Shelby Paugh Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/category/authors/col-authors/shelby-paugh/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Sat, 27 Apr 2024 05:51:22 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 Shelby Paugh Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/category/authors/col-authors/shelby-paugh/ 32 32 136660061 Avalanche shine on power play in 6–2 win over Winnipeg https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-shine-on-power-play-in-6-2-win-over-winnipeg/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-shine-on-power-play-in-6-2-win-over-winnipeg/#respond Sat, 27 Apr 2024 05:51:22 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29659 Capitalizing on the power play made all the difference for the Colorado Avalanche in game three against the Winnipeg Jets. It also helped that the Avalanche played at home at... Read more »

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]]> Capitalizing on the power play made all the difference for the Colorado Avalanche in game three against the Winnipeg Jets. It also helped that the Avalanche played at home at Ball Arena. 

This is Colorado’s first post-season series that they started on the road since 2019. With Alexandar Georgiev sporting a 42–15–7 record at home, this game was set in favor of the Avalanche. Colorado now leads the series 2–1.

First period

The first period was a quiet one for both teams. It wasn’t until 11 minutes in that Zach Parise lit the lamp. He scored his second goal of the series after notching one in the second period of Tuesday’s game.

Josh Manson, who secured his second assist this post-season, and Casey Mittelstadt, with his first, assisted Parise.

Second period

This is where the Avalanche got shaky. Only five minutes into the second frame, Tyler Toffoli of the Jets made it 1–1. Dylan Demelo and Nikolaj Ehlers both picked up their first assists of the series and assisted him.

The Jets opened the power play, scoring after Mittelstadt was called two minutes for hooking. Josh Morrissey, with a slap shot from March Scheifele and Sean Monahan, made its way past Georgiev.

The Avalanche left the second frame trailing 2–1.

Third period

Two minutes into the last frame of the night, Nathan MacKinnon recorded his second goal of the post-season to tie it at 2. Mikko Rantanen, who has four assists so far, and Cale Makar, who has five, assisted MacKinnon.

Devon Toews gets an unfortunate high stick to the face, which results in him heading to the locker room. Gabriel Vilardi served a double-minor for this, allowing the Avalanche another power play opportunity.

Valeri Nichushkin wastes no time from the near side shoving it past three Jets, including goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Both Rantanen and MacKinnon earn a multi-point night.

With all the momentum swaying in favor of the Avalanche, Artturi Lehkonen scored eight minutes in. He received help from Mittelstadt and Toews, who returned from the locker room minutes after his departure.

 

The Avalanche continued to apply pressure, and the Jets crumble. Neal Pionk from Winnipeg threw a puck over the glass, which resulted in another Avalanche power play.

Ross Colton took advantage of the extra man and the redirect and shoved the puck past Hellebuyck. Mittelstadt picked up his third assist of the night and Sam Girard, his first.

To end the game, the Jets pulled Hellebuyck, which allowed Toews an empty-net, short-handed goal, making the final score, 6–2.

Takeaways

The Avalanche continue to prove their love of playing at home and having the extra man advantage. They will be back at Ball Arena on Sunday for a matinee game, before heading back to Winnipeg for game five on April 30th.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-shine-on-power-play-in-6-2-win-over-winnipeg/feed/ 0 29659 Eagles acquire home ice advantage with 6-3 win over Reign https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/ https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/#respond Mon, 22 Apr 2024 01:53:18 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29347 LOVELAND, Colo. — The fight for home ice advantage continues to prove to be a tough one. Last night, the Colorado Eagles fell to the Ontario Reign 7–3. In today’s... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — The fight for home ice advantage continues to prove to be a tough one. Last night, the Colorado Eagles fell to the Ontario Reign 7–3.

In today’s matinee, the Eagles scored in every period to gain home ice for the first round of the 2024 Calder Cup Playoffs. The Eagles defeated the Reign 6–3 and will face the Abbotsford Canucks at home next week starting on Wednesday.

First period

“We handled some of their pressures a lot better tonight than we did last night,” head coach Aaron Schneekloth said. “The big thing is, we’re disciplined.”

A minute into the first, the Eagles proved they were here to fight for home ice. Eagles’ Jack Ahcan notched his sixth goal of the season from behind the goal line. Peter Holland and Corey Schueneman assisted Ahcan.

From the right-wing circle, Francesco Pinelli put his one-timer shot just behind Ivan Prosvetov. Alex Turcotte, who achieved a hat trick in last night’s contest, and Taylor Ward assisted him.

 

Nikolai Kovalenko picked up his first goal as an Eagle not long after giving Colorado a 2–1 lead. Wrapping around the goal, Tanner Kero gave him the assist.

 

Just minutes later and in a completely different game from last night, Riley Tufte scored his first goal of the night. He had help from Ahcan and Cal Burke on the delayed penalty.

“We felt we could put any line out there against anyone tonight. [The] players had the urgency to get a second boost of confidence,” Schneekloth said.

With a one-man advantage, Tufte was able to gain another goal, bringing his season total to 23. Kovalenko picked up his second assist as an Eagle, after attaining one last night. Sam Malinski also received credit for an assist.

 

“I think everyone was pretty dialed tonight,” Tufte says. “Just knowing what’s at stake. We get to stay at home for a week instead of going away for a week.”

Second period

Peter Holland secured his 14th goal of the regular season from a rebound on the remaining power play 36 seconds in. Malinski and Jean-Luc Foudy both collected a point on the play.

The second frame continued with minimal stoppage. Until Jacob Doty from Ontario slammed a wrist shot past Prosvetov from Steven Santini and Nikita Pavlychev.

To round out the period for the Reign, Martin Chromiak made it 5–3. Former Eagle Charles Hudon, who had been out for three weeks with an upper-body injury, assisted Martin Chromiak in making it 5–3. Santini also picked up another assist.

 

Third period

To continue the quick period opening trend, Spencer Smallman lit the lamp 1:41 into the final period. Burke and Schueneman both picked up another assist.

Takeaways

The 2024 Calder Cup schedule has been set. With this win, the Colorado Eagles will host the Abbotsford Canucks at Blue Arena on Wednesday and Friday. The series is the best two of three. So, the Eagles will host a third game on Sunday afternoon if necessary.

When asked about the one word the team would take into the playoffs, Schneekloth said, “Quickness. I feel like when we’re playing quick in all three zones, we’re playing our best and you’re gonna have to play quick against this Abbotsford team.”

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/home-ice/feed/ 0 29347 Jets shutout Avalanche 7–0 in playoff preview https://www.the-rink.com/jets-shutout-avalanche-7-0-in-playoff-preview/ https://www.the-rink.com/jets-shutout-avalanche-7-0-in-playoff-preview/#respond Sat, 13 Apr 2024 23:24:08 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29287 With identical records, point totals, and the potential to meet the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, the Colorado Avalanche look to secure home-ice advantage. The Avalanche maintain a 30–8–1... Read more »

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]]> With identical records, point totals, and the potential to meet the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, the Colorado Avalanche look to secure home-ice advantage. The Avalanche maintain a 30–8–1 record at home, the best record in the NHL, but proved home ice isn’t always best.

First period

Generating offense proved to be a tremendous struggle for the Avalanche against the Jets in their matinee game. It certainly doesn’t help when the first team to score five minutes into the game isn’t yours.

Sean Monahan was the first to light the lamp at Ball Arena with a slap shot. Nikolaj Ehlers assisted him (34) and Neal Pionk (26).

Almost thirteen minutes into the period, Nathan MacKinnon pulled a two-minute penalty for hooking. At this time, the Avalanche still hadn’t recorded any sort of shot on goal.

Seconds later, Gabriel Vilardi put one past the right side of Avalanche goaltender, Alexandar Georgiev. Kyle Connor assisted Vilardi (26) and Josh Morrissey (56).

Sean Walker pulled a slashing penalty, allowing the Jets to score another goal. Only four seconds into the penalty, Morrissey snuck the puck in from the blue line. Monahan received credit for the assist.

 

To round out the first period, Adam Lowry acquired his 11th of the season with passes from David Gustafsson (3) and Dylan DeMelo (28). Justus Annunen replaced Georgiev in net.

The Avalanche left the first period down 4–0 with only five shots on goal, compared to Winnipeg’s 16.

Second period

Looking to add some sort of momentum to the Avalanche’s play, Ross Colton pulled a roughing penalty. 

The Jets headed to the power play once more and Tyler Toffoli makes it 5–0 with an assist from Connor.

During this time, Avalanche defenseman, Sam Girard, left the game with an upper-body injury. Following the game, Girard entered concussion protocol.

Four minutes later, Monahan lit the lamp for the second time. Morrissey notched his 57th assist of the season.

Lowry scored the last goal of the game with 3:27 left in the second period.

Third period

The Avalanche still aren’t able to generate any sort of goal-scoring offense. However, in the third period, neither were the Jets.

But that mattered little, given the score was 7–0.

The Colorado Avalanche finished the game by outshooting the Jets 30–26, most of their shots generated in the third.

Takeaways

The Colorado Avalanche will more than likely face off against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After today’s match, the Jets will be granted home-ice advantage. 

Tomorrow, the Avalanche will visit the Vegas Golden Knights at 1:30 p.m. To end the regular season, Colorado will play the Edmonton Oilers at Ball Arena on Thursday night at 7:30.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/jets-shutout-avalanche-7-0-in-playoff-preview/feed/ 0 29287 Eagles fall to Stars 5–3 in power play showdown https://www.the-rink.com/power-play/ https://www.the-rink.com/power-play/#respond Wed, 03 Apr 2024 03:38:54 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29188 The game plan against the Texas Stars: stay out of the penalty box. The Stars, despite being 23rd in the league, have the highest rank on the power play with... Read more »

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]]> The game plan against the Texas Stars: stay out of the penalty box.

The Stars, despite being 23rd in the league, have the highest rank on the power play with a 22.7% success rate. The Eagles sit at 30th with 16.3%.

First period

Fortunately, the Colorado Eagles had their first power play only five minutes into the first frame. However, the 16.3% could not activate. Only seconds into the power play, the Stars got a breakaway chance. Nothing came of that chance.

Jason Polin, from the Eagles, scored tonight’s first goal of the game late in the first period. He put one on the far side of Stars rookie goaltender, Ben Kraws.

This was Polin’s third goal of the season and his first goal since January 30 against the Ontario Reign. Fredrik Olofsson assisted Polin (5) and Sam Malinski (16) on the play.

Almost two minutes later, the Stars responded. Fredrik Karlstrom notched his twentieth goal of the season against Arvid Holm. Karlstrom has accumulated 43 points on the season, placing him fifth among the Stars. Matej Blumel assisted him (29) and Michael Karow (13).

The first ended with shots in favor of the Eagles, 12–9.

Second period

Halfway through the second, the Stars pull ahead with a goal from Nicholas Caamano. This marks his tenth of the season. Karow, who notches his second assist of the night, and Kyle McDonald (11), assisted him.

Peter Holland tied the game at two with help from Corey Schueneman and Olofsson.

The Eagles got two separate power plays but could pull nothing off. They finished the second, 0–3 on the power play and 1–0 on the penalty kill.

Third period

Caamano lit the lamp early in the third. He scored his second with assists from Matthew Seminoff (11) and Luke Krys (1).

The Eagles headed to the box for another penalty. This season, the Eagles have successfully killed penalties with a rate of 85.2% and are ranked second in the league.

With a goal scored by Jack Ahcan, the game became tied for the third time at three. Brad Hunt (31) and D.J. Busdeker (5) both got credit for assists on Ahcan’s goal.

With 4:28 left, Aamodt headed to the box for a slashing penalty, and this is where the momentum shifted. Caamano scored his third goal of the night from Alex Petrovic (16) and Karow (15).

Hoping to tie the game for the fourth time, the team pulled Holm, and the Stars seized an opportunity on an empty net. Caamano took it and tallied his fourth goal.

Takeaways

With 27 shots on goal tonight, the Eagles look to play the Stars once more tomorrow at 6 p.m. Tonight’s game started a six-game road trip for the Eagles where they’re looking to pickup points before playoffs.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/power-play/feed/ 0 29188 Avalanche fail to play from behind against Blue Jackets https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fail-to-play-from-behind-against-blue-jackets/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fail-to-play-from-behind-against-blue-jackets/#respond Tue, 02 Apr 2024 02:43:25 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29178 Following a 7–4 win over the Nashville Predators, the Colorado Avalanche fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–1. The Blue Jackets hold a record of 25–38–12, the fourth worst in... Read more »

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]]> Following a 7–4 win over the Nashville Predators, the Colorado Avalanche fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets 4–1. The Blue Jackets hold a record of 25–38–12, the fourth worst in the league.

In their last matchup, the Avalanche rolled over the Blue Jackets 6–1. Tonight was a different story.

First period

The first period of the night was a slow one from both sides. Justus Annunen only saw 11 shots on goal while Blue Jackets’ goaltender, Daniil Tarasov, saw seven.

With three minutes left, Samuel Girard was called for a holding penalty. The Avalanche killed 26 of 27 of the last penalties in the season. Annunen saw two shots before the Blue Jackets drew a penalty.

For forty-three seconds, the two teams played 4–on–4. The Avalanche currently ranks sixth on the power play this season. However, that play didn’t show tonight.

The first ended scoreless.

Second period

Halfway through the second, Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko got the night’s first goal. This was his 20th goal of the season, and Erik Gudbranson and Johnny Gaudreau assisted him.

Not long after, Alex Nylander scored his first of the night from Ivan Provorov and Dimitri Voronkov after an Avalanche turnover.

To round out the second period, Nylander notched his second goal from Gudbranson and Jake Bean. This goal sealed the deal. No chance for an Avalanche comeback.

Third period

Entering the last period of the night, the Avalanche continue to have a record of 10-16 when trailing after two periods. While the Blue Jackets are 15–1–7 when leading.

The Blue Jackets served two penalties in the third period, both opportunities for the Avalanche to score. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to generate enough chances.

Chris Wagner scored his first goal back in an Avalanche sweater from Sean Walker and Artturi Lehkonen early on.

However, nothing was to come of it as the Blue Jackets scored their fourth and final goal of the night. Cole Sillinger scored on an empty net with a minute and a half remaining. Alexandre Texier and Marchenko assisted him.

Takeaways

It was not a good night for the Avalanche offensively. It was a frustrating one for the team, who took 46 shots while Columbus only had 25.

With playoff season and the Presidents Trophy right around the corner, this was a game to collect points. The Avalanche trail the Dallas Stars in the Central Division by three points.

Colorado will continue on the road and will head to Minnesota, where they will play the Wild Thursday night at six.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fail-to-play-from-behind-against-blue-jackets/feed/ 0 29178 Annunen suffers first loss after new contract deal https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-suffers-first-loss-after-new-contract-deal/ https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-suffers-first-loss-after-new-contract-deal/#respond Wed, 27 Mar 2024 04:11:22 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29097 Justus Annunen got the start and the loss tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The Colorado Avalanche announced this morning that they signed Annunen to a two-year, one-way NHL contract. First... Read more »

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]]> Justus Annunen got the start and the loss tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. The Colorado Avalanche announced this morning that they signed Annunen to a two-year, one-way NHL contract.

First period

Nathan MacKinnon wasted no time extending his streak for the longest point streak. Forty-three seconds into the first period against the Canadiens, MacKinnon snapped one past Canadiens’ goaltender, Sam Montembeault. 

With this goal, MacKinnon ties his own record from earlier this season with 19 points. He also becomes the first player in National Hockey League history to have multiple 19-game point streaks in a single season. Also, with this current point streak, he moves to 34th in league history.

Only nine seconds later, the Canadiens responded. Nick Suzuki fired a wrist shot to the right side of Annunen. Suzuki has been a key player for the Canadiens this season who sits at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. This goal marks his 29th of the season, he leads the Canadiens in goals and points (67).

 

Joel Armia gave the Canadiens a 2–1 lead with 5:07 remaining in the period. Former Avalanche forward, Alex Newhook, and Kaiden Guhle assisted Armia on the goal.

Second period

The Avalanche and Canadiens finish the middle frame scoreless. Annunen saw only eight shots in twenty minutes of play. While, the rest of the team put up seven of their own.

Third period

Sean Walker, newbie to the Avalanche roster, served two penalties in the last period for six minutes. He was first given a two-minute penalty for hooking. Minutes later, he served a four-minute minor for high-sticking.

Fortunately, the Canadiens could only pull off one shot against Annunen. Unfortunately, the Avalanche weren’t able to do much with the remaining five minutes on the clock.

Colorado ends its win streak with a 2–1 loss against Montreal. Annunen now holds a record of 5–2–1 with the Avalanche this season.

Takeaways

The Colorado Avalanche will be at home Thursday night to face off against the New York Rangers at 7 p.m. The Rangers secured their spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after their 6–5 overtime win against the Philadelphia Flyers.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-suffers-first-loss-after-new-contract-deal/feed/ 0 29097 Wagner secures 2–1 win over Admirals late in the third https://www.the-rink.com/wagner-secures-2-1-win-over-admirals-late-in-the-third/ https://www.the-rink.com/wagner-secures-2-1-win-over-admirals-late-in-the-third/#respond Thu, 21 Mar 2024 05:35:30 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29041 LOVELAND, Colo. — Coming off a 4–1 win last night, the Eagles looked to secure two points that will put them over Tucson in the standings. They did just that.... Read more »

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]]> LOVELAND, Colo. — Coming off a 4–1 win last night, the Eagles looked to secure two points that will put them over Tucson in the standings. They did just that. Chris Wagner made it 2–1 with 2:44 left in regulation.

Last night’s win came with the help of Fredrik Olofsson, who acquired two goals and one assist.

“You always want to be a part of a team and contribute, whether it’s offensively, defensively. You just want to feel you have a role on the team,” Olofsson said.

First period

The first period of game two against the Milwaukee Admirals wasn’t looking good either way. The Eagles played sloppy but were able to keep it in their zone long enough for shots from Corey Schueneman and Keaton Middleton.

Despite a no-goal first period, the Eagles still had some close calls that had Admirals’ goaltender, Yaroslav Askarov, looking over his shoulder. Shots came from Ivan Ivan and Jason Polin, who had a great pass from Schueneman that bounced off Askarov. Spencer Smallman also had a shot over Askarov’s left shoulder.

Second period

Some unforced errors early in the second from the Eagles allowed the Admirals to add to their already five shots on goal. Along with unforced errors came the handful of penalties from both teams.

Sam Malinski and Admirals’ Navrin Mutter entered the box only three minutes in. Just a minute later, Jean-Luc Foudy was called for hooking, allowing the Admirals a 4–on–3. Nothing came of this advantage.

The Eagles got on the board first with their first power play of the night. Foudy with a one-timer from Ivan and Riley Tufte gave the Eagles much-needed momentum.

Following a delayed penalty from Peter Holland, the Admirals were able to get one in front, past Trent Miner. The Admirals’ goal was scored by Wade Allison, Juuso Parssinen, and Joakim Kemell assisted him.

The period ended with the Admirals leading in shots, 22–14.

Third period

Another two penalties kicked off the last period. Tufte and Ozzy Wiesblatt served two minutes each for roughing. Three more penalties were served throughout the remaining 19 minutes of play, two by Milwaukee and one by Colorado.

Late in the third, Wagner slammed a pass from Cal Burke, putting the Eagles up 2–1. This is Wagner’s fourth goal this season.

Miner finished the night with 24 saves on 25 shots, giving him a record of 9–6–1.

Takeaways

The Colorado Eagles will continue their home stand in nine days on Friday, March 29th. They will host the Abbotsford Canucks.

“We’re gonna give the guys a couple days off, get some rest. Enjoy the break, have a nice reset, because we know what’s going to be a sprint to the finish line,” coach Aaron Schneekloth said.

Interviews

 

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/wagner-secures-2-1-win-over-admirals-late-in-the-third/feed/ 0 29041 Annunen records back-to-back shutouts against Blackhawks https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-records-back-to-back-shutouts-against-blackhawks/ https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-records-back-to-back-shutouts-against-blackhawks/#respond Tue, 05 Mar 2024 06:21:08 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28763 Colorado Avalanche goaltender, Justus Annunen blocked all 37 shots from the Chicago Blackhawks, giving him back-to-back shutouts. The Blackhawks extended their road loss streak to 22 games and goaltender Petr... Read more »

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]]> Colorado Avalanche goaltender, Justus Annunen blocked all 37 shots from the Chicago Blackhawks, giving him back-to-back shutouts. The Blackhawks extended their road loss streak to 22 games and goaltender Petr Mrazek has now lost seven straight (0–5–2).

After winning 5-0 against the Blackhawks on Thursday night, the Avalanche aimed to achieve the same result. The Avalanche recorded a repeat score against the Blackhawks Monday night at Ball Arena.

First period

The first period started slowly, the Avalanche maintained control with only four shots on goal after ten minutes of play.

Nathan MacKinnon lit the lamp to extend his home point streak to 30 games. MacKinnon now has a point in every home game this season. Devon Toews and Cale Makar assisted him.

To round out the frame, Jonathan Drouin made it 2–0 from the right circle with a wrist shot. In their last matchup, Drouin had an assist in the second period. Tonight, he walked away with his 11th of the season.

Second period

Statistically, the two teams played an evenly matched game. Colorado entered the second with 22 shots on goal and Annunen saw 20 shots from Chicago.

12 minutes into the period, Cale Makar made it 3–0 with a shot to the far post. MacKinnon picked up his first assist of the night on this play and Mikko Rantanen with his 48th.

Makar is now the franchise leader in points (312), goals (79), and assists (233) as a defenseman.

Zach Parise scored his fourth goal of the season with three minutes remaining in the second. Caleb Jones and MacKinnon assisted him. In only 14 games with the Avalanche, Parise has scored four goals, and three assists and has proven to be an essential asset.

Third period

A power-play goal late in the third from MacKinnon finished the game 5–0. MacKinnon now holds the sixth-longest streak in the NHL for points with 65 (25 goals, 40 assists).

Annunen secured the win with 37 shots saved and now holds a record of 3–2–0–1.

Takeaways

Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard played 22:31 minutes, and the Avalanche held him to minus 3. The Blackhawks increase their losing streak and sit at eighth in the Central Division. They will make their way to Arizona and faceoff against the Coyotes tomorrow at 7 p.m.

As for the Avalanche, they continue to sit at third in the Central Division, just two points behind the Dallas Stars. The Avalanche will be back at home Wednesday night, hosting the Red Wings.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/annunen-records-back-to-back-shutouts-against-blackhawks/feed/ 0 28763 Avalanche struggle on the penalty kill, fall to Maple Leafs 4–3 https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-struggle-on-the-penalty-kill-fall-to-maple-leafs-4-3/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-struggle-on-the-penalty-kill-fall-to-maple-leafs-4-3/#respond Sun, 25 Feb 2024 03:48:01 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28657 The Colorado Avalanche’s special teams continue to struggle. With only three penalties in the game, Colorado served two of them and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored on both. First period... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche’s special teams continue to struggle. With only three penalties in the game, Colorado served two of them and the Toronto Maple Leafs scored on both.

First period

Because of a Toronto penalty, Artturi Lehkonen scored his eighth goal of the season in his 500th career game. Nathan MacKinnon, who extended his point streak to 28 games and Cale Makar assisted him. Makar is now tied with Tyson Barrie for most points by a defenseman in Avalanche history with 307.

 

About halfway through the first frame, Andrew Cogliano notched his fifth of the season, making it 2–0.

MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen both picked up points on the play. MacKinnon with his second and Rantanen with his first.

Just over halfway in the first, Ross Colton received a penalty for interference. 33 seconds into the penalty kill, Tyler Bertuzzi from Toronto sends the puck past Alexandar Georgiev. Mitch Marner assisted him (49) and William Mylander (45) on the play.

Second period

The first half of the second period was scoreless. Maple Leafs goaltender, Ilya Samsonov, saw shots from Logan O’Connor and Bowen Byram, but none of them made it through.

Five minutes into the period, Bertuzzi scored his second of the game. Bertuzzi scored his second of the game with help from Nylander once again and Max Domi (23). This goal tied the game at two.

 

Marner scored the only other goal in the period. He put the Maple Leafs ahead by one with assists from Matthew Knies and TJ Brodie.

Third period

Mikko Rantanen scored his 30th goal of the season from MacKinnon (62) and Bowen Byram (12).

Rantanen extends his point collection to 73 (30g/44a) on the season so far. He currently sits at No.10 in the NHL for the most points in the 2023-24 season. He becomes the first Avalanche player to score over 30 goals in four consecutive seasons.

Rantanen took an unfortunate puck-over-the-glass delay-of-game penalty with 2:51 left in the third period. Bertuzzi scored his third career hat trick on Toronto’s second power play of the night.

Up Next

The Avalanche will be back at Ball Arena on Tuesday, February 27, to face off against the Dallas Stars at 7:30 p.m.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-struggle-on-the-penalty-kill-fall-to-maple-leafs-4-3/feed/ 0 28657 MacKinnon extends point streak amid challenges https://www.the-rink.com/mackinnon-extends-point-streak-amid-challenges/ https://www.the-rink.com/mackinnon-extends-point-streak-amid-challenges/#respond Mon, 19 Feb 2024 03:25:02 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28568 In their first game back home, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4–3. The two teams faced three unique challenges, two of which resulted in overturned goals. First period... Read more »

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]]> In their first game back home, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4–3. The two teams faced three unique challenges, two of which resulted in overturned goals.

First period

The first half of the first period looked promising for the Colorado Avalanche. A goal from Ross Colton four minutes into the game gave them the momentum. Colton was assisted by Miles Wood and Bowen Byram on the play.

Only three minutes later, an Arizona goal from Matt Dumba weakened their momentum. Former Avalanche forward, Alexander Kerfoot, and Jack McBain picked up the assist.

Collecting his 20th goal of the season, Matias Maccelli and J.J. Moser assisted Lawson Crouse. The Coyotes outshot the Avalanche 7–15 to give them the lead heading into the second.

Second period

Jack Johnson opened the second period with a goal with help from Ryan Johansen. This goal marks Johnson’s third of the season and Johansen’s ninth assist.

The Coyotes responded soon after with a goal from Logan Cooley. Maccelli and Dumba both picked up points on this play as well, allowing them a multi-point night.

Just seconds later, Nathan MacKinnon found the back of the net after a pass from Byram and Johnson. Arizona tried challenging this goal but failed and allowed the Avalanche a power play.

With this goal, MacKinnon extends his home-point streak to 26 games. He also passes Bobby Orr for the second-longest season-opening home point streak. He now sits behind Wayne Gretzky.

Also on this goal, Johnson gained his second point of the night. This marks his third multi-point game of the season.

Third period

The second challenge of the night came after a goal from Kerfoot. After reviewing the play, the referees determined that the goal was offside and overturned it. Moments later, a Colorado goal from Jonathan Drouin was also offsides and overturned.

With six minutes remaining in regulation, Devon Toews ripped one past Arizona goaltender, Karel Vejmelka. Drouin and MacKinnon both tallied assists.

Alexander George held his own in the final two minutes of play while Arizona played with an empty net. He had multiple huge saves after Artturi Lehkonen spent the last minute in the penalty box.

Takeaways

Following a six-game road trip, where the team struggled, a few games at home are exactly what the Avalanche needs. The Avalanche now have 21 home wins this season which is good for first in the league.

The Avalanche are back at home in Ball Arena Tuesday night to face off against the Vancouver Canucks. Vancouver currently sits at No.1 in the league with a record of 37-13-6 and 80 points so far.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/mackinnon-extends-point-streak-amid-challenges/feed/ 0 28568 Avalanche lose grip on a 3–2 lead to the Lightning https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-lose-grip-on-a-3-2-lead-to-the-lightning/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-lose-grip-on-a-3-2-lead-to-the-lightning/#respond Fri, 16 Feb 2024 03:44:01 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28546 The Colorado Avalanche faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at the end of a long road trip, which lead to losing their grip and succumbing to exhaustion. The Lightning outplayed the... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Avalanche faced the Tampa Bay Lightning at the end of a long road trip, which lead to losing their grip and succumbing to exhaustion. The Lightning outplayed the Avalanche in the third period and closed the night out with a win.

First period

The first half of the first period looked solid for the Avalanche. After the two teams swapped penalties and multiple shots, Bowen Byram put the Avalanche on the board first. Byram redirected the puck from Lightning forward Brandon Hagel to secure his seventh goal of the season. Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon both picked up assists.

With three minutes remaining, Brayden Point picked up his 26th goal of the season after the puck trickled over his shoulder. Shortly after, the Avalanche turned over the puck in their own zone, allowing for another Lightning goal. Nikita Kucherov scored his 35th goal of the season with assistance from Hagel and Anthony Cirelli.

Kucherov continues to lead the league in points and assists. After tonight’s game, he has 93 points, 36 goals, and 57 assists in 57 games so far this season.

Second period

Rantanen kicked the second off with a two-minute slashing penalty. The Avalanche were able to kill this off just before MacKinnon received a deflected puck to the face. After a trip to the locker room, MacKinnon returned to the ice with six minutes to spare and a bigger visor.

Byram scores his second goal of the night after Lightning goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, failed to cover the puck. The Avalanche closed out the second period, trailing in shots on goal 21–23.

Third period

Artturi Lehkonen opened the third with a tipped-in goal to pull the Avalanche ahead 3–2. MacKinnon and Jonathan Drouin assisted him. Since Lehkonen has been back, in his last two games, he has had three goals and three assists.

The Avalanche lead didn’t last for long. Twenty seconds later, Steven Stamkos responded with a goal of his own from Kucherov and Victor Hedman. The Lightning then pulled ahead, 3–4, with another goal from Kucherov, tallying his third point of the night. This is where the Avalanche lost their grip on the game.

Colorado finished the night by pulling Justus Annunen and putting another man on the ice. With less than a minute remaining, Cirelli and Nick Perbix scored on the empty net. The final score was 6–3 in favor of the Lightning.

Takeaways

Justus Annunen played a strong game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, defending 33 of the 37 shots he faced. When the team needed them most, he stepped up and made vital saves.

Byram had a night for himself, scoring two goals and playing outstanding defense. MacKinnon added two points to his resume tonight.

The Avalanche will be back home at Ball Arena on Sunday afternoon to take on the Arizona Coyotes.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-lose-grip-on-a-3-2-lead-to-the-lightning/feed/ 0 28546 Avalanche fall short to Rangers in overtime https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fall-short-to-rangers-in-overtime/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fall-short-to-rangers-in-overtime/#respond Tue, 06 Feb 2024 04:00:33 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28434 Looking to start the unofficial second half of the season strongly, the Colorado Avalanche fall to the New York Rangers. The Avalanche started their East Coast road trip with an... Read more »

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]]> Looking to start the unofficial second half of the season strongly, the Colorado Avalanche fall to the New York Rangers. The Avalanche started their East Coast road trip with an overtime loss of 1–2.

First period

The first period started with newcomer Zach Parise, securing his first two shots on goal in his first shift. Tonight, the 39-year-old forward made his debut for the Avalanche, after being added to their roster on January 26th.

After both teams served penalties, Nathan MacKinnon was able to get the Avalanche on the board first. He keeps his point streak alive and is two games away from passing Paul Stastny on the Avalanche leaderboard for the longest point streak in a season.

Cale Makar, who has 47 assists on the season and Josh Manson, who has 12 assisted MacKinnon on his goal. Makar himself is two points away from becoming the No.1 defenseman in franchise history to gain the most points.

Second period

Despite a slow second period, the Avalanche fired 10 shots at goaltender Jonathan Quick. Quick came into the night with 385 career wins, 20 of them being over the Avalanche.

Both goaltenders played a tight game as Alexandar Georgiev stopped six shots against his former team in the second.

Third period

The third period also started slowly, and the puck lasted 8:20 minutes on the ice without stoppage. Shortly after the first stoppage of the frame, Artemi Panarin let one go by Georgiev to tie the game.

K’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider assisted Panarin in acquiring his 31st goal of the season.

The Avalanche finished the third frame in favor with their 30 shots on goal compared to the Rangers’ 25.

Overtime

The Avalanche entered overtime with a 4–3 record on the season. 1:53 into what would be the last frame of the night, Alexis Lafrenière, picked up his 13th goal of the season. Mika Zibanejad, who picked up his 32nd assist of the season, assisted him.

 

Colorado concluded the night with one point and Georgiev finished with 27 saves and the third star of the night.

Takeaways

The Avalanche won’t sit with this loss for long as they look to play the New Jersey Devils tomorrow. The team will be joined on the road by Sam Malinski and Justus Annunen, who were recalled from the Colorado Eagles.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-fall-short-to-rangers-in-overtime/feed/ 0 28434 Eagles capitalize in Ontario, securing a 5–2 win https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/ https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/#respond Sat, 03 Feb 2024 07:17:39 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=28415 The Colorado Eagles aimed to complete and capitalize on a full 60-minute game against the Ontario Reign by staying disciplined and competitive in their fourth matchup of a five-game road... Read more »

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]]> The Colorado Eagles aimed to complete and capitalize on a full 60-minute game against the Ontario Reign by staying disciplined and competitive in their fourth matchup of a five-game road trip. With multiple roster changes on both sides, the Eagles were able to secure a 5–2 win.

In their last meeting with Ontario, the Eagles had multiple points from defenders Sam Malinski and Brad Hunt and forwards Chris Wagner and Jean-Luc Foudy. Malinski and Foudy were both scratched from Friday’s game, Malinski with a night off and Foudy with an upper-body injury. Peter Holland saw the ice for the first time with the team since November 25. He’s only played ten games so far this season and has five goals and three assists.

Tonight, the Eagles had yet another multi-point night and moved to No.4 in the Pacific Division.

First period

The first period got off to a slow start. With 3:49 left, Colorado had nine shots on goal as opposed to Ontario’s two. A delayed penalty from Spencer Smallman and an Ontario penalty for too many men pulled a player from both sides.

The Eagles were the first to capitalize on the four-on-four and a goal came from Oskar Olausson 18:24 in. He received help from captain Brad Hunt, who currently leads the team in assists, goals, and points, and Wyatt Aamodt, who has four assists on the season.

Second period

Cal Burke kicked the second period off early by scoring a goal off of his own rebound. At 2:11, Ivan Ivan provided the assist to him and ended the night with two assists.

 

After two shorthanded opportunities for Ontario, the Eagles kill off a penalty drawn by Holland four minutes in. The Eagles continue to out shoot the Reign 13–9.

Just six minutes later, Burke lights the lamp again off of a turnover from Ivan and Jason Polin.

 

Halfway through the second period, the Regin began gaining momentum. Former Eagle Kevin Connauton and Alex Turcotte assisted Brandt Clarke with 3:30 left, while shots on goal were tied at 16.

Clarke, Turcotte, and Samuel Fagemo came down from the Los Angeles Kings at the start of the NHL All-Star weekend looking to enhance Ontario’s roster.

Third period

The Eagles capitalized once again 8:22 into the last period. Using the five-on-four to their advantage, Holland found the back of the net with an assist from Wagner and Hunt. The trio put the Eagles up 4–1.

Almost a minute later, Ontario responded with a goal of their own. Steven Santini and former Eagle T.J. Tynan assisted Colton Young in scoring his first goal of the season.

With time running out, the Reign pulled their goalie, Aaron Dell, in time for Cedric Pare to acquire an empty netter. Dell allowed four goals from 20 shots on the night.

Takeaways

With this win, the Eagles advance their win streak to six games. They move to No.4 in the Pacific Division, ahead of the Abbotsford Canucks, and one point behind the Calgary Wranglers.

Colorado will finish their road trip tomorrow night in San Diego as they face the Gulls at 7 p.m.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/eagles-capitalize-in-ontario-securing-a-5-2-win/feed/ 0 28415 RECAP: Avalanche take down Kings 5-1, secure Presidents’ Trophy https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-take-down-kings-5-1-secure-presidents-trophy/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-take-down-kings-5-1-secure-presidents-trophy/#respond Fri, 14 May 2021 15:50:21 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19819 The Avalanche came into Thursday night’s game with the intention of securing the No. 1 spot and the Presidents Trophy. Fortunately, Colorado was able to pull out all the stops... Read more »

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]]> The Avalanche came into Thursday night’s game with the intention of securing the No. 1 spot and the Presidents Trophy. Fortunately, Colorado was able to pull out all the stops against the Los Angeles Kings for the last time in the regular 2020-21 season and accomplish both of these goals. It is the third time that the Avalanche have secured the Presidents Trophy, the last time being in 2001, the same year they won the Stanley Cup. The Avs became the fifth franchise in NHL history that has been awarded the Presidents Trophy 3 or more times. 

The Avalanche made history on Thursday night with two other major accomplishments. The first one being, their 12th division title in franchise history, and the second one being their 10th division title since their move to Denver.

First Period

Thursday’s game started off with many shots on goal, 13 to be exact, from the Avalanche and 4 from the Kings. Nine different players from Colorado had their chance to score, but none made it past LA’s goaltender, Troy Grosenick. The Avalanche looked good throughout the period and had solid passes, but was not able to execute. With 45 seconds left to go in the first period, LA scored, making it a 1-nothing game.

Second Period

The second period is where things got exciting. In the first half, the Avs passing became a little sloppy. Before it could get too bad, Tyson Jost scored his first goal of the night at 9:46 after receiving a perfect pass from Mikko Rantanen, setting the stage for the rest of the night. A new goal became clear, maintaining the momentum. Just minutes later at 11:38, Jost scored his second goal, with the help of defenseman Conor Timmins and forward Mikko Rantanen, forcing a 2-1 lead.

Immense pressure was being applied to the Kings as Mikko Rantanen stepped up his game. With Nathan MacKinnon out of the lineup, Rantanen showed up in his place. With 5 minutes and 34 seconds left in the second period, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was able to sneak a wrist shot past Grosenick. At 16:50, Joonas Donskoi scored his 17th goal of the season, giving the Avalanche a 4-1 lead. 

With three minutes left to go, the ice started heating up when King’s forward Brendan Lemieux hit Samuel Girard and Ryan Graves dropped his gloves immediately after. Graves then served a 2 minute penalty for instigating, a 10 minute penalty for misconduct, and another 5 minutes for fighting. 

Andre Burakovsky scored the last goal of the night at 18:58, giving the Avalanche a four goal lead. Devon Toews and Cale Makar had the assist, which allowed the guarantee that Makar will finish the 2020-21 season off averaging a point per game. Makar is the only defenseman in the league to do so.

Third Period

Defenseman Ryan Graves remained in the penalty box for the first 11 minutes of the third period. Other than a couple penalties, the period remained scoreless. However, Colorado was able to achieve everything necessary to ensure that they were the team that came out on top with the Presidents Trophy. 

A couple players that stood out included Conor Timmins, who was determined and played a confident offense. As well as Tyson Jost, who scored early in the game with the first two goals. Second star, Andre Burakovsky, who had a goal and an assist and extended his 8 game scoring streak. Finally, Mikko Rantanen who had two assists on the night and leads the Avalanche with 66 points this season.

What’s next?

The playoffs are going to heat up and in order to get where the Avs want to be, according to coach Jared Bednar, is having the advantage of playing on home ice. “To have our guys accomplish that, shows a lot of character,” Bednar mentions. The Colorado Avalanche play the St. Louis Blues on Monday the 17th, at home at 8 p.m.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-take-down-kings-5-1-secure-presidents-trophy/feed/ 0 19819 RECAP: Avalanche reign on the Kings 6-0 https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-reign-on-the-kings-6-0/ https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-reign-on-the-kings-6-0/#respond Thu, 13 May 2021 17:30:34 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=19789 With 78 points and a 5-1-0 record against the Los Angeles Kings, the Avalanche are looking forward to clinching that President’s Trophy and the Number 1 seed in the Honda... Read more »

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]]> With 78 points and a 5-1-0 record against the Los Angeles Kings, the Avalanche are looking forward to clinching that President’s Trophy and the Number 1 seed in the Honda West Division. The Avalanche have had to face a number of lineup changes this season with many of their key players being on the injury report, Wednesday’s game was no exception. It was disclosed that there would be yet another change to the lineup. Newly 23 year old, defenseman Samuel Girard is back in the lineup after a six game rest. Forward Nathan MacKinnon is said to be missing the game but “will be good to go for playoffs”.

First Period

With a late start to the first period and the second power play of the game, Joonas Donskoi notched the first goal off a rebound courtesy of the Kings goalie, Calvin Petersen. Just as things were starting to heat up, the Avalanche found their footing, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare was able to sneak a backhanded shot into the corner, making it 2-0.

With the net wide open and 45 seconds left on the clock, J.T. Compher one-timed Mikko Rantanen’s pass, giving him his first goal of the night, giving the Avalanche a 3-0 lead.

Second Period

J.T. Compher started the second period off stronger than ever, with his second goal of the night at 4:16. Compher’s goal Followed by a backhanded shot from Gabriel Landeskog about halfway through the second period, with assists from Devon Toews and Mikko Rantanen. This was immediately followed by Compher’s third goal of the night and first career hat-trick at 11:47. 

Giving credit where it’s due Compher mentioned, “…All three goals were set up by great plays by teammates. Great job by those guys, made it easy for me”.

Third Period

The third period was scoreless, with only two minor penalties from each team. Overall, the Avalanche reigned over the Kings with a total of 37 to 18 shots on goal, giving goaltender Philipp Grubauer his seventh shutout of the season.

What’s next?

Coach Bednar has plans to start goaltender Jonas Johansoon in Thursday night’s game. The Avalanche play the L.A. Kings for the final time this season at home at 7 p.m. MST, in hopes of securing that top spot and the Presidents’ Trophy.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/recap-avalanche-reign-on-the-kings-6-0/feed/ 0 19789