made his long-awaited season debut for the Eagles after missing 31 games this season. Last season, after playing just 46 games with the Eagles, Foudy had set career highs in goals scored and in assists. He also saw his first recall to the Colorado Avalanche and played nine games for the club. Tonight, he looked as though he had not missed a beat. His speed was all there as he attacked players in the offensive zone and along the boards. If this was a preview of what we have to look forward to, I can not wait.

“I am just excited to be back playing hockey,” Foudy said. “It’s been a long road. Just happy to be back playing hockey. Having Wags injured as well. Just having another guy, same situation. Usually being able to skate together. Just have another guy going through the process is always nice. He was also injured.”

“I think it was pretty obvious tonight,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “His possession game was outstanding, especially for not playing in for an extended period. So his competence is only going to grow, the more he plays. He’s going to help in that scoring department not only when the puck is on his stick, but his vision and his ability to find an open man in the offensive zone is going to create a lot of chances for us. I’m just excited that he’s back in the lineup. I thought he was outstanding tonight.”

The Game

— Justus Annunen was the main reason the Firebirds had only scored two goals. Annunen played in just his sixth game back after returning from a lower-body injury. He maintained a .941 save percentage through the game and kept the Eagles in it the entire time. There were several times he had to stop odd man rushes and did it with ease.

A shorthanded chance for the Eagles leads to a 3 on 2 for the Firebirds and two amazing stops by Annunen. Tufte doesn't appreciate the extra pressure. #Avs #GoAvsGo #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/4ElZ2KojSW

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 13, 2024

— The offense continued multiple times to make passes to the slot without looking to see if anyone was there. The winger would rush down the boards and then pass to the center without looking first. This led to missed chances and turnovers in the offensive zone.

Conclusion

The Eagles lead the league in shots on goal but are 28th in goals scored. They are seeing opportunities there, but cannot take advantage of them. If Colorado can convert even a fraction of those shots, it could make a tremendous difference for them. The Eagles may be without Cal Burke once again as he has left the team for personal reasons. Unfortunately, we don’t know when he will return. Burke adds speed and a way to escape for the defense, which they had trouble with tonight. The Eagles will be back at it on Saturday night against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Loveland.

The post Foudy return does not spark the Eagles appeared first on The Rink.

It’s always a great day when our Captain hits the ice #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/fItZMlnJd4

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 11, 2024

The captain’s journey has been lengthy. What started as an injury in the Edmonton bubble developed into something greater. Landeskog underwent surgery at the end of the 2021-22 season, but it proved insufficient to repair the damage. Returning from a six-week injury, he triumphantly led his team to win the 2022 Stanley Cup in the playoffs.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog will undergo a cartilage transplant in his right knee on May 10. The surgery will be performed by Dr. Brian Cole at the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The 30-year-old forward is expected to miss the entire 2023-24 season. pic.twitter.com/bM466EpL3G

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 9, 2023

Landeskog worked slowly to get back on the ice through the entire 2022-23 season. He appeared to make progress during the season. Landeskog made the tough decision to shut it down in mid-April. In early May, Landeskog had cartilage tramsplant surgery in his knee.

Manson didn’t miss the net. He was aiming for me.

#COLvsSJS #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/yxE1JNykTH

— Conor McGahey (@ConorMcGahey) April 6, 2023

Ever since his surgery in the middle of 2023, Landeskog has been staying mostly with his family north of the border. He recently returned to the Avalanche on a full-time basis. Rumors circulated he had also moved his family back to the Denver area before the holidays.

Gabriel Landeskog posted this as of 20 minutes ago. It appears that everything went as anticipated for his surgery. #GoAvsGo #Avs @FullPressNHL pic.twitter.com/ifDUX4tUxI

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) May 11, 2023

Gabriel Landeskog is starting to show some his progress that he has made post-surgery. #Avs #GoAvsGo    @FullPressNHL pic.twitter.com/2ce29ZXw8B

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) June 16, 2023

Landeskog’s presence and the team’s dominant play in the recent games showcase his leadership abilities. He makes his presence felt among the team in the locker room. The captain’s 738 career games played rank sixth in franchise history and his 571 points rank eighth. Landeskog’s captaincy appointment for the Avalanche set a record for the youngest team leader. The Swede took the team over teammate Milan Hejduk after only leading the Avalanche for one season.

Hopefully, Landeskog will return to the team for the playoffs this season. It could be tough after not seeing any game action since June 26, 2022. They might send him to the Colorado Eagles on a conditioning loan just to get some games under his belt when he is ready. The aim is for him to live comfortably after the surgery, regardless of his inability to play. All signs show a full recovery is underway.

The post Landeskog skates for first time this season appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— Nichushkin cannot be stopped right now. He has six points in his last five games, five of them are goals. Out of those five goals, four of them are while on the man advantage. Nichushkin is now on pace to have a career year in which he could score 40 points. The most points he has scored in a year was 52 in 2021-22.

Valeri Nichushkin has the icebreaker!

: @NHL_On_TNT & @SportsonMax https://t.co/W9mpYG1lMO
: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ https://t.co/sEijvXhbA1 pic.twitter.com/toy5w5G6gm

— NHL (@NHL) January 11, 2024

Can't stop, won't stop. #NHLAllStarVote Valeri Nichushkin #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/E6DYR1PSJO

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 11, 2024

— Logan O’Connor is also on pace for a career year with his goal tonight. His goal that was assisted by Caleb Jones in the third period set up a bomb from the point. The goal would be the nail in the coffin for the Golden Knights. O’Connor is now on a five game point streak where he has had two goals and three assists. That may not seem like much, but for a player that has a career high 26 points, this is a lot. O’Connor is now on pace to score 32 points this season.

LOC'd in #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/0wbeksA54O

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 11, 2024

— Jiri Patera played a fantastic game for only playing seven NHL games. Patera normally has been the starter for the AHL Henderson Silver Knights, but with injuries to Adin Hill and Logan Thompson, he got the call. He was making saves you would not expect from a goalie that had no notice before the start. I have watched him play the Colorado Eagles, and he has always been a thorn in their side.

— Nathan MacKinnon tied a franchise record that has stood since 2000-01. He tied the home point streak record with former captain Joe Sakic of 23 games. During that streak, MacKinnon has accrued 16 goals and 30 assists. He is only two games away from tying the league record with Bobby Orr.

Nathan MacKinnon at home: You can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him.

The @Avalanche forward matched a franchise record for longest home point streak at any point in a season and continued his climb up this all-time NHL list. #NHLStats: https://t.co/PP6SbT8KjT pic.twitter.com/0RQbhrMmdE

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 11, 2024

Conclusion

The Avalanche have played some of their best hockey in the last two games. The Golden Knights did not bring their best roster tonight, but Colorado played a complete game. Colorado converted three of their 10 chances on the power play in the last two games. The Avalanche got destroyed against Florida, but have proved that game may have been a fluke. They may get some much needed help as Artturi Lehkonen will go on the road trip, just eight weeks after a horrendous neck injury. The genuine test may come on the upcoming road trip to Toronto on Saturday.

The post Nichushkin dominates against Vegas Golden Knights appeared first on The Rink.

Quick Hits

— Wyatt Aamodt, who normally plays as a defenseman, played the entire road trip as a forward. He was impressive with his speed and willingness to go to the net. In the four games, he finished with five shots on the net, 14 penalty minutes and broke even on plus/minus. Aamodt never hesitated to go to the corners for the puck and had a brilliant play with Ondrej Pavel that almost resulted in a goal. To be honest, if a forward is out, keep Aamodt in the lineup as a winger.

Ondrej Pavel makes a beautiful pass across the slot to Wyatt Aamodt (playing as a forward) but Askarov is able to get over in time. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/Cbm5NMtA5a

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 7, 2024

— The power play is back to its old ways. The Eagles failed to convert on the power play the entire series against Milwaukee in six chances. Colorado only converted on two out of 14 chances in the four games on the entire road trip. This adds up to a 14.2 percent success rate on the road trip. Not to say that the chances are not there, the Eagles are just not finishing.

— The best scoring chance other than Aamodt’s missed shot came from Jack Ahcan. He snapped a shot right over Askarov into the corner of the net, but the goal was immediately waved off. This could have formed some momentum for the Eagles, but there was not even a review of the shot.

Jack Ahcan looks like he gets a shot through but the goal is immediately waived off. #Avs #GoAvsGo    #EaglesCountry @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/O5BBDslZVA

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) January 7, 2024

— For the third game in a row, Riley Tufte has failed to register a point. He has only one goal and one assist in the last eight games for the Eagles. The offense has been struggling with him not being able to produce lately, even though he still leads the team in points.

Conclusion

The Eagles walk away from the road trip with a 2–1–1 record and five out of eight points. Until tonight, the team’s chemistry was noticeable, but then everything went wrong. The bright side is that players are getting healthy. Jean-Luc Foudy traveled on his first road trip all year. Chris Wagner is making progress towards playing after an offseason injury as well. Justus Annunen showed a lot of confidence in the net until tonight, but some goals were not his doing. The Eagles will next be in action on January 12 against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in Loveland.

The post Aamodt looks good in Eagles’ shutout loss appeared first on The Rink.

Takeaways

— The forwards need to rotate to the point when defensemen try to bring the puck in. Cale Makar tried to bring the puck into the offensive zone and lost control. There was no forward that rotated up to the point to cover in case there was a breakaway. Sam Reinhart successfully stole the puck and raced down the ice without any opposition.

THAT’S OUR #NHLALLSTAR pic.twitter.com/AxbdfhD5qF

— x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) January 6, 2024

— Drouin continued to stay hot with another goal in the third period. He now has six goals and six assists in eleven games. Most of his success has been since they have moved him to the first line with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

Jonathan Drouin wins the race to the loose puck and tallies on the breakaway to even the score at 4!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/28gIY5an3q

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 6, 2024

— Many of the first three goals by the Panthers were not Ivan Prosvetov’s fault. However, in December he played in four games in seven days. Coach Jared Bednar then sat him for 21 days! I can understand not having faith in your backup, but this has become ridiculous in overplaying Alexandar Georgiev.

— The defense needs to be more aggressive with clearing the front of the net. The Panthers scored eight goals by the end of the night, but six of them were below the hash marks. Colorado’s defensive pairs need to clear the front of the net and the center. There have been some goals that were scored where the defenseman was on the wrong side of the ice. The center is hardly dropping to cover the backdoor and leaving it wide open.

— One positive was that the Avalanche exploded in the second period. Colorado has struggled all season in the second period as the opponents have outscored them 48–47 before tonight. The Avalanche scored three out of four of their goals in the middle frame. Two of the three were in less than one minute.

Conclusion

The Avalanche are coming on to one of the hardest parts of the schedule with the Boston Bruins and the Vegas Golden Knights as the next two opponents. If they play anything like they did tonight, they will not stand much of a chance against these tougher teams. Florida showed they went to the Stanley Cup Finals for a reason with their play tonight. Colorado’s next game will be on Monday against Boston in Denver.

The post Drouin stays hot as Avalanche are flattened appeared first on The Rink.