Meeting for the second time during the regular season, the Stars learned from their mistakes and made the Avalanche work for a victory with even more on the line.

With a victory, the Avalanche would widen their point margin and strengthen their first-place seat. With a loss, Winnipeg could easily steal the top spot and Dallas would improve to an uncomfortably close record, trailing the Avalanche by one point.

First period

Right out of the gate, it was clear it would be a good game. Neither team could find an opening for their first goal.

Eventually, the Stars put up the first goal on an unlucky bounce near Colorado’s net.

But letting Dallas run away with the game was simply not in the cards. Nathan MacKinnon found the back of the net. Miles Wood earned his first point of the night with the assist, and Jack Johnson received the secondary.

The All-Star ties it up!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/WG34CuojXG

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 5, 2024

Colorado outshot Dallas 12–9 after the first frame.

Second period

Though entering the second period on a level field, it wouldn’t take long for the favor to tip in Dallas’ favor. Not two minutes into the period, the Stars found their second opportunity and took the lead once again.

Seven minutes of aggressive play yields nothing until Jack Johnson is sent to the box for a high sticking penalty, awarding the Stars a four-minute advantage. They quickly converted and widened the margin to two.

Thanks, Joe!#NHLAllStarVote #MattDuchene #MiroHeiskanen #RoopeHintz #JasonRobertson pic.twitter.com/HGFQ76cvE0

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 5, 2024

With every passing minute, the game was looking more and more concerning for the Avalanche. Despite having several excellent opportunities, they were coming up empty-handed and down by two.

Jonathan Drouin made his first heroic goal of the night to bring the Avalanche within one with only 12 seconds remaining on the clock. MacKinnon picked up his second point of the night on the secondary assist.

Not giving up on the play #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/4yUjV2i29r

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 5, 2024

Third period

By the time the third period came around, both teams were applying constant pressure in the offensive zone. Dallas was rewarded first, reclaiming the two-goal margin.

AND WHAT A MOVE FROM MUSH!#NHLAllStarVote #MattDuchene #MiroHeiskanen #RoopeHintz #JasonRobertson pic.twitter.com/7qPiYYJRze

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) January 5, 2024

A whole 38 seconds later, Drouin finds his superhero cape once again and fires his own into the net.

Things we love to see #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/dItcYWNIWw

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 5, 2024

With the Stars’ pressure, the Avalanche had to level the game. After pulling Alexandar Georgiev out of the net, the extra offensive power paid off. Mikko Rantanen forced the puck into the net with just over a minute to go.

Overtime

The Avalanche don’t go to overtime often, and they lose in overtime even less.

Eager to pad the teams’ standings with another win was MacKinnon, who scored his third point of the night. Assisted by Devon Toews, the Avalanche closed out the game with a 5–4 win.

THE DOGG #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/TdMC4BwMdj

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 5, 2024

Takeaways

With tonight’s win in the books, Colorado stays first in the division. They move up to first in the conference and second in the league.

As of late, the offensive lineup has been showing true grit. After the humiliating loss to the Coyotes, it seems there is even more of a reason to never assume the game is going to go one way or the other.

In the last ten games, Drouin has made quite the name for himself. He has eleven total points: five goals and six assists.

The Avalanche will take on the Florida Panthers on Saturday, Dec. 2.

The post Drouin has a two-goal heroic night appeared first on The Rink.

In the history between the two teams, the Avalanche come out on top with a 28-21-1-6 record, but Colorado has struggled in the recent matchups. With a 6–2 loss to the Jets tonight, the Avalanche is now 0–2–0 against them for the season.

First period

The first period looked clean off the bat, both teams only finding six shots on goal in the first frame. Winnipeg found their first opportunity almost 14 minutes into the first frame, bringing the score to 1–0.

His first goal at @CanadaLifeCtr

GABRIEL VILARDI!!! pic.twitter.com/npeHHS57Nl

— Winnipeg Jets (@NHLJets) December 17, 2023

While Josh Manson sat in the box for delay of game, the Jets could bring the score to 2–0. Though given a power play advantage, the team continues to struggle and could not score.

The low number of shots on goal reflected successful defense and offensive effort.

Second period

Colorado has a reputation to gear up after a mediocre first period, but they reflected a lack of energy and inconsistent offensive pressure in the final score.

As the Jets continued to force the Avalanche to work for a victory, they scored their third unanswered goal at 8:43.

A sleepy offensive presence recorded seven attempts to Winnipeg’s nine.

Third period

With 20 minutes still left in the game, it was not too late for Colorado to secure the win. The increased effort was felt with an astounding 19 shots on the goal for the third period, far outshining the Jets’ 10.

The Avalanche received their second chance for a power play 42 seconds into the period. Jonathan Drouin stepped up to finally get them on the board with help from Mikko Rantanen and Nathan MacKinnon.

The power play goal #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/qvtnbJYVOo

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 17, 2023

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough. Winnipeg answered the goal with two of their own, quickly shutting down any gained momentum and sat comfortably at a 5–1 score.

Jack Johnson scored his second goal of the season at 10:41, assisted by Valeri Nichushkin and MacKinnon, who recorded his second assist of the night.

In a last-ditch effort to close the three-goal gap, Colorado removed Ivan Prosvetov to gain an extra attacker. In the end, it wasn’t enough and an empty net goal for the Jets sealed the game.

Analysis

With such an important game being played, it was surprising the Avalanche did not play to their identity offensively. The team relied heavily on a defensive approach and did not spend enough time in the offensive zone.

The Jets hold an 18–9–2 record and are known to be a very disciplined team with a lot of fight. Despite knowing this, the Avalanche did not adjust to the style of play and ultimately suffered for it.

A constant criticism has been the effectiveness of the power play. Despite having four opportunities, they only managed to cash in on one of them. The Avalanche’s power play percentage for the season is 19.3%, which isn’t enough to consistently change the outcome of a game.

Though the score may not reflect it, Prosvetov performed well and made crucial saves. He has been a dependable option between the pipes.

The Avalanche have a quick turnaround and face the San Jose Sharks at home tomorrow at 6 p.m.

The post Avalanche unseated from top spot in the Central Division appeared first on The Rink.

The #GoAvsGo signed RFA F Colton to 4 year $4M Cap Hit

Year 1 $4M Salary
Year 2 $3.5M Salary & $500K Signing Bonus
Year 3 $4M Salary
Year 4 $4M Salary

No Trade Clause Year 2
Modified No Trade Years 3 & 4

Covers 1 RFA & 3 UFA years

Rep'd by @SPMsports https://t.co/Yq7YxaBgo9

— PuckPedia (@PuckPedia) July 17, 2023

The deal is worth $4 million per year, an enormous increase compared to Colton’s previous salary with Tampa Bay, which was $1.125 million.

Colton is a pesky two-way forward who will bring some physicality to the third or fourth lines for the Avalanche. Fans are all too familiar with how much he can be in your face during a play. During Game Three of the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals, Colton and Logan O’Connor got into a brawl in the third period to end the game.

Logan O'Connor and Ross Colton are now teammates #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/QsllmVFI8F

— x – Barstool Denver (@BarstoolDenver) June 28, 2023

Colton is one of the most efficient per-minute goal scorers in the game right now. He gets little time on ice, but knows how to take advantage of it. Colton crashes the net for rebounds and lines players up for hits. In 190 career games in the NHL, Colton has 83 points (47 goals, 36 assists). In a brief career so far, he already has 52 playoffs games under his belt, including a Stanley Cup championship in 2021. If you want to compare him to any player already on the Avalanche squad, O’Connor would be your man. They both have very similar styles of play, except Colton can score more goals.

Ross Colton will always be a Tampa legend for this goal pic.twitter.com/roTyTtGpkY

— Andrew Weiss (@WeissHockeyTalk) June 28, 2023

Another thing that Colton will bring with him to Colorado is face-off wins. Last season, he won 56.08% of face-offs and now has a career win percentage of 52.1. The Avalanche have always struggled at the dot, so getting some much-needed help is always nice. Overall, Colton is a wonderful addition to the Avs. Despite being overpaid by a million, he will still be a valuable addition.

The post BREAKING: Ross Colton signs four-year deal with Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

Sam Lafferty opened up the scoring in the first period at the 3:34 mark with an accurate wrist shot, low to the glove side of Avalanche goalie, Pavel Francouz. The Avs tied it with just over eight minutes to play in the period when Evan Rodrigues put away a rebound from the front of the net. The two teams traded goals in the second period. Andreas Athanasiou tallied for Chicago early in the frame, and the reigning Norris Trophy winner, Cale Makar leveled the score just past the halfway point of the period.

Taylor Raddysh provided the game-winning goal early in the third off a nifty set-up from Tyler Johnson. From that point on Petr Mrazek shut the door, cementing 31 saves on the evening.

The Hawks are hosting the red-hot Seattle Kraken on Saturday night. The Kraken are winners of their last seven contests. The puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. (CST).

The post Blackhawks Post-game One-timers — Jan. 12 vs. Colorado Avalance appeared first on The Rink.

Some Avs fans were confident that the team could bounce back from the string of recent losses, while others did not think a win was possible at all.

What changed in this game? The whole team effort went back to being one where the players finished their checking, they were communicating, passing was more on point and there were three or more players together working to take the puck off the opposition.

That overall combined team chemistry appeared to be back. Given the situation in the past few games where it has been hard to name more than one or two players that contributed all game, Thursday was a different story.

Sure, some people who watched the game would comment that a number of the players did not do much. Nathan MacKinnon would be one of those named players. He still seemed off his play for most of the night, and yet, he contributed in key situations, not scoring the goals himself, but supporting the play that led to the goal.

Thursday’s contributors

Logan O’Connor

Head Coach Jared Bednar has a lot of confidence in Logan O’Connor, and for the right reasons. O’Connor has been a standout player for most of the games the Avalanche have played so far this season. O’Connor started the season on the fourth line and last game was moved to the third line. During the week, Bednar moved O’Connor up to the second line, and he commented that it was because he likes his play, something Bednar has been commenting on for a number of weeks.

O’Connor played his usual gritty game, stopping pucks, annoying both forwards and defenseman from the Blues alike and being a strong contributor with a number of close shots on goal that unfortunately did not go in the net. Opposition players are starting to try and rough O’Connor up because of his speed and tenacity on the puck. They are recognizing he is a force to be reckoned with.

Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray came to Colorado in the offseason from the New Jersey Devils. Not only is he a smart defenseman, but he also plays special teams, something the Avs needed to shore up after losing both Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert in the offseason.

Murray was present in the past six games, just not in the same way as in this game. It seemed that Murray found his feet with the Avalanche’s system in this game. He was visible and created strong opportunities leading to two assists on the goals from J.T. Compher and Nazem Kadri.

Marc Moser from Altitude TV commented that he thought it was Murray’s best game yet in an Avalanche jersey.

The D core (Murray, Bowen Byram, Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson, Kurtis MacDermid and Cale Makar)

Of this list of six players, Kurtis MacDermid was the only player that did not make a consistent contribution all night. Erik Johnson struggled a little at times, but the others played very strong games for all three periods. Murray had his best game of the season so far. Jack Johnson made key plays and was shooting pucks at the net, when he could, on a number of occasions. Bowen Byram showed again during this game that he is not to be messed with, standing up to a much bigger player, as he has done in the previous few games. He is showing opposing teams that he is a defensive player who is going to hold strong on his position and do what he has to do to protect his team.

Jacob MacDonald

MacDonald has been benched for the last two games, so Thursday was a chance to see him on the ice. The big difference was that instead of him playing in his usual position on defense, he was on the wing, playing on the fourth line. Whether it was simply the fact that he got to play with the Avalanche again, after playing games last season, or the fact that he was moved into a different position, MacDonald played with strength, determination and fire that has not been seen from him before. He was a big contributor in a number of different situations. It was great to see and will now be interesting to see what Bednar chooses to do in the next game, which is back home in Denver on Saturday.

Overall thoughts on the game

Something changed with the team on Thursday. They came out with a fire that had not been present in the last five games. The overall TEAM (Together Everyone Achieves More) effort was evident for most of the game.

The young players contributed. Overall, the team gelled more against the Blues than they have so far this season. It was evident that the Avalanche had talked about putting pucks on net, as they ended up with many more shots on goal than the Blues at the end of the game with a lopsided 42–18 margin. Quite a difference.

For most of the game, the Avs dominated the face-off win percentage. That only shifted in the very latter part of the game. It is always evident when the Avalanche are playing well that it starts with them winning a larger amount of the face-offs.

The Avs had five power play opportunities and scored on one. While there was an improvement in their special teams effort, it could still do with some work.

Darcy Kuemper was again strong in net. A couple of the Blues goals were from crazy bounces, and another from a defensive breakdown by the Avalanche, something he cannot be blamed for. Overall, he contributed to the win.

People might call me out for not mentioning Compher as a standout player. Again, he made a few strong players and notched up two goals, which makes for raving fans. For this writer, there were still too many instances where he made bad plays or did not do what he was supposed to, and those outweigh the one or two brilliant things for me.

After this game, the Avalanche are now 3–4–0, not the start you would expect from the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners.

The Avalanche face the Minnesota Wild at home on Saturday. Let’s see if the team can remember Thursday’s contributions and bring it again on Saturday night.

The post Avalanche beat Blues for much-needed win appeared first on The Rink.

Here’s the rundown of the game.

1st Period

Mark Rycroft after the first period said the Avalanche need to “Keep it simple and throw everything on the net” “No fancy passing like Forsberg and Sakic.” This was what was happening though, the fancy passing again that was getting the Avalanche nowhere. Sure Gabriel Landeskog put one goal in the back of the net, with a bit of a fluke shot that went five-hole on the Lightening’s netminder.

The only really good thing about the Avalanche’s performance during the period, in comparison to the last couple of games, was that the Penalty Kill had improved somewhat. I’m not going to say it was great, and after the past few games, it needed to improve measurably to even be considered okay. Well, it was nearly there.

Fans hate to see one of their favorite players in a different team’s jersey. Tonight Avalanche fans had to watch one of their very favorites in Pierre-Edouard Bellemare wearing a Tampa jersey. He was creating problems with blocking the Avalanche. How dare he! And later in the game, it was noticeable that the Avalanche players were not going at him when he had the puck. Must be strange for them, as much as it is for fans.

Darcy Kuemper was solid in net during the period making some strong saves and keeping the Lightening from scoring.

End of the 1^st  the stats were SOG Avs 7 TBL 12  FO% Avs 48.1%  TBL 51.9%
In the period break, Marc Moser from Altitude TV interviewed Gabriel Landeskog and he said “We had a good period.” Watching it as a fan, I wouldn’t have described it that way.

Stand Out Players

Logan O’Connor again was one of the standout players in the period. He is strong and determined on the puck. He doesn’t let up and again showed the way during the period with some strong offensive play.

Samuel Girard was the other noticeable player who was strong on defense. He was getting hit and bashed, and kept going, no matter what, to fight for the puck and get it out of the zone.

Score at the end of the period – Avs 1 TBL 0

2^nd Period

What can you say about Bowen Byram and his ability to stand up to guys that are not only taller but also heavier than him? He did just that with a number of the big-name veteran Tampa Bay players. The message from Byram is “Don’t mess with me.” It was so great to see and the Altitude TV commentators even commented on it and how it would dissuade other players from having a go at him. He is truly showing he is not a defenseman that can be messed with.

The top line did what they are supposed to do. Put together an end-to-end play and scored. Nathan MacKinnon to Mikko Rantanen. It was the first play of the last four games where the top line looked like they were playing as they should.

Again, in the second period, Darcy Kuemper had another solid period. It was as if he had a point to prove. He is the Avalanche’s number one goalie and in this game, he was out to prove it.

Score at the end of the 2^nd period Avs 2 TBL 1

Stats for the period SOG Avs 16 TBL 24 FO% 50/50

Noticeably when the Avalanche begin to win more Face Offs they win back control of the game, naturally. And it is something they have struggled with at times.

By the end of this period, the Avalanche had had five Power Play opportunities and not capitalized on any of them. Another issue that is a carry-over from last season. It is something that needs to be fixed for the Avalanche to be a serious contender moving forward.

Coach Jared Bednar switched lines up during this period, not an uncommon thing. Tyson Jost, Logan O’Connor, and Darren Helm were back together again for part of the period.
J T Compher was no standout in this game. At times he looked back to being slow and not keeping up with the play in my opinion.

3^rd Period

As an Avalanche fan, you will know full well what I mean when I say “predictable mistakes.” Yes, apparently it takes time for young players such as Sampo Ranta and Mikhail Maltsev to get their feet in the NHL. Maltsev has had some experience playing in the NHL with the New Jersey Devils so it should not be as big of an issue for him, yet with these two young players on the ice, the Lightning scored in what was a very predictable mistake. You could see that a goal was imminent. Not a fun place to be in.

Darcy Kuemper made a huge save to keep the Avalanche in the game during the third period. He definitely showed that he is a goalie to be reckoned with. It was good to see him with his confidence back and it helped that the D core were more engaged and playing support during the game. Although there were lapses in that occurring for a big part of the night they were where they were supposed to be.

And yes, defensive breakdowns again led to goals by Tampa Bay.

Nathan MacKinnon went top shelf to put the Avalanche ahead in this period. It was a typical MacKinnon play that hasn’t worked so far up until this point. The TV Commentators were saying that with ten days off the ice during COVID protocol it was going to take time for MacKinnon to get his legs back too. It looked like it had happened for periods of the game, although he is still far from consistent.

The game was tied at the end of the third period, so it went to OT. Samuel Girard was clearly sent into the boards in what left him not okay and requiring medical assistance and yet Stamkos was not called at all for the play. No penalty. And so it is highly unlikely that NHL player safety will take a look at the incident. The hard part to watch is the fact that the hit was nasty and Girard copped a shove from Stamkos after the play. Gabriel Landeskog was suspended for two games for less.

At the end of OT the game was still tied and went to a shootout. The Avalanche don’t have a good record in shoot outs so having this happen seemed to have many Avalanche fans on the edge of their seats according to the Twitter comments.

Darcy Kuemper was outstanding saving goals shot by the Lightning players on two different occasions giving the Avalanche the chance to win the game. It was finally Cale Makar in his first penalty shootout, that brought home the win for the Avalanche.

Final score Avs 4  TBL 3
Final game stats – SOG Avs 27 TBL 32  FO% Avs 42.7% TBL 52.3%

Overall observations

Is the top line doing their job?
During the game watching the Avalanche’s top line in Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog, the thought crossed my mind that this is their job; to play and win hockey games. Considering the lack of performance from them to date, and the amount of money they are being paid, any other normal people in their job would be on a performance contract and possibly a warning.

It is interesting that doesn’t happen in hockey. Maybe one or more of the top line needs to be benched to make them wake up and realize they have a job to do. It is fine to talk about bringing home the Stanley Cup, but actual commitment and consistent top-quality play is the only thing that is going to make that happen.

And yes you can make the excuse that these players have been out, Landeskog for two games and MacKinnon for a number of days. Is that really an excuse for the caliber of players they are? Not sure about that.

What’s the standard, it seems to have dropped?

It is understandable when you lose players from a team in an offseason that it will take time to assimilate incoming players into not only the team’s way of playing but also the culture of the team. How many games is it acceptable to keep making this excuse? The standard and drive to play seem to have dropped for the Avalanche. Some of the new players seem to have taken to the team quickly. The young players that have come from the farm team, the Colorado Eagles, already know the way the Avalanche play.

Something is lacking in terms of the standards being set for acceptable play on the ice. You can only look lost and disconnected for so long. Time is up for this team.

T.E.A.M. Where’s the support?

Again in this game, there were times when players were not supported by their teammates. Clearly, there is still a disconnect about who is doing what and the role they play every time they come off the bench and hit the ice. That needs to shift, and quickly. Players not playing as part of a Together Everyone Achieves More (TEAM), will not win games and not make it to the Playoffs. If that is where the Avalanche want to be at the end of the season, fine. Don’t then talk about being a Stanley Cup contender, because right now they are far from that.

When is boarding not boarding?

It is not okay when NHL officials are inconsistent with the calls they are making with regard to boarding. Players are injured and just like some of the bad concussion injuries that players suffer that are not penalized, boarding is having that same impact. In this game, it was clear the Sam Girard was slammed against the boards in a way that caused him injury. How serious that injury is, in terms of him entering and coming out of concussion protocol, only time will tell.

When a player is not even penalized for boarding when it is clear the player that was sent into the boards is injured says there is something wrong with the way this particular rule is being administered. Any serious injury to a play, especially as it relates to head contact with the boards should be penalized and reviewed by Player Safety, no matter which team it is that is involved.

The Avalanche scraped in with a win against the Lightning. That means for this road trip they come away with one win and two losses. Traveling back to Colorado for one home game before hitting the road again, the Avalanche play their arch-rivals in the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday. Let’s see if there is any improvement in the team for that game.

The post Avalanche beat the reigning Stanley Cup Champs appeared first on The Rink.

I got two picks for tonight to get the Tommy Train back on track. Let’s get into it.

(Odds courtesy of BetRivers)

Washington Capitals (-125) @ New Jersey Devils (+108)

O/U: 6 -122

My pick: Over 6. The Capitals did not lose to the Devils last season. Dominance on the ice. And no Jack Hughes for the home team tonight is not good news to break that streak. The Capitals seem like the no-brainer pick but I’ll ride the slightly better odds with the total. The Capitals should mainly cover it but the Devils still have plenty of guys who can rip some twine. Take the Over and do not look back!

Colorado Avalanche (+112) @ Florida Panthers (-130)

O/U: 6.5 -122

My pick: Avs ML. This is some great value for Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche. Gabriel Landeskog has served his suspension and will be back in the lineup tonight. This is going to be one heck of a game. Stars all over the ice. Avalanche ends their two-game skid and stop the Panther’s perfect start to the season in Sunrise.

BONUS PARLAY

Ducks/Jets Over 5.5 + Oilers/Coyotes Over 6.5 +274

Happy gambling and remember, always ride the Tommy Train.

Basics of hockey betting Money line — Winning team Puck line — Team wins by at least two goals (-1.5 when placing a bet) Three-way line — Team wins in regulation  Over/under — Total goals scored during a game including overtime but not a shootout  Parlay — A combination of two or more bets

The information contained on this website is for entertainment purposes only. Please confirm any wagering regulations in your jurisdiction, as they vary from state to state, province to province and country to country. Using this information to contravene any law or statute is prohibited. The Rink is not associated with or endorsed by any professional league, association or team.

The post Tommy’s Puckline Picks — Oct. 21, 2021 appeared first on The Rink.

No. 1 — Mikko Rantanen scores 50 goals

The most confident of my hot takes is this one. I am predicting big things for Mikko Rantanen this season. He has threatened to break out for two years now; this is the year we finally see that.

Combine the speed of Nathan MacKinnon and his ability to draw defenders with the willingness of Gabriel Landeskog to do the dirty work and Rantanen is on the perfect line to succeed. Just when you thought that was good enough, add in the quality of his shot, and versatility of it, and Rantanen is in dreamland.

The Finnish forward has a great backhand, brilliant one-timer and a wrist shot he gets off with ease. Everything is in place for Rantanen to have a huge year, and for me, that means 50 goals.

Joe Sakic on Mikko Rantanen: "When he has that puck, you're not getting that from him."

He compared him to Peter Forsberg, which is high praise.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) October 12, 2021

No. 2 — Andre Burakovsky scores 70 points

Andre Burakovsky has been threatening to come to life for the past two seasons, which have been shortened but full of promise. Couple that with him being on a contract year, and the potential to earn some big bucks in the offseason and Burakovsky is going to go off this year.

On my Avalanche season preview, I said 30 goals and 30 assists was the aim, with the potential to go 35 and 35, so let’s go with the latter. Burakovsky is going to score 70 points this season, be the biggest threat on the second line and earn himself a big deal in the summer, whether that is with the Avs or elsewhere in the league.

No. 3 — Bowen Byram makes the Canadian Olympic roster

The Team Canada Olympic roster is going to be stacked from front to back. However, do not be surprised to see them take a punt with one or two players, and one of those could be Bowen Byram.

He missed a number of games last season, which slowed down his development, but there was a lot to like and his ability to do special things will really appeal in a tournament-style format. He will need to hit the ground running because Byram has just a couple of months to stake his claim for a spot.

Bowen Byram's first NHL point was a beauty!#BoAvsBo pic.twitter.com/xGYvSudsTh

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 23, 2021

This situation would also mean that Byram beats out fellow Avalanche Samuel Girard and goes to play for Canada alongside Cale Makar and MacKinnon. Many of the other options that would round off the Canadian defense are older players like Brent Burns, Drew Doughty, Kris Letang and others. The roster will have more than enough experience to take a flyer on Byram, and that is exactly what I think they will do.

No. 4 — Sampo Ranta Outscores Alex Newhook

Talk about the young forwards in this Avs group and the first name people will mention is Alex Newhook. This is not a look at the future, but more about this season, where the size and experience of Ranta will come into play.

Both will get chances and both are likely to be scratched at times, but given his size and the simplicity of his play, it would be no surprise to see Ranta adjust to a full NHL season quicker than Newhook does.

This could lead to Ranta having first chance to grab the second-line spot that is currently with Valeri Nichushkin, or it could mean more games in the early part of the season.

With that, he can take a lead in the point-scoring department and hold onto it over the year.

“Coach told me this morning.

This is awesome. I’m ready to go, this is going to be fun.”#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/v9LyKMlpm5

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 11, 2021

No. 5 — Shane Bowers makes the NHL—after being traded away

We have not spoken about an Avs prospect who has not played a game as much as we have done with Shane Bowers in recent years. Ultimately, almost everything with the centerman has ended in disappointment.

Bowers has yet to get involved, and the feeling is that if he does not break onto the Avs’ roster this season, he never will. My feeling is that he will not, and with that, I think he becomes prime trade bait at the deadline this season.

A rebuilding team, looking to get rid of some aging talent in return for prospects, would work. That would give Bowers the fresh start he is clearly craving, while also giving him a path to the NHL that is not as congested as the one currently in Colorado.

The last hot take is that all of this comes together, Bowers moves at the deadline and he makes his NHL debut before the season is out.

The post Five hot takes for the new Avalanche season appeared first on The Rink.

If you missed part one, looking at the Avs’ defense, you can read it here.

Led by Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, the Avalanche have one of the most dynamic and exciting lines in hockey, and again, these three are going to be very important. But, what about elsewhere? How does the club stack up further down the line up this year?

A top-heavy approach

When it comes to top-end talent, there is not another team in the league, other than the Tampa Bay Lightning, that has a top six like the one in Colorado. Yes, there is a lot of talk about the top line, but behind them, Nazem Kadri is a very solid second-line center, while Andre Burakovsky could well join the top three as being elite this season; more on him later.

"They have the most complete team."

The Avs are the favorite once again! #NHLTonight pic.twitter.com/4hJcgWEoKB

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) October 11, 2021

Behind them, we do not really know what comes next, as there are plenty of question marks. Valeri Nichushkin is going to start the season in the top six; will that work? Will the team get scoring from Tyson Jost to replicate the first half of last season, where little went in, or the second half, when he was a regular points scorer?

Then we move onto the rookies. Will Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta do enough to stay in the lineup? Can they contribute enough offensively to create a third line that has some purpose with Jost, or do they both struggle in what will be their first full season of NHL action?

I must lastly mention J.T. Compher, who really struggled last season. He scored 18 points in 48 games, which shows the kind of expectations we all have on him now. A bounce-back year would be timely for the Avs this season, given they have so many question marks elsewhere in the bottom six.

When you look at the questions to answer, and compare them to the comfort of having both Joonas Donskoi and Brandon Saad in the lineup last season, there is a legitimate concern that the Avalanche will trouble the opposition a little less than we are used to seeing.

Expectations for the top line

It should not all be on the shoulders of three players, but given the questions down the lineup, the Avs’ top line simply has to deliver this season. I am not talking about having very strong seasons; I am talking about being completely dominant throughout the season.

Season Preview: Colorado Avalanche

Last year the Avs weren't just a good regular season team, they were one of the best of the past decade. Despite some losses, they're right back on top – especially after upgrading in goal. pic.twitter.com/kgjBSG0u6o

— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) October 9, 2021

Here are three questions that will be answered:

• Will Landeskog replicate his point-per-game pace for the last two shortened seasons over 82 games?
• Will Rantanen hit 50 goals?
• Will MacKinnon score 100 points?

If none of those three come true, there is going to be a lot of pressure on others. Having said that, the more that are correct, the easier the burden becomes on the likes of Compher, Jost, Newhook and Ranta.

Kadri cannot afford to disappear

Kadri will anchor the second line and probably has a little more on his plate this season. It is a common theme of this preview, and I will say it again, the more that Kadri produces, the less pressure placed upon the bottom-six youngsters.

Last season, the 31-year-old struggled with just 11 goals from 56 games. During that time, he went on a spell from April 7 until May 1—almost a month—without a single point on the board in 11 games. He simply cannot do that this season; the second line has to be a consistent source of points.

During the postseason against Vegas when Kadri was suspended, Jost was elevated to the second line, and to put it bluntly, he was crushed by Vegas. The Avalanche asked him to do something that he cannot, and that is why Kadri needs to act as the buffer and provide consistent second-line play.

Kadri is in the final year of his deal in Colorado, and while he will not be getting the potential big pay day as the two I am about the mention, hopefully this will be enough to get Kadri firing for a full season.

Contract years for Burakovsky and Nichushkin

They always say that players will perform better when money is on the line, and the Avs will be hoping that is the case for Burakovsky and Nichushkin this season.

Both are in contract years, and both have the ability to command significant raises during the offseason next summer. If things go right, it would be no surprise to see Burakovsky cement himself as the main man on the Avs’ second line for years to come, with a pay raise to match. There is the potential that Nichushkin simply prices himself out of Colorado, as someone will likely offer him the chance to earn $1.5–2 million more per year than he currently is doing.

Man, Andre Burakovsky really took off in Colorado pic.twitter.com/rQ4V72R8q0

— EvolvingWild (@EvolvingWild) October 6, 2021

In terms of this season and helping the team perform well, Burakovsky holds the key: Is this the year he finally breaks out and shows dominant second-line play?

He is a goal scorer with a fantastic shot and 30 goals should be in his sights after 20 and 19 over the last two shortened seasons. Assuming his assists remain roughly the same, there is hope that Burakovsky could grab 30 goals and 30 assists this season, potentially more. If that moves up just a little further to 35 and 35, all of a sudden, the Avalanche have a second-line player on 70 points for the season.

Continuing the theme I have spoken about throughout this article, for every goal that Burakovsky scores over 30, that is one goal less that this likes of Newhook and Ranta need to score.

Nichushkin is a tough one to work out, because it is unknown how long he will stick around the in the top six. Assuming he gets most of the season there, he should be aiming for 40 points at minimum, a respectable total for someone who would be the lowest scorer of the top six.

Can the Avs deliver?

This is the question we all want to know the answer to!

The answer may well be yes, but as you can see from this article, there are a number of different elements that have to come together for this team to succeed.

The defense could be better than last season if healthy, meaning there should not be as much pressure on the forward lines. Couple that with huge seasons for at least two of the big three, and the Avalanche could be set to go deeper than they did last season and finally break the second round of the playoffs.

Can they go all the way? You need a ton of luck for that, but I head into the new season with optimism.

The post Colorado Avalanche 2021–22 season preview: Does a top-heavy forward group work? appeared first on The Rink.

Looking at the unit that head coach Jared Bednar has at his disposal, there is one thing that jumps off the page, and that is health.

Keeping healthy is the No. 1 priority

Can the Avs stay healthy for a full year? Cale Makar is seemingly pencilled in for a 60–70-game regular season due to the niggles we have seen him have over the past couple of years.

Add into that Bowen Byram missing a big part of last year, Erik Johnson missing almost all of last year, Devon Toews starting on injured reserve and the injury history of Ryan Murray, and it is easy to see why people worry about health.

If they have those six players available for most of the season, being the best defensive team in the league is a big possibility. Lose a couple of them and start relying on those below and the Avs are going to be solid, but probably nothing more than that.

It is nothing too wild to suggest that the number of games each of the top six defensemen play this season could well determine the Stanley Cup chances of this team.

Pairings and usage

Just like last season, I think the Avs will have pairings they use at the start of each game, but those will not always stay together, with a lot of in-game situational changes.

Sam Girard and Cale Makar out here doing ridiculous things in practice to remind you they are ridiculously good at hockey.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) October 11, 2021

Expect to see Makar and Toews as the top pairing, with Samuel Girard and Murray forming a second pair. Bottom pairing will be Byram and Johnson, putting an experienced head at the side of the rookie.

In terms of usage, the first point to make is that Byram and Johnson will see more ice time than your traditional third-line pairings as they move up in various situations. If the Avs are pushing hard and have an offensive zone draw, do not be surprised to see Byram or Girard out with Makar, something we have seen Bednar do in the past.

Similarly, late in the game, we may see Johnson move up and play alongside Toews as a shutdown-type pairing.

It would not be the biggest surprise to see Murray regularly listed as a second-pairing defenseman but finish the game with the least minutes.

The last point to mention in terms of usage is that it would not be a surprise to see less power play time for Toews, with more focus on the penalty kill for him. The Avs have a lot of forwards who can play on the power play. However, if you look at the defense from a penalty-killing point of view, only Johnson and Murray stand out as being involved, unless the team decides to trust Byram with a spot.

Who will step up to the roster when needed?

The Avs went well into their depth pool last season, and once again, they have set themselves up with a number of options should they need them.

Top of the list is Jack Johnson, signed to a one-year deal, primarily to be the seventh defenseman on the roster. Kurtis MacDermid is likely to be next on the list, and with his flexibility—meaning he can play both defense and forward—he will likely spend a lot of time with the team in the press box as an option.

We have signed Jack Johnson to a one-year deal! #GoAvsGo https://t.co/xThC9FqG4r

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 10, 2021

Then we go down to the Colorado Eagles, where there are three main options, should the team need them. Jacob MacDonald did nothing wrong at all last season, but has not been at his best in preseason. He has cleared waivers and will report to the Eagles, with the hope of dominating the AHL and finding his form again.

Justin Barron is the young option, just 19 years old, and he was given a long look in preseason. It is fair to say that there is plenty to work on, but he is the hope long term, so if the Avs want to look at the bigger picture, he may get a look at some point.

Lastly, Dennis Gilbert rounds off the trio in Loveland, a rugged defenseman if the Avs want to bring in someone who will play the body.

If you look at all of the options, each one is slightly different, so it may be a case of not having a set depth chart this season, but choosing the replacement based on the player who is out.

Getting the balance right

This is something that the Avs struggled with on occasions last season, and hopefully an area they do better. They need to get the balance of their defense right this season, and not overload it.

Part of this will involve the call-ups we have just mentioned. For example, if Erik Johnson is out, MacDonald may be playing great for the Eagles, but in terms of fit, he would not be the best man to turn to.

Having so many call up options is a luxury, even more so when they are so varied, so let’s hope the Avs use that to their advantage.

Will a star emerge this season?

Bowen Byram, future NHL superstar. pic.twitter.com/1KgqNugKo1

— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) September 29, 2021

I was incredibly disappointed when Byram missed a large part of last season, as he appeared to have all the tools to succeed in this type of defense.

He is likely to be given a favorable role this season, with regular minutes alongside an experienced partner and a shot higher up the lineup in good situations. It would be no surprise to see him thrive in this type of role and really come of age this season.

The league knows how good the trio of Girard, Makar and Toews is, but soon, they could find themselves talking about a foursome with Byram included.

Should that happen, combined with good health, then yes, the Colorado Avalanche could well have the best defense in the league this season.

The post Colorado Avalanche 2021–22 season preview: The best defense in the league? appeared first on The Rink.

What a season Phillip Grubauer had for the Colorado Avalanche. He saved the game for the team on many occasions, both in the regular season as well as during the Playoffs.

It was clear from early on in the season that Grubauer had worked hard during the offseason. He looked more flexible in the net. The tentativeness that had appeared last season was gone. This in part may have been due to him doing a lot of different conditioning work, as well as using a handheld gaming device to hone his skills more.

The one thing about watching goalies is noticing their confidence. As soon as their confidence drops you notice them moving about a lot in the net, that was not the case with Grubauer this season. He seemed the most confident in net than he has during the three years that he has been with the Avalanche.

He posted a record-high 7 shut-out wins this season. And whilst close wins don’t count as shutouts, there were a number of games where he only let in one goal. That was the case with a few of the nine losses he had.

Grubauer’s stats this season show why he has been nominated for the Vezina Trophy. He has truly shown himself to be one of the best goalies in the league with his performance.

Whilst this was a compact season, Grubauer stood up to playing every game for a number of stretches, and towards the end of the regular season the Avalanche went looking for a backup for him, just in case he sustained an injury and they needed someone in net during the Playoffs.

But, it wasn’t an injury that stopped his season. Grubauer is UFA right now with no contract for the upcoming season. The Avalanche will need to consider if he is the goalie to take them forward.

Jonas Johansson #35  Grade B

The Colorado Avalanche picked up Jonas Johannson from the Buffalo Sabres in mid-January as a backup for Phillip Grubauer, with Pavel Francouz out for the season. Initially, fans weren’t sure if they were confident Johansson could fill the spot with him letting in the first shot in several of his opening games with the league.

He turned that around though and ended with 5 regulation and 1 OT win from 7 starts. There were also two games in which he was substituted due to the scoreline.

It isn’t always easy for a goaltender to shift clubs mid-season as they need to orient themselves to the different plays of their new team. It’s therefore understandable that it took Johansson a few games to settle into the Avalanche’s style of play, and more importantly their defensive play.

In the later part of the regular season, he played more games and stood strong in the net, giving the fans confidence that he could fill in should anything happen to Grubauer.

Whilst he didn’t have a perfect season, given his move to a new club, the confined nature of the season, and everything else going on, for me he showed he has potential as a backup goalie.

Devan Dubynk #40  Grade C-

What a turn of events that the goaltender from one of the Avalanche fan’s arch-rivals, the Minnesota Wild and more recently the San Jose Sharks, should end up in an Avalanche jersey. And yet it happened.

Dubnyk was picked up before the trade deadline by Joe Sakic to be the #2 behind Phillip Gruabuer for the remainder of the regular season and into the post-season. He too, like Johannson joined the Club in mid-January and stepped into the goal, after Johannson.

With Dubnyk, the Avalanche picked up a veteran goalie, and whilst he knew his way around the net there were times when he looked slow compared to Grubauer and Johansson. Reasonable enough given he is six years older than Grubauer.

He too had to quickly learn the Avalanche’s brand of play, although given he has been in teams that have played against the Avalanche more times than others, he joked that he knew their play, just from the other end of the ice.

Dubnyk did a reasonable job in net, although given his experience it would have been great had he been stronger in net, and given the team more wins.

Hunter Miska #32 – Grade B

Hunter Miska was bought up to the Colorado Avalanche from the Colorado Eagles to spell Phillip Grubauer when it was clear Pavel Francouz was not going to be able to fill in as backup goalie.

Miska was unfairly targeted by fans when he let games slip, resulting in the 2 OT losses. And yet, it was evident that it was not only his breakdowns in the net that were the problem. For a young goaltender with minimal NHL experience, he showed that he is going to be a very capable goaltender.

Considering he was dropped into the role with a set of high expectations surrounding him, I consider he did a reasonable job and with further NHL experience, he will show his strength as a backup goalie.

Pavel Francouz #39 – Out for the season

Francouz was injured before the season got really underway and ended up on the Long Term Injured Reserve list, having surgery late in the regular season. Such a letdown for everyone after the promising season he had last year.

With Grubauer UFA, it will be interesting to see whether Joe Sakic considers Francouz good enough to step into the #1 spot, should Grubauer not be re-signed. Francouz currently has one year remaining on his contract with the Avalanche.

The post Avalanche Year End Reviews: The Goaltenders appeared first on The Rink.

Below is a list of things the Colorado Avalanche should address if they want to be serious Stanley Cup contenders for years to come.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

A pest

It’s debatable whether Nazem Kadri fills this role, but he can’t do that sitting up in a skybox wearing street clothes. It was pretty obvious that when the Knights were down and out during the first two games of the series at Ball Arena that they just wanted to set a mental tone. They wanted to show that despite dropping the first two games on the road, that they were going to be a nightmare to deal with as the series progressed. And guess what, that’s exactly what happened. They never gave up and punished Colorado physically and successfully got in their heads. It was like a different team got off the bus to play games three through six.

Matt Calvert is absolutely the player who had this role until injuries sidelined him for the season. Same with Logan O’Connor who got on the ice and made a noticeable impact, but it was too little too late. The bottom-six forward group needs a makeover in the worst way to give the team a little bit more grit and make the Avs hard to play against. It was rare to see checks finished or turnovers forced against Vegas, but they were sure getting that done against Colorado.

Photo courtesy of TheAthletic.com

A big trade-deadline acquisition

This take may be pretty subjective, but Joe Sakic has to take some blame for not risking it all for his team who was primed to be a Stanley Cup contender. Sure you can say Saad and Toews were solid acquisitions, but they weren’t “all-in” type deals. When your team needs to get by an obstacle, you have to take big swings toward the fences. Every general manager who has won a Stanley Cup at one point or another has known their time to push all of their chips in the middle and that generally includes trading top prospects and picks for rentals.

Sakic may look to recent years where teams traded valuable picks away and it didn’t help the team, but with your goaltender and captain on expiring contracts 2021 seemed like a good year to take a risk. It also depends on the market and assessing if the rental players are a fit for your team. Regardless, the Avs got another year of experience in the postseason, but bringing in more firepower to give the team a boost is never a bad idea.

EDMONTON, ALBERTA – AUGUST 02: Zach Sanford #12 of the St. Louis Blues and Erik Johnson #6 of the Colorado Avalanche collide during the second period in a Round Robin game during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoff at the Rogers Place on August 02, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

A veteran defenseman

The Avs have a desperate need for a veteran blue-liner to help tutor their group of young, talented defensemen. You could say this is the job of Erik Johnson, but with his recent injuries, it’s hard to rely on just him. You need somebody back there to calm the waters when things are going your way. You need someone to pull your guys out of a scrum when you have a lead or someone to start some trouble after the whistle when you need a jumpstart.

It was evident that key mistakes were made by the defensive core, but there’s not much room for error in the playoffs. It’s about living and learning out there and for someone like Ryan Graves to have so much responsibility, it’s hard to learn on the fly. The Avalanche just need a third-line guy who has been to a Stanley Cup and can tell the Avalanche exactly what they need to do to go deep in the playoffs. Whether that’s playing smart and simple hockey in close games or sacrificing the body in key special teams opportunities, someone needs to be a role model out there for the young Avs.

Photo courtesy of TheScore.com

Stars need to rise to the occasion

In the playoffs, it’s the goal for the other team to shut the opposing team’s top line down. There are no surprises there, and Vegas did a great job limiting Nathan MacKinnon’s opportunities in the series. It took until game six for the Avs stars to come out and start playing playoff hockey, and still, it wasn’t enough. It’s not clear whether there was a level of complacency since the Avs didn’t do much losing in their first six playoff games, but the top-six forward group didn’t act like they were fighting for every inch of ice against Vegas. They didn’t hound the puck or put a lot of pressure on the Vegas defenseman. It just wasn’t there.

It’s hard to tell if this issue is due to players buying into Jared Bednar or just a lack of playoff experience, but Bednar has to be on the hot seat this season. He failed to make the necessary adjustments in four straight games to challenge the Knights. The strategy improved towards the end of the series as Colorado became more desperate, but the Avs were still sent home in embarrassing fashion losing four straight. The Avs looked motivated and they said all the right things, but it never translated on the ice. Their level of competition has to change, especially when they’re playing a talented team like Vegas who refuses to be out-worked.

The post Four things the Colorado Avalanche need to fix next season appeared first on The Rink.

Nathan is so fast he leaves an Avalanche of snow behind him #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/MNiD89LU4q

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 9, 2021

There were several occasions where MacKinnon did breakthrough and found daylight through the neutral zone, but the Golden Knights clogged the shooting lanes well, making it difficult for MacKinnon to create chances for his teammates. Mikko Rantanen was having the same issues as well. Gabriel Landeskog was the only top-line player that was not playing on the top line, so he was able to maneuver a little better on second line with Valeri Nichushkin and JT Compher. Together, they made some strong plays and had scoring opportunities that simply did not land in the back of the net.

And, while MacKinnon is the Avalanche’s best player, it cannot all fall on his shoulders to carry the team all the time. But, in a pivotal Game 5 during the biggest moments, you expect more from your stars.

Logan O’Connor was very noticeable. It was his first game back returning from injury, but you would not have guess it. When he played on the fourth line earlier in the season, you could tell he provided something to the Avs that they do not usually get. And, with Matt Calvert sidelined, O’Connor looked to give some energy to his club that got out-played the last pair of games.

While it was interesting that Jared Bednar slotted O’Connor on the third line, it was even more of a surprise that Brandon Saad was moved up to the top line. Saad has been a bright spot for the team and has kept the Avs in a lot of games in this series.

Here are some more notes from the Avs’ Game 5 loss to Vegas:

• Ryan Graves had seven scoring opportunities with none of them landing in the back of the net. The Avalanche were looking to their defensemen to play a big part in the scoring opportunities given the Golden Knights were shutting down the forwards.

Ryan Graves should study the concept of SHOT SELECTION. Still cannot believe that he would take the same bad, shin pad shot two consecutive times in OT. Frustrating loss because Colorado played a great hockey game. pic.twitter.com/hRI8o2rMAZ

— Avalanche Forever (@citchmook) June 9, 2021

• It was evident that Marc-Andre Fluery was struggling in the net. He gave up a lot of rebounds and did not seem to be on top of his game.

Wonder if I can squeeze this into tomorrow’s episode of Dang-Its

pic.twitter.com/luOSCq4YZe

— Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) June 9, 2021

• For the first two periods of hockey, the Avalanche looked more in control than they had in their two losses to Vegas in Sin City. Colorado was forechecking and forcing turnovers in the Vegas zone.

#Avs storming the house right now, doing everything they haven't done in last two-plus games. Puck pressure. Extremely physical. Forcing turnovers. Still 1-0, now 8:18 left in 2

— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers) June 9, 2021

• Bednar said in his postgame press conference that he was happy with the team’s play, except for those few turnovers which made the difference in the game.

Jared Bednar: "I think you have to work through mistakes; it's a game of mistakes.

"I will say this: I loved the way we played tonight. We were on our toes, we were playing to win a hockey game, we played to our identity."#Avs

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) June 9, 2021

Coach Bednar: "I thought O'Connor was hard, heavy, on pucks, using his grit and tenacity, as well as his speed…he did exactly what we needed him to do."#Avs

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) June 9, 2021

• Landeskog nailed it in his press conference after the game when he said the team needs to be ready for Game 6.

Gabe Landeskog: "We don't have much time to do anything but rebound and forget about this.

"We have to go to Vegas and win a hockey game. It's as simple as that."

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) June 9, 2021

The Avalanche are now in a make-or-break situation. They play in Vegas on Thursday night. Win and they come home to Colorado for Game 7. Lose and they go home again in the second round.

No one said beating the Vegas Golden Knights would be easy, and for the Avs, it is a real test of their ability to play Stanley Cup-winning hockey if they can make this a series, and win it.

The post Notes from Game 5: Where in the world is Nathan MacKinnon? appeared first on The Rink.

According to Hockey Reference, the team coming away victorious in the fifth game when the series is tied 2–2 wins the best-of-seven series 78.8% of the time. These kind of odds should make a team wake up and smell the coffee, especially after a lackluster appearance. The Avalanche are looking for some kind of momentum since defenseman Cale Makar scored to take a 2–1 lead in Game 3 with only 15 minutes left in the game. Colorado seemed to be in charge and on the brink of going up 3–0 and looking to have a stranglehold on the series. Boy, how things have changed.

In the wake of a great four-year run by center Nathan Mackinnon, big-time players need to step up in big-time situations. Ask any team that has won in the past decade (Chicago, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles): Your best players need to show up in the biggest moments. There is no better time for MacKinnon to show he can lead his Presidents’ Trophy-winning team to the third round of the playoffs.

The Halifax, Nova Scotia, native has registered 13 points in only eight playoff games this season, but none will be as big as the ones he can put up in Game 5 back in Denver. Forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen are important in helping MacKinnon, but do not drive the team’s heartbeat like MacKinnon can and does. Multiple-Stanley-Cup-winning forward Brandon Saad has done his best to show the scoring depth that helps win a series or two in a playoff run; now it is time for MacKinnon to show why he is in the argument as the top player in the league. On the defensive end, Makar has shown he can play with the best in this league and can chip in all over the ice. However, none are as important as MacKinnon.

The good news for Avalanche fans is head coach Jared Bednar will have last choice when sending a line over the boards. This should allow Colorado the opportunity to get the matchups they look for in the offensive and defensive zones. Bednar has done an excellent job this season getting his top players matched up and showing the secondary scoring options can make noise against other team’s top players. This will also allow Colorado the opportunity to try and keep some sustained pressure in the Vegas zone, something that was non-existent in the last three games, even the 3–2 overtime win by Colorado in Game 2. Much of the Avalanche pressure has come off the rush and resulted in a “one-and-done” attack in the offensive zone.

It is not easy to point a finger at the top player on the top team. However, MacKinnon can and should shoulder the load in the remaining games of the series. If Colorado wins at home in Game 5, MacKinnon will look like the possession-driving monster he showed in the regular season and Game 1 of this series. If he can do that, Colorado should be tough to beat at home and take a stranglehold on the series. If not, Vegas’ stingy style of defense may be the end of Colorado’s hopes when they fly back to Nevada on the brink of elimination. With all the momentum all but gone, Colorado would have a hard time winning the last two games of the series.

So, who needs to get out of the second round more? No doubt it is Colorado. The Avalanche have worked their plan from the ground up a few years ago and are starting to see their hard work come to fruition. If Colorado hung onto the 2–1 lead in Game 3, we may already be talking about the Avalanche moving onto the next round, but we are not. On the other side of the ice, Vegas was gifted a sweet expansion draft and were allowed to build an organization much faster than expansion teams in the past. Even with the Golden Knights losing the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season, the fanbase has had a great ride through the infancy of their existence.

With that being said, the Avs have not been to the third round of the playoffs since dropping the Western Conference Final to the Detroit Red Wings in the 2001–02 playoffs. Colorado fans have seen the rebuild through and want nothing more than to head to Vegas with a 3–2 series lead. The time is now, and the time is now for MacKinnon to lead his team beyond the second round. The Avalanche are a legit Stanley Cup favorite, but may be on the outside looking in if they cannot stop the two-game skid and win Tuesday night in Colorado.

The post Heading into pivotal Game 5, Avalanche desperate to advance appeared first on The Rink.

McDavid, Austin Matthews, Mitch Marner and others are playing golf right now.

It is time for Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar to show they are different.

It seems big to say this is career defining for MacKinnon, but it could well be. The greatest players raise their game when they are needed; they do not shy away. The Avs desperately need No. 29 to deliver right now.

Does he prove he is better than those Oilers and Leafs mentioned, or is this another postseason failure and another question mark over this current Colorado roster?

The Avs’ top unit needs to find a way to win battles

Look over the past two games in Las Vegas. At 5-on-5, the Avalanche top line has struggled. There is an argument to be made that this actually started in Colorado back in Game 2, but it has certainly happened in Games 3 and 4.

Missing: Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog

If found, please return to T-Mobile Arena.

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) June 7, 2021

They have to find a way to win battles and get on the scoreboard. If you look at how the games have gone recently, the Vegas Golden Knights have used their second line to destroy the Avalanche, especially in Game 4.

The plays they have made have won games, because the top lines have pretty much canceled each other out. For the Golden Knights, that is fine, because they are winning the battle below.

For the Avalanche, it is not fine, because without Nazem Kadri and with Andre Burakovsky struggling for form, all of a sudden, the players who are normally capable in a second line matchup are few and far between.

MacKinnon and his desire to win

Anyone who has heard MacKinnon talk will know he has a huge desire to win and he wants to be the best. At times over the years, this determination to win has dragged the Avs through some rough patches.

But, that has all been in the regular season. Now, he needs to do it in the postseason.

Look back at the playoff failures during his time with the Avalanche, and we have relatively fair excuses for them all.

This time around, it is different; there are no excuses. MacKinnon needs to find his competitive streak, his willingness to win and drag his team through to the next round.

The ability to do this is why many see him as being better than the players mentioned at the top of this piece. Now it is time for him to prove that being right.

It's time for the Colorado Avalanche to take the next step. And what I mean by that is to start playing the Super Mario sound effects whenever Nathan MacKinnon gets the puck. pic.twitter.com/cdeBvlVKKH

— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) June 2, 2021

The leadership of Landeskog

Despite not winning a Stanley Cup yet, many fans will talk about Landeskog and his leadership abilities very highly.

He is respected in the room, in the media and by the fans. He is also out of his contract this summer, and will no doubt be looking for a raise.

The Avs will give him that, if he proves capable of leading a team to victory in the playoffs. There is nothing wrong with putting together a very expensive core group of players.

Where this can go wrong is if you get the wrong core together, and you have so much money tied up on players who cannot win in the playoffs, seemingly like Toronto has done.

Colorado needs more from Landeskog in this series. He needs to show that he can lead this team, set an example and ensure the others follow.

Where is the mad moose?

More often than not, we see the best of Rantanen when he is angry, with a point to prove and with something big on the line.

Colorado is in the divisional final round of the playoffs, either going to the final four or heading to the golf course.

Rantanen should not need firing up for the rest of this series with so much on the line, but it feels like he does right now.

Despite their size, he has the ability to physically dominate this Vegas defense, but he needs to get on the puck, get angry and play with a big-game mentality.

The #Avs top line (Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen) hasn't had a 5-on-5 goal in eight periods of hockey.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) June 7, 2021

The Makar X-factor

Go all the way back to Game 1 of the series, one which the Avs dominated.

During that game, a number of different defenseman jumped into the play and got involved in the rush. Since then, that has not happened too often, but needs to return.

Turning defense to attack in a couple of seconds is what Makar is good at. Whether it is a threaded pass through the neutral zone, a breakout with the puck or something else special, this is what Makar is on the roster to do.

That needs to get back in his game, as the Golden Knights have shown that they struggle on the rush. Makar needs to take advantage of that.

Makar may play defense, but his ability to drive the Avs forward is why he is so vital to the roster. It is time to go out, play an expansive game and dominate.

Can the Avalanche win this series?

Let’s finish on a positive! Of course the Avs can win this series.

The team is an excellent one. Right now, they are up against another very good hockey team; let’s not forget Vegas tied Colorado for points in the regular season.

But, that does not matter. What this series comes down to is three games, and two of them are played at Ball Arena.

On home ice, the Avalanche can beat anyone in the world. I genuinely believe that.

Two wins and Colorado is through!

The post It is time for Colorado’s big four to stand up and play appeared first on The Rink.

Sure playing in Vegas was not going to be an easy task. Yet, if the Avalanche took their skill and desire to win that they had from the game two they could’ve had a better shot at game three.  Unfortunately that’s not what happened. Head coach Jared Bednar was not pleased in his post-game press conference and that’s something fans don’t see very often. He wouldn’t go into details about what went wrong other than to say that the team’s ‘commit’ level needed to improve. He did call out Phillipp Grubauer as the Avs’ best player of the night.

So what made the Avalanche go from a “firing on all cylinders” team that played a strong 60 minutes of hockey to one that got beat all over the ice? And yes, it was pretty much ALL over the ice. They lost face-off after face-off. With at least two power play opportunities, they couldn’t convert. And they chased the puck all night.

Don’t get me wrong, they played around 15 minutes of the great hockey, but fans know that amount does not win games. No matter how great a team is at believing in themselves when things go south and they aren’t winning puck battles anymore, it does have an emotional impact regardless of what people may think. And while Jared Bednar has had the Avalanche succeed in the past using speed and talent to win games when their strategy isn’t working, it will take something big to turn that around in this series.

So, what do the Avalanche need to do for game four?

Use visualization for starters. Many top athletes use it to get themselves into the mental headspace of achieving what they want to achieve. If the players who take faceoffs spend time visualizing themselves winning them, that will begin to happen. If the players see themselves out skating the Knights, winning the race to the puck, that will also happen. And, when they use this technique, it will unknowingly have a positive impact on their confidence level.  You might believe this is all too ‘woo woo’ for hockey, yet people today underestimate the power of thought and the mental aspect in hockey.

Mental attitude plays a bigger part in the game than anyone thinks possible. Yet, when you have a team that tells themselves they will win their Division and the President’s Trophy to gain the home-ice advantage, and it happens, that is what I am talking about. Although teams will tell you if you win the next shift, you can win the period, then win the game. Playing in a hostile environment like Vegas, let’s win the next face-off then go from there.

The post After first playoff loss, Avalanche need to reclaim 60 minute effort appeared first on The Rink.

The game was played in front of a full-capacity T-Mobile Center, adding even more electricity to the series. Knights forward Ryan Reaves and Avalanche forward Nazem Kadri were both ruled out with suspensions. Alternately, Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar made a couple of lineup changes before the game by taking out rookies Alex Newhook and Sampo Ranta and replacing them with Kiefer Sherwood and Carl Soderberg.

First period

Right off the bat, it felt like Vegas was on a mission.  The Knights were forechecking and putting constant pressure on the Avs. In the first couple of minutes, the goaltenders at each end took shots at opposing forwards with their sticks—showing how tense and physical the series had become. The Avalanche somehow got out of the period tied at 0-0, despite minor penalties to Gabriel Landeskog and Patrik Nemeth and being outshot 15-3.

Second Period

The scoring opened in the second period when Vegas’ Alex Pietrangelo fired a shot from the point and William Karlsson buried a Philipp Grubauer rebound.  But just a minute later, Colorado got the equalizer from the 4^th line—with Carl Soderberg scoring off of a juicy rebound from a Pierre-Edoaurd Bellemare snapshot.  The period ended after the Knights killed off a delay of game penalty called on Shea Theodore.

The @Avalanche answer right back! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/0fQb2PPR5Q

— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 5, 2021

Third Period

With the game tied heading into the final period of regulation, it was a shock that the Avs were still in the game. They were either going to steal a game in Vegas—or Phillipp Grubauer’s near-perfect night was going to be spoiled. And Colorado caught a break when Nicolas Roy was called for hooking, putting the Avs on the power play. With Colorado’s first PP unit out, players fought for control along the boards in the Knights zone—until the puck trickled out to an open Mikko Rantanen, who blasted the puck past Marc-Andre Fleury, giving the Avs a 2-1 lead.

WHAT. A. BLAST. Mikko Rantanen, sheesh! #StanleyCup

NHL x @massmutual

: https://t.co/TgHqInayQo @NHLonNBCSports
: https://t.co/f90GskjalD @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/1RBsCEOiZx

— NHL (@NHL) June 5, 2021

But the game was far from over. The Avs tried to keep the puck deep in Vegas’ end, but the Knights were mounting desperate pressure. With six minutes left in the game, Jonathan Marchessault tied the game by banking the puck of Grubauer from behind the net. Then less than a minute later, Max Pacioretty redirected in the go-ahead goal, giving Vegas a much-needed win on home ice.

What’s next?

The Avs and Knights play game four this Sunday in what should be another great battle between a couple of the best teams in the NHL. It’s just a shame that the series is happening so soon in the playoffs. With Vegas handing Colorado their first loss of the playoffs, that means that the series will go at leastf five games. So, at minimum, action will return to Ball Arena Tuesday for game five.

The post Avalanche crumble in third period, drop Game 3 to Vegas 3-2 appeared first on The Rink.

Here are ten takeaways from the first round.

1.    Brandon Saad returns red hot

Brandon Saad had been injured and only returned in game two of the playoff series. But as you would expect from a veteran player with playoff experience, he jumped right back into the play and scored a goal in games two, three, and four.

His contribution on the ice was substantial and noticed by the commentators. Saad joined the third line with Tyson Jost and Val Nichushkin and helped the third line contribute especially when the Blues shut down the Avalanches top line.

Brandon Saad with goals in games 2 3 and 4 for the Avs

The Saadfather was a beast in this series#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/TicOR6w9qy

— Dude Where's Makar (@joelthesakic) May 24, 2021

2.    Landeskog leads by example

While Gabriel Landeskog scored a Gordie Howe Hat Trick in game one of the series and did something no other Avalanche player has done for many years, it was his leadership that supported the team to win the series.

Landeskog led the way in assisting and scoring at key times in several of the games. And one can only imagine his contributions in the locker room to keep the team focused on their goal of winning the Stanley Cup one game at a time. He commented at the end of game three that “Our defensive game is what’s gonna get us through.” And while he plays a key role in the forward lineup, he also supported the defensive core to shut down the Blues in many key situations.

Gabriel Landeskog got a Gordie Howe hat trick tonight in game 1.
https://t.co/j5c47hGTEn

— Bench Bros Sports (@benchbrossports) May 18, 2021

3.    Avs rolling four lines

We saw during the regular season how deep the Avalanche was when different lines stepped up on nights when the top line was shut down and gave the Avalanche the goals they needed for a win.

This series was no exception. With Jared Bednar understanding the strengths of each and every one of his team members, not only has he worked to create lines that have chemistry on nights when the opposition is shutting down the Avs’ strengths, he hasn’t been afraid to switch things up.

Interestingly in this series Nazem Kadri played games one and two in his usual role of centering the 2^nd line. But when he was suspended Bednar commented that he wasn’t going to move anyone else up into that position because the other lines, namely three and four were clicking and he didn’t want to disrupt them. Hence the move to fill Kadri’s place with JT Compher.

4.    Phillipp Grubauer shines

What can you say about Phillip Grubauer other than he was so strong during this series. For the four games he has a 1.75 goals against average and a save percentage of .936. Over the four games in the series the Blues scored a total of seven goals from 110 shots. Colorado’s defensive core has supported Grubauer during this four game stretch, especially in a couple of instances where he found himself out of the net. Ryan Graves was amongst a number of team members saving the shots in support of Grubauer.

Phillip Grubauer came up big when he needed to. In each game he made at least one if not two spectacular saves that kept the Avalanche in the game. Many of the big saves were at times in the games that could have turned the tide the Blues way. Even though the Avalanche were the stronger team, allowing goals creates an emotional shift in a game. Grubauer didn’t let that happen very often during the series.

Grubauer makes a great save on the initial chance and then makes 4 or 5 extra saves. The first save is all about a great route towards the net and then incredible athleticism and strength keep the puck out on the multiple rebound chances. #threesavesaday #HockeyTwitter #Avalanche pic.twitter.com/WdZGyJUynH

— Rob Gherson (@goalie_school) May 23, 2021

5.    No serious injuries (fingers crossed)

If you watched all four games, you probably saw the sacrifice the Avs players endured with all of the hits and blocked shots.  Yet Colorado came away with no serious injuries. At least until there is confirmation that Alex Newhook is not out longer-term, which is our understanding so far.

Given the physical nature of this series that is a pretty amazing feat. The Blues seemed determined to injure or take out some of the key Avalanche players, initially targeting Tyson Jost, then Samuel Girard. Mikko Rantanen and Joonas Donskoi were also being targeted. But while players fell awkwardly or were tossed hard into the boards, no one sustained serious enough injury to take them out of the game long term.

6.    Defense, defense, defense

Watching Colorado’s defensive core of Samuel Girard, Devon Toews, Cale Makar, Ryan Graves, Patrik Nemeth, and Connor Timmins do what they do best is a testament to not only the players themselves but also the coaching staff. Not in a long time has the Avalanche had the depth and strength in their D core to be seen as one of the tops in the League.

Ryan Graves with a key defensive play to keep Colorado in the lead pic.twitter.com/Kf8HVPbuaM

— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 18, 2021

Any hockey fan knows that a team can be great offensively but without a strong defense they lose. Not only does the Colorado Avalanche have a very strong set of defensemen, but those same defensemen also aren’t afraid to jump up into the play and play offensive hockey. Look at the number of times Cale Makar is being credited with either scoring goals or getting an assist. Ryan Graves is fast becoming another player to do that same thing. Samuel Girard is also strong in both defense and offense.

7.    Alex Newhook scores first NHL goal

Alex Newhook played only six regular-season games before the end of the season and then played his first Playoff games in this series. He had tallied three assists in the six games he’d played, but no goals, so imagine the excitement when he nailed his first NHL goal in game three of the series.

The FIRST NHL goal for Alex Newhook! #GoAvsGo | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/R7tfSWlZS7

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) May 22, 2021

Newhook commented in an interview during the third game that he was a little nervous before taking the shot, but watching the look on his face after the shot went in, I am sure that was temporary.

His teammates, both those on the ice and on the bench helped him celebrate this wonderful milestone in his NHL career. Ryan Graves even fought to get him the game puck so he had a momento.

Ryan Graves makes sure he gets the game puck for Alex Newhook, who scored his first career NHL goal in Game 3 pic.twitter.com/nTcKS1Jrn1

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) May 22, 2021

8.    Ball Arena hosts nearly 7,500 fans

.@Avalanche fans singing 'All The Small Things' last night was electric. #StanleyCup #ItsOn pic.twitter.com/WRbT2PIj1B

— Tim and Friends (@timandfriends) May 20, 2021

The Avalanche knew that if they won the President’s Trophy they would have home-ice advantage for the entire playoff series. They know the depth of support they have from their fans, at home, in Ball Arena. That was evident in the noise that could be heard in game two on Wednesday night May 19^th. Colorado Avalanche fans love their team and when they are at Ball Arena they show that support stronger than ever.

As a fan that attended game two, not only was there support throughout the entire game for the team but the chants of “Go Avs Go” and “Let’s Go Avalanche” on the way out of the stadium following the game was extraordinary. Avalanche fans are passionate. And that goes for the ones that don’t make it into the arena too. Many of the Sports bars around Denver were full of fans cheering just as loud as those in Ball Arena, as was evidenced by the packed DNVR Sports bar for game three.

pic.twitter.com/Eh1j7DR6eP

— Robert Butler (@Robbie_Butler12) May 22, 2021

9.    Conn Smythe favorite up for grabs

Peter Baugh a journalist with the Athletic asked Avalanche fans at the end of the series who was their pick for MVP. Some fans found it easy to respond with Nathan MacKinnon, others as strongly with Phillipp Grubauer. Then others thought it was Gabriel Landeskog.

Some chose other players such as Brandon Saad, and even Jared Bednar got a mention. I agree with one of the fans in that I found it hard to find one play to pick as the most valuable. Each of the four games was different and for each one there were a number of players that stood out. Ryan Graves for his spectacular defensive plays for example. I lost count of the number of times PE Bellemare threw himself in line of the puck during most of the games. Different players were valuable at different times.

The one thing that was evident throughout the entire series was that this was teamwork, nothing but teamwork from the entire Avalanche team. No one player let the team down. Each player contributed and each player stepped up when they were needed the most. When someone made a mistake, another player stood up and put the puck on the net to score.

I’d say the entire squad were MVP’s for this series.

#Avs fans, who is the MVP of Round 1?

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 23, 2021

10.           The Stats

Winning 5-2 tonight, the @Avalanche take their Rd1 series vs STL as they outscore them 20-7 to tie for the largest goal differential (+13) by a team in a 4-game playoff series sweep since the Red Wings beat the Sharks with a +18 differential in their 1995 Western Conf. SF (24-6)

— StatsCentre (@StatsCentre) May 23, 2021

Goals: Avalanche 20   STL 7

SOG: Avalanche  145   STL 110

Faceoff%: Avalanche won game 2 & 3  STL won game 1 & 4

Power Play: Avalanche 6/12  STL 2/9

PIM: Avalanche 33  STL 33

Hits: Avalanche 63  STL 113

Blocks: Avalanche 62  STL 62

Giveaways: Avalanche 34  STL 40

Takeaways: Avalanche 30  STL 22

The post Colorado Avalanche: Ten takeaways from round one appeared first on The Rink.

Regardless, the game came down to the wire with the Blues trying their hardest to push the series to a fifth game. Unfortunately for them, it was too hard to stop the Colorado Avalanche who proved to be the better team.

First Period

Mark Rycroft of Altitude TV was asked before the game how we will know if the Avalanche are on track to win the game? His response was, “Tape to tape passes versus Tommy turnovers in the first ten minutes of the game.”

The pace was slow to start the period with both teams feeling each other out. The Avalanche did have some close chances, but none went in. Blues forward Ryan O’Reilly had an opportunity to try and bank the puck off of Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer’s shoulder, but Grubauer made a great save to keep the Blues off the scoreboard.

Similar to in game one, Coach Bednar called for short shifts, trying to get the momentum going. Alex Newhook took a big hit from a Blues defenseman and slid into the boards looking like he injured his back. He slowly made it to the bench then left for the dressing room to not return.

Late in the period, Ryan O’Reilly put the puck on net and Grubauer missed it as he was screened. But Ryan Graves saved the day again, just as he had in game one. The first penalty of the game came when Mikko Rantanen was called for tripping St. Louis forward Vladimir Tarasenko with two minutes left in the period. The Blues weren’t able to capitalize and the period ended with no score with shots on goal nine for Colorado and four for St. Louis.

That period didn’t feel like playoff hockey. Not a ton of intensity from either side, to be honest.

— Evan Rawal (@evanrawal) May 23, 2021

Second Period

The Avalanche started the second period with time to kill on the penalty and they did that successfully. With 15:35 remaining in the period, Tarasenko sprung loose on a breakaway and scored the first goal of the game.  It was the first lead of the series for St. Louis.

Nearly halfway through the period and the shots on goal were the Avalanche 16 and Blues 9.

With 8:23 remaining, Cale Makar found Brandon Saad in the slot on the powerplay who let a wrist shot go and it hit the back of the net tying the game at one. Philipp Grubauer had passed the puck out to Cale Makar who then sent the puck to Saad, so Grubauer registered his first assist for the Playoffs.

That goal gave the Avalanche the momentum they needed when three minutes later Gabe Landeskog tipped in a Samuel Girard shot to give the Avalanche the lead.

Now that's OUR Captain #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/crnH4WLOqT

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 24, 2021

Third Period

Brandon Saad was interviewed in the second intermission and when asked what the Avalanche needed to do in the third period he responded with “Keep it simple. The only chances they get are the ones we give them.”

Walking through that goal with Saader!

: @AltitudeTV#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/NmZf3eTXEa

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 23, 2021

The third period was going to be make or break time for the Blues. Avalanche players were peppering the net with good shots and at one point Jordan Binnington was laying on the puck as it was the only way to stop the Avalanche from scoring.

The commentators noted that at this point in the series that Connor Timmins and Patrik Nemeth were the only two Avalanche players without points on the entire team. That shows the depth of this team.

Mikko Rantanen silenced the crowd at Enterprise Center when he put the Avs in front 3-1 on a beautiful pass from Nathan MacKinnon.

Give us every angle of Mikko's goal EVER#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/wfHX6U9SFR

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 23, 2021

With just under two minutes remaining in the period, the Blues pulled Binnington. Not long after that Nathan MacKinnon was hit with a high stick and a double minor was called that sealed the game for the Avalanche.

This, of course, put Colorado on the power play but with the empty net, it remained five on five hockey as the Blues put an extra attacker on the ice. This didn’t stop the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon from scoring the first of two empty-net goals, with the second by Valeri Nichuchskin with only two seconds remaining.

It may be an empty net but Baby!!!! I GOT MY VALLLLLLLLL GOAL

— She.Loves.Avs.n.F1 (@Avs_n_F1) May 23, 2021

The final score was 5-2 giving the Avalanche the first round sweep.

Gabriel Landeskog in his post-game interview said “Our defensive game is what’s gonna get us through. It was tonight.”

The post Avalanche sweep Blues, advance to second round appeared first on The Rink.

Colorado’s Nazem Kadri has been suspended for eight games for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis’ Justin Faulk. https://t.co/5rg2ZPVm5P

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 22, 2021

Period one

The first period seemed as though both teams were being a little too careful and not wanting to make any mistakes. The Blues were clearly the more physical team, and the Avalanche tried their best to play a solid road game by keeping things simple. St. Louis had a couple of sequences where they pinned Colorado deep in their own zone, but Philipp Grubauer was able to keep the Avalanche in the contest.

Period two

The second was when all the action started. Just two minutes into the frame, birthday boy Ryan Graves was released from the penalty box and found the puck for a breakaway. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington misjudged playing the puck and left the net to challenge Graves, who was then able to score the first goal of the game.

Ryan Graves taking full advantage here. #StanleyCup

: https://t.co/NAvBGZ9Yg8 @NHLonNBCSports
: https://t.co/OQ9vAnIFa6 @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/XZhUV069l9

— NHL (@NHL) May 22, 2021

Later in the second, Alex Newhook carried the puck into the zone on an odd-man rush and centered a pass trying to find Valeri Nichushkin’s stick. The puck missed and ricocheted to JT Compher, who fired a shot off Binnington’s left pad, which rebounded right back to Newhook for his first NHL goal. But Colorado was not done yet. Minutes later, Gabriel Landeskog found Tyson Jost on another opportunity, who capitalized to make it 3–0 Avs.

Out of desperation, the Blues challenged Jost’s goal for goaltender interference, which they lost, thus putting the Avalanche on the power play. But, just before the period ended, Cale Makar lost the puck behind the net to Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly, who set up Tyler Bozak for a shorthanded tally. The Blues would cut the lead to 3–1 heading into the third period.

GETTING YOUR FIRST NHL GOAL IN THE PLAYOFFS, NOTTA BIG DEAL @AlexNewhook_ pic.twitter.com/MslOJfQYv4

— Spittin' Chiclets (@spittinchiclets) May 22, 2021

Period three

St. Louis continued hitting as much as they could and ultimately finished the game with 46 hits as a team. But, it was the Avalanche that kept skating and making the Blues defend high-danger chances. More than halfway through the third, Andre Burakovsky skated into the St. Louis zone and found a streaking Brandon Saad, who scored his 20th career playoff goal to put Colorado ahead 4–1. Then, with a few minutes remaining in the game with Binnington pulled, Compher sealed the game with an empty-net goal.

https://twitter.com/HeresYourReplay/status/1395953528120782851?s=20

What’s next?

The Avalanche have a commanding 3–0 series lead and have the opportunity on Sunday to advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In NHL history, there have only been four teams to ever come back from a 3–0 deficit in a series, so the numbers are on Colorado’s side. Unfortunately, the Avs will not have Kadri available for some time, but those shoes will have to be filled by Jost, who has been playing very well lately.

The post Avalanche beat Blues 5–1 in Game 3, look to advance Sunday appeared first on The Rink.

As someone interested in the mental aspect of the game though, I wish I could jump into his head, even just for a little while, to gain some understanding of what happened. As other teams’ fans will know, this is not the first time this has happened with Kadri, and yet since he moved to the Avalanche 18 months ago, he has not done anything like this. Is it the added tension of the playoffs that causes him to make these types of play?

Nazem Kadri about to get suspended in the first round AGAIN https://t.co/qoBYHiS2X1

— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 20, 2021

Kadri had a frustrating regular season this year. He had not produced nearly as much as he did last year. There have been a number of times when Head Coach Jared Bednar commented on not being happy with Kadri’s play. And yet, the stats do not show that he had a horrible regular season.

What is the most telling with these stats is that his penalty minutes dropped significantly to the lowest it has been since the 2014–15 season when he was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs. It is 1/3 of what it was in 2019–20 when Kadri first joined the Avalanche. Given the shortened season and the breaks that were mandatory for COVID-19, Kadri was the only player to play all 56 games, so his stats are reasonable considering.

When you listen to Kadri speak about his play though, it is easy to consider that he may be someone that puts a lot of pressure on himself. For that sort of person, when they are not performing the way they think they should be, an inner tension builds. Often when that happens, the frustration boils over and manifests as outward anger. The crazy thing is that it is much more about what is going on internally for that player than anything else.

Watching the play at Ball Arena on Wednesday night, it was clear that Kadri did hit Faulk in the head. I do not condone any form of that, because while hockey is a tough sport, no one deserves to receive a head injury, especially at the hands of someone else.

During both Game 1 and Game 2 between the Blues and the Avalanche though, there were a lot of plays that in the regular season would have been called as penalties. This has not been the case during either game. Apparently, that is the nature of playoff hockey. But, even watching the game as a spectator, you have no idea what is being said or done in truth, on the ice, player to player.

The Blues play with a disruptive mindset. They like to check and push and try and create tension in the game. It has not been the way the Avalanche play games, so meeting that at a different playoff level may be hard to take.

Colorado’s Nazem Kadri has been offered an in-person hearing via Zoom for an Illegal Check to the Head on St. Louis’ Justin Faulk. Date and time TBD.

— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 20, 2021

In the end, Kadri was given an eight-game suspension by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. The Avalanche have lost a valuable player in their second-line center. After Game 1, fans and others commentated that he had not done much, yet the stats showed otherwise.

Nazem Kadri ends Game 1 with an 82.71% shot share and and xGF of 85.72% at 5v5. And somehow people are criticizing how he played.

— Tom Hunter (@PuckDontLie) May 18, 2021

Having Kadri out of the Avalanche lineup will make a difference to the team. Will the team adjust?

Bednar said that Carl Soderberg would play in the lineup in place of Kadri, but would not comment on the line combinations for Game 3.

The options

• Alex Newhook to center the second line with Burakovsky and Donskoi. Is he up to it?
• Tyson Jost to move up, but that would disrupt the productive Brandon Saad, Jost, and Valeri Nichuchskin third line.

In Game 2, the hit on Faulk appeared to give the Blues momentum, as they put on 11 shots during the five-minute power play. Let’s hope the Avalanche lineup handles whatever the Blues throw at them in the upcoming games in this round.

The post Why did Nazem Kadri snap in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs? appeared first on The Rink.

It all starts tonight.#GoAvsGo | #StanleyCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/Zr5e4WABxC

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) May 18, 2021

Period one

Head Coach Jared Bednar rolled the Avs on short shifts early to get the nervous energy worked out of the players. Starting his first playoff shift for the Avalanche, Alex Newhook played smart hockey.  Philipp Grubauer made some strong early saves, while a Vladimir Tarasenko shot rang off the post with a ding. Passing for the Avalanche became a problem, with the St. Louis Blues easily jumping passes.

Nazem Kadri registered the first shot on goal for the Avalanche at around the 14-minute mark in the period, illustrating the extent that the Blues had control of the early part of the first period. Watching the game, you knew it was not going to take much for that to change, however.

At 10:47 in the first, Gabriel Landeskog had a fight with Brayden Schenn for taking Mikko Rantanen off his feet. There was no penalty called on the hit on Rantanen. The crowd at Ball Arena went wild.

Mess with the Finn, you get the Swede

https://t.co/NAmhmMjBye

— Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) May 18, 2021

The Avalanche went on their first power play of the night with 5:56 remaining after Ryan O’Reilly was called for tripping MacKinnon. In what was going to be a theme for this game, as Robert Bortuzzo knocked down Rantanen at the end of the power play—with no penalty called.

At 15:15 in the first, Cale Makar scored a power play goal to put Colorado up 1–0. While the Blues dominated shots in the earlier part of the period, the tables eventually turned, with the Avs outshooting the Blues 15–1 over a later stretch.

At the same time, the Avalanche defensive corps put their bodies on the line to support Grubauer. The Blues could not do anything offensively, as the Avs shut them down.

Peter McNab from Altitude TV commented at the end of the period that Colorado was taking it to St. Louis.

At the end of the period, the Avalanche had 18 shots and the Blues just five.  The other thing making the difference was the Avalanche going 56.5% in the faceoff circle.

Period two

Devon Toews did not start the second period. Panic ensued for a moment with the thought of another Avalanche player injured, but 30 seconds in, Toews returned to the bench seemingly ready to continue. The Blues’ Justin Faulk was called for slashing Sam Girard, and the Avalanche went on the power play at 19:00 in the period. However, the Blues’ penalty kill shut the Avs down, allowing zero shots on goal.

There were several instances where the Blues seemed to get away with non-calls on obvious penalties, but welcome to playoff hockey. JT Compher took a high stick, for example, with no call. At the same time, the Blues had a bit more control of the action early in the second than at the end of the first period.

Marc Moser of Altitude TV commented that the Blues were more structured at the beginning of the second. However, by seven minutes into the period, the Avalanche had already added another five shots on goal.

Ryan Graves was called for delay of game at 12:50—the first penalty the Avalanche had taken all game. While the Avalanche were on the penalty kill, they had two good shorthanded opportunities. The penalty kill was strong, including several key saves by Grubauer. The Blues did manage to put two shots on the net, though.

The one thing the Avalanche were doing this period was generating lots of shots on the net. Many close shots by both Rantanen and Kadri did not go in thanks to stellar effort by St. Louis netminder Jordan Binnington. Halfway through the period, the Blues called for hooking Andre Burakovsky, which provided yet another chance for the Avalanche to score on the power play.

There appeared to be some shenanigans at play when Faulk slid the net off its moorings with no one else in the play. It seemed like the Blues were starting to figure out they had to do something to change the arc of the game. The Avalanche did not score on a power play, a missed opportunity. They did generate two more sots on goal.

https://twitter.com/emily_wade/status/1394497654072041475?s=21

The Blues were pushing hard trying to score when Grubauer ended up out of his crease. No problem. Graves saved the day with an amazing intervention. That’s teamwork!

The Blues’ Jordan Kyrou evened the score with 3:23 remaining in the second period after Kyrou appeared to hold Kadri’s stick—which was let go by the referees. Up until this point, it looked like the Avalanche were chasing the Blues in this period.

Fans that bought a ticket to this game were getting their money’s worth. Tyson Jost took off on a breakaway and came close to scoring another goal for the Avalanche, but the puck ended up caught in the back of Binningtons pads.

At the end of the second period, the game was tied at 1–1, the Avalanche with 32 shots and the Blues with 16. The Avalanche still won 52.3% of the faceoffs, with the Blues appearing to do a lot of clutching and grabbing.

Period three

While the Avalanche did not have the terrific second period fans have been used to in the regular season, they were certainly not out of the game by any means. The Avs continued to look like the stronger team. At 19:30 in the period, that was proven when MacKinnon buried one after a pass from Rantanen, making the score 2–1.

Valeri Nichushkin had an amazing breakaway opportunity four minutes into the period, but yet again, it was stopped by Binnington. Landeskog had another perfect chance to score off a Saad feed, but this too was stopped.

Graves took his second penalty of the night at 14:28 in the period. To describe the penalty kill: Nichushkin strong, Grubauer even stronger. The Avalanche successfully killed the penalty.

With 11:42 on the clock, MacKinnon took a high stick with no call. Maybe this motivated the Avalanche, because only 12 seconds later, MacKinnon let a snipe shot go, and Landeskog deflected it. Avalanche lead: 3–1.

With that goal, Landeskog registered a rare Gordie Howe hat trick—a fight, an assist, and a goal—not in that order, of course. Halfway through the third period, it was clear the momentum has shifted back to the Avalanche.

With a little under 10 minutes left to play, the Avalanche had put 42 shots on goal. Binnington had been given a workout in game one by the Avs. The third was another period of play where the top line of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen and the defensemen mounted significant pressure and chances off rebounds with no score.

And while Grubauer did not see as much action as Binnington did, he was coming up strong yet again at the other end. Grubauer got cut down by a Blues player, and no penalty was called, something he was not happy about. Then, Graves performed his second super sliding save of the night to stop the Blues from getting back on the scoreboard.

With 1:50 left on the clock, the Avalanche had amassed a huge 49–23 advantage in shots. And with just over a minute to go, MacKinnon scored yet again to make the final score 4–1 Colorado.

First game of the playoffs and we will rate it 7,750 hots for how many fans are here bringing the noise!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/PkFNQLioye

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 18, 2021

Third star — Cale Makar

Second star — Nathan MacKinnon

First star — Gabriel Landeskog

What’s next?

With Game 1 in the bag, the Avalanche get a day to look at the mistakes they made and work on those before coming back to Ball Arena for Game 2 Wednesday night.

The post Game recap: Colorado Avalanche beat the Blues in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

If you had to guess our mood today, this sums it up! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Gce6mWMX82

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 15, 2021

Such a helmet was seen by Avalanche fans earlier in the season when Matt Calvert was injured in a hit that resulted in him again going into concussion protocol and has resulted in him missing most of the Avalanche’s season.

Byram, who was having a promising start to his NHL career, was hit by Keegan Kolesar of the Vegas Golden Knights on March 25. In the replay of the hit, it was clear that Kolesar left his feet and hit Byram high, yet there was no penalty on the Vegas player.

Byram left the ice as it was clear he was not okay after it. He did not return during that game and has not played since.

Conor Timmins is the other Avalanche player to have had his career severely impacted by a concussion. Timmins missed an entire 12 months, and there was discussion as to whether the injury would ultimately end his NHL career before it got started.

The NHL rule that should have been imposed for this incident

Rule 42 relates to charging and is the rule in question with the Byram incident.

42.1 Charging – A minor or major penalty shall be imposed on a player who skates, jumps into, or charges an opponent in any manner. Charging shall mean the actions of a player who, as a result of distance traveled, shall violently check an opponent in any manner. A “charge” may be the result of a check into the boards, into the goal frame, or in open ice.

Given the nature of the connection with Byram at the time of impact and the description of the rule, it seems pretty clear that Kolesar should have at least been called for charging. The referees for this game did nothing.

Given that was the case and no on-ice penalty called, then surely the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, upon review, had the chance to do something. But, that did not happen either.

Are the rules regarding hits and concussions proper?

The Department of Player Safety will review plays deemed dangerous and penalize players for them. Why, then, was the play on Byram not reviewed and considered unsafe so that Kolesar could not continue to play?

In the Department of Player Safety FAQs, there is a question of “Why is injury taken into account when deciding supplemental discipline? What other factors are taken into account?” Here is the answer to that question:

Per Article 18.2 in the CBA between the NHL and the NHLPA:

“… In deciding on Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct, the following factors will be taken into account:

(a) The type of conduct involved: conduct in violation of League Playing Rules, and whether the conduct is intentional or reckless, and involves the use of excessive and unnecessary force. Players are responsible for the consequences of their actions.

(b) Injury to the opposing Player(s) involved in the incident.

(c) The status of the offender and, specifically, whether the Player has a history of being subject to Supplementary Discipline for On-Ice Conduct. Players who repeatedly violate League Playing Rules will be more severely punished for each new violation.

(d) The situation of the game in which the incident occurred, for example: late in the game, lopsided score, prior events in the game.

(e) Such other factors as may be appropriate in the circumstances.”

So, if a player leaves their feet and hits another player, is the league saying that it is not intentional and, therefore, regardless of the injury, there is no supplemental discipline to be handed out?

Surely the fact that a player leaves the ice under concussion protocol should be a factor taken into consideration.

Byram temporarily to the room after this hit by Keegan Kolesar. Looks like Kolesar leaves his feet in the process pic.twitter.com/BDStsK1s2D

— NHL Review (@nhl_review) March 26, 2021

It is interesting to note that Kolesar has made these types of hits on other players before and has not been suspended for them, either. How do I know that? Searching for the video of the impact on Alex Newhook and noting the tweets shown from as far back as 2014 mentioned such hits on other players. Maybe he is one player that has worked out how to hit another player and for the impact not to be deemed severe enough for a penalty.

Where are the rules protecting the player?

Hockey is a contact sport, and players playing in the NHL, or any league for that matter, understand that. The players sustain injuries that mean they have sprains, dislocations and sometimes breaks that require surgery. Again, it is a given that playing the physical game that is hockey, with the speed that it is played, that injuries will occur. But, where is the line drawn around brain injuries? A concussion and its impact on the players’ life are at a completely different level.

People might argue that the player chooses to continue playing after receiving a concussion; therefore, the league is not responsible. Others might consider that the rules may need to be changed to penalize players after the incident, especially where it is clear the injured player has sustained a severe concussion that impacts their ability to play.

The Department of Player Safety only reviews video footage of an incident straight after it occurs, so it cannot consider the longer-term impacts of something such as a concussion. The three Avalanche players are a testament to the long-term effects of sustaining a concussion, and not in a good way.

Byram, Calvert and Timmins are not the only players in the NHL to have sustained a severe concussion from playing the game, either.

Maybe it is time the NHL changed the rules to consider and review the strength of the concussion. Please do not ask me how the rule would work. That is something that the players and the NHL would need to work out. But, if a hit like that placed on Byram can have him out of play for the last 23 regular season games, doesn’t that say something? Calvert has missed far more, and every time Timmins is hit, I would wager that Avalanche fans hope it is not a concussion-related injury he sustains, because if that were to occur, who knows if he would play again.

The Avalanche have not yet released a timeline for Byram’s return, as it is not clear when he will no longer have concussion symptoms.

The post When will Bowen Byram return from his concussion? appeared first on The Rink.

Two breaks due to COVID-19

The Avalanche were the only team in the entire NHL to be impacted by two COVID-19-related breaks.

On Feb. 6, the Avalanche had five games postponed due to four players testing positive with COVID-19. All of the team’s facilities were shut down and the season put on hold. Gabriel Landeskog was one of the players that contracted the virus, but the others were unnamed.

On April 16, three new players tested positive for COVID-19. They were Bowen Byram, Joonas Donskoi and Philipp Grubauer. Then, Mikko Rantanen was also put on the watch list due to the contact-tracing requirement. This meant that the Avalanche’s season was suspended for three games, right at the end of the season and right when they were in first place in both the Western Division and the league.

Players that had contracted COVID-19 and returned had to go through specific heart monitoring and other testing to ensure they were fit enough to return to play. In the final stretch of the season, the Avalanche’s newly acquired backup goalie Devan Dubynk also contracted COVID-19 and missed the last six games of the season.

Third in the league with total game time losses for injured players

From yesterday, NHL injury visualization. Man games lost versus team wins. Bubble size represents cumulative quality of players lost (Lost-ps metric) https://t.co/jYt3NY9Ibt pic.twitter.com/nwncXJtDOU

— Man-Games Lost NHL (@ManGamesLostNHL) May 14, 2021

The Avalanche had nearly 350 man games lost due to injury this season. The St. Louis Blues and the Chicago Blackhawks were the only teams with more than 350. Despite the large amount of lost time all due to injuries to the NHL rostered players, the Avalanche still came away with the most regulation wins in the entire NHL.

What does that say for the players that stepped in to take the place of those injured? It says a lot. The Avalanche have had wonderful support this year from the AHL players on the Colorado Eagles’ roster; they have stepped in time and time again and done the job required of them.

When you listened to the players talk, what you heard them say was they had the “next man up” mentality. Everyone knew it was a total team effort, whoever was on the team at the time, in order to get the team the wins they needed to win the title of best in the West, and ultimately the Presidents’ Trophy.

As fans saw, players came into the Avalanche lineup happy to play their part.

AHL players played their part

Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar spoke a number of times throughout the season about the work being done by the team’s administration to watch what was happening at Loveland and bring up players that were standing out. The way the Colorado Eagles are being trained is the match for the play by the Avalanche, which means players coming up know exactly the style of play expected of them.

In this regular season, Kyle Burroughs, Sheldon Dries, Daniel Gilbert, Martin Kaut, Jacob MacDonald, Jason Megna, Keaton Middleton, Hunter Miska, Alex Newhook, Liam O’Brien, Dan Renouf, Keifer Sherwood, TJ Tynan and Adam Werner all played a part in the Avalanche getting to where they ended up.

And we love. To. See. It. pic.twitter.com/POqdO43v2e

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 15, 2021

Without the support and buy-in of each and every one of these players, it would not have been possible. In past years when players from the AHL were bought up to fill gaps, it was clear they were not easily able to make the jump to the NHL. This season, for most of these players, that was not the case.

They were ready. They handled the pace. They bought into the systems being used and they produced for the team.

The Avalanche players stepped up

On nights when the Avalanche had lost top players, someone else stepped up and made the difference. With the number of injuries, it was a case of who would go out next. Most of the Avalanche’s top-six players, with the exception of Nazem Kadri, have been out at points during the season. That was either due to injury or having contracted COVID-19.

Logan O’Connor played a really important role on the Avalanche’s fourth line before sustaining a season-ending injury. Conor Timmins has become a dependable defenseman since the Avalanche lost veteran Eric Johnson early in the season. Byram made his NHL debut and automatically held his place in the squad due to his tenacity. Newhook, after only playing six games in the AHL, also stepped into the Avalanche lineup, and Bednar now has the dilemma of whether to leave Newhook in the lineup instead of others.

These young players know what this team wants and that is to win the Stanley Cup. They all played their part in believing they could become division champions. It was that belief that had them step up and assist on or score game-winning goals when they were needed.

Now, it is time to continue with their belief: The belief the team had that this is their year—it is their year to win the Stanley Cup. The Colorado Avalanche team of 2001 won both the Presidents’ Trophy and the Stanley Cup, so it is possible. And, the continued belief in themselves will go a long way to making it happen.

The playoff slogan is “ascend as one!” Let’s hope the Avalanche continue to believe in their own ability to win the Stanley Cup.

The post Belief played a big part in the Avalanche Presidents’ Trophy win appeared first on The Rink.

Six games, three assists and a +5 rating have been thoroughly deserved; Newhook has landed on the team, looked comfortable and involved himself in the middle six. He has done enough to earn a spot as we go into the playoffs, but with the return of Brandon Saad looming, where can Newhook fit and remain effective?

Here is a rundown of the four options open to the Avs as they look to bring Saad back in and keep their rookie in the lineup.

How about Alex Newhook with 2 assists tonight??

— Kyle Keefe (@kylekeefetv) May 11, 2021

Third-line winger — Keep Newhook where he is now

The 2019 first-round pick has been moved around the lineup during his six games, but a good part of that time has been spent as a winger on the third line. Keeping Newhook in that position would bring familiarity for him, and allow him to just keep rolling.

This would likely be alongside Tyson Jost and Valeri Nichushkin, although the Avalanche could play Saad here, and push Nichushkin to the fourth line. The other option would be for Saad to jump back onto the second line, push Donskoi on the third and then Nichushkin onto the fourth.

All three options give Newhook two skilled players to play with, so he should still be in a position to be effective offensively and continue to generate chances. It seems as though a first NHL goal is just around the corner, and of the four options here, this is the one that would give him the best shot of getting one.

At least for the first two games in Colorado, this is where I would play Newhook, giving him the chance to shine and further cement his position while remaining in an attacking role.

First NHL point for Newhook!#BudLightCelly #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/WLAzve1TM2

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 8, 2021

Third-line center — His most effective position

Eventually, over the next year or two, the Canadian forward will move to center, and this will likely be the position he plays for his entire NHL career. Further down the line, it is hoped that he will be the natural second-line center replacement for Nazem Kadri. If that is the case, then should the Avalanche look to use him as a permanent center right now?

I like the idea of this, and it is my second choice from these four, but it does have one big downside, which would be a likely demotion to the fourth line for Tyson Jost. Jost does not deserve that, as he has been excellent all season, especially recently, but it is the only way to make this fit.

Adding Jost to the fourth unit would give it some energy, something that has been missing with no Matt Calvert and Logan O’Connor in the lineup. It would also give Newhook a little more responsibility, by centering a unit with no other centerman—we have previously seen him have the luxury of Kadri alongside to help with center duties.

This would likely put Newhook in the middle of two of Nichushkin, Saad and Donskoi, so would again give him two skilled players to play with, and maintain his attacking presence.

I do not like this as much as the option above, mainly because of the impact it has on Jost. He does not deserve to lose ice time, even if he would offer a boost of energy to the fourth line.

Fourth-line role — Can this work?

When the Avalanche called Newhook up to the main roster, I was against him playing in a fourth-line role. If the Avs want the best from him, he needs to play his natural game and play to his strengths. Being put in a fourth-line role would not do that.

However, it would keep him on the ice, which for many people now is far more important than where he plays because of the impact he has made. The downside here is that his linemates would be a combination of Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, J.T. Compher and Carl Soderberg. None of these players can really be described as consistently skilled even though they have shown glimpses recently.

Their style of play would be something new, and not something that would be guaranteed to suit. However, just as I mentioned earlier about Jost adding energy to the fourth line, Newhook would do the same.

Of the three scenarios that keep him in the lineup, this is the one with more questions than answers—we simply do not know how Newhook would fit on the fourth unit and if he would be able to maintain his current form.

Great pass from @AlexNewhook_ to J.T. Compher for a big @Avalanche goal. pic.twitter.com/MGvYI5ROqf

— NHL (@NHL) May 11, 2021

Take Newhook out of the lineup?

The final option for Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar would be to take Newhook out of the lineup. I would be surprised to see this happen straight away, and also disappointed. If Newhook is to come out of the lineup, the only way I could see this happening is if he moves down to the fourth line and this does not work, with no place for him in the top nine.

Regardless of how it happens, it would no doubt bring disappointment for many fans. However, it would also highlight the type of player that Newhook is going to be for this club in the future.

He is not a fourth-line player; he needs to be playing alongside other skilled members of this team, and unfortunately for him, the team we currently have is stacked with those.

I am hoping that the 16th overall pick keeps his place in the lineup, preferably somewhere in the middle six. He is edging toward a first NHL goal, and has already shown his worth to the team. If he does not though, try not to worry too much, because this is only the beginning for his NHL career, and we are going to be seeing a lot more of Newhook in the very near future.

The post Where does Alex Newhook fit when Brandon Saad returns? appeared first on The Rink.

Many have contributed in this period, but the player that has really caught my eye recently has been Andre Burakovsky. He has impressed with the manner of his performances, but also with the timing, stepping up when Nathan MacKinnon was out of the lineup.

And Andre Burakovsky with his perfect shot. AVALANCHE GOAL. #GoAvsGo

— The Rink — Colorado Avalanche (@TheRinkColorado) May 14, 2021

As we go into the postseason, whoever plays Colorado will focus on the top line and try to shut it down. If they have success, which is, of course, not easy, the Avalanche will need secondary scoring to have success.

This is where Burakovsky is hopefully going to come through and shine.

A hot streak in May

During the month of May, a tussle for the West Division title has given Jared Bednar’s team something to play for in every game. In eight games during the month, Burakovsky has scored five goals and added seven assists for 12 points.

It is not just on the scoreboard where the 26-year-old has impressed; the underlying stats have been excellent, too. The chances were not as good on Thursday night, but on Wednesday against Los Angeles, Burakovsky was on the ice when the Avs created eight high-danger scoring chances for, and had just one against them.

In Vegas on Monday, when many players struggled in the game, the numbers for Burakovsky were still excellent. He was on the ice for seven high-danger chances, while the team gave up just one to Vegas when he was out there.

Stats of course are not everything, but in conjunction with how good the winger has looked to the eye, it gives a full picture of just how good he has been playing recently.

Ohhhhh Burky that's FILTHY#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/8uxkaC6QzA

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2021

The importance of secondary scoring in the playoffs

We have seen over the years that goals in the playoffs can come from the most unlikely sources. The top line will be expected to carry the load, but cannot be relied upon for everything, especially if MacKinnon is not fully healthy, which seems up in the air.

Players farther down the lineup will need to contribute and take the pressure off the big guns, and coming in hot, expect Burakovsky to be one of the main players in this area.

Two seasons with a 30-goal pace

This is the second season for Burakovsky with the Avalanche, and in both of them he has played 50-plus games. He played 58 last season, and scored 20 goals; he played 53 this season and ended with 19.

Both seasons put him on pace for a 30-goal season across a full 82-game season, an excellent return for a player on the second line.

Last season in the playoffs, Burakovsky played 15 games and registered seven goals and 10 assists for 17 total points. The Avs would love a similar pace from him this postseason.

The post Andre Burakovsky is hot heading into the postseason appeared first on The Rink.

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.

We’ve secured that home ice advantage!

Oh yeah, and our 10th division title, and 3rd Presidents’ Trophy #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/QoyNcPmR1w

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2021

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.

JOSTY X 2#GOAVSGO pic.twitter.com/5vSnbM5nLv

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2021

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 A NIGHT.
WHAT A SEASON.
LET’S KEEP THIS ROLLING. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Ldff0dEcXf

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 14, 2021

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.

The post RECAP: Avalanche take down Kings 5-1, secure Presidents’ Trophy appeared first on The Rink.

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.

Want another look at Donskoi's goal?

Your wish is granted #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/A9UfKkK47z

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 13, 2021

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”.

Happy for the hatty!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/k6pZjdlU1b

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 13, 2021

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.

The post RECAP: Avalanche reign on the Kings 6-0 appeared first on The Rink.

The remainder of the regular season is simple. Regardless of what happens elsewhere, if the team closes out with two wins over the LA Kings, they take home both the West Division title and the Presidents’ Trophy. This guarantees home ice advantage for the full Stanley Cup run, however long that may be.

Grubauer is back

A look at the stat lines from the game and you will see that Vegas did to the Avs what we usually see Colorado doing to others. The shot count was 37-21 in favor of the Golden Knights, but an outstanding performance from Philipp Grubauer kept his team in the game.

Philipp Grubauer made 11 (eleven) saves while the Avs were on the penalty kill. He saved 36 of 37 in total.

Yee haw. pic.twitter.com/Xtjor9vArh

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 11, 2021

It was a timely reminder of his ability, because let’s be honest, over the past couple of weeks he has been no better than average. On many occasions, being average behind a team of this quality is good enough, last night it wouldn’t have been, and if this team is to go all the way, there will be other instances where they will need to ride the German.

Expect to see Grubauer once more in the regular season, another solid performance will give him a huge confidence boost ahead of the playoffs.

A two-point night for Alex Newhook

The 20-year-old rookie had played three games prior to this one, all against teams with nothing to play for, and he has slotted in well. Last night was his biggest test, and the outcome? A two-point night for Newhook.

First multi-point game for Alex Newhook pic.twitter.com/9MDwYNf1IG

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 11, 2021

He was sheltered towards the end of the game, ending with just over 10 minutes of ice time in the game but there was enough to get you excited about his future, whether that be in the playoffs, or next season.

I’ve loved how the team has used Newhook so far, essentially as a replacement for Brandon Saad, giving him offensive chances to shine. He’s kept his play fairly simple, and if he continues to play well, he will certainly give Jared Bednar a headache when Saad is ready to return.

A taste of things to come?

Unless we have a first round shock in the playoffs, we are heading towards a clash between Colorado and Vegas in the second round. Both teams have had their fair share of positives from the games so far and both probably know what they have to do to win.

In terms of the regular season, eight games were played and the teams won four each. Technically, the Avs took the series with a 4-3-1 record and an additional point for an overtime loss. However, as we have seen both last night and at other moments in the series matchup, there is almost nothing to separate these two.

If they meet, don’t be surprised if the series goes the full seven, don’t be surprised to see some incredibly close games and certainly don’t be surprised if it is the best series of the entire playoffs.

Forward lines set for the playoffs?

In their biggest test for some time, I think we saw Jared Bednar give us an indication of what his forward lines will be for the playoffs.

One problem we have seen recently, due to injuries, has been the lack of a settled third line. We’ve seen this unit really shine earlier in the season, but recently not so much, with numerous changes being made to it.

#Avs vs. Vegas:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Newhook-Kadri-Burakovsky
Nichushkin-Jost-Donskoi
Soderberg-Bellemare-Compher

Toews-Makar
Graves-Timmins
Nemeth-MacDonald

Grubauer

A not-quite-but-pretty-healthy Avs lineup will go against a Vegas team with only 15 skaters.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 11, 2021

The line of Nichushkin, Jost & Donskoi looked very good last night, and looks set to be the third unit from here until injuries force a change, or Newhook demands a playoff place after the return of Saad.

Below those three, the fourth line seems to be set as Soderberg, Bellemare & Compher, a line that doesn’t have the energy it would with a Logan O’Connor or Matt Calvert on it, but one that would certainly have the full defensive trust of coach Bednar.

The post Avs beat Vegas 2-1, keep Presidents’ Trophy hopes alive appeared first on The Rink.

Just before the start of Thursday’s game, it was announced that Avs star center Nathan MacKinnon would not play due to an “lower body injury.” Skating in his place would be Tyson Jost who had won over 50% of his face off draws in the last four games. Fans have had their eyes on newcomer Alex Newhook who would skate in his second NHL game.

Period One

The game got off to a quick start when Kings forward Carl Grundstrom shot the puck on net from the left circle that created a big rebound off Philipp Grubauer’s right pad. The puck went right to Brendan Lemieux’s stick and he put the Kings up 1-0 early.

But it wasn’t long before Colorado got the equalizer.  Los Angeles was called for too many men, which put the NHL’s 8th best powerplay on the ice.  One minute into the penalty, defenseman Cale Makar found Mikko Rantanen for a one-timer that beat goaltender Cal Petersen high stick side.  With that goal, Rantanen eclipsed the 30-goal mark for the second time in his career.

That's the big 3 0 for Mikko Rantanen this season. pic.twitter.com/7pAPSQ3nE7

— NHL (@NHL) May 8, 2021

Period Two

In the second period, it was Colorado who got off to the fast start. Forward Tyson Jost got a great pass from defenseman Jacob MacDonald, then he was able to fire the puck on net hoping for a rebound to reach a streaking Mikko Rantanen. However, the low shot somehow got past Cal Petersen and went into the net.

Coast to coast thanks to MacDonald and Jost!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/pod5Yq9NnH

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) May 8, 2021

Following the game, head coach Jared Bednar talked about Jost and said, “I thought he was good tonight. He worked hard. He was a little fancy with the puck in the offensive zone a couple of times. When guys start to play with Mikko and Landy, they start to change but he skated, he made plays… He made a good decision to put the puck on net with Mikko going there and it goes in so I thought he was a real good 200 foot player for us tonight.”

The Avs would strike again halfway into the second period when Cale Makar skated through traffic and put the puck past a lunging Cal Petersen. Makar would become the first Avalanche defenseman to reach the 40 point mark in their first two seasons. Rookie Alex Newhook would also receive his first NHL point on the play as he tallied the secondary assist.

During the intermission when asked about the accomplishment, Makar said “I don’t really think about that at all. I don’t know if I would be doing this if I wasn’t around these guys on the team. All the credit goes to them for setting me up or putting the puck in the back of the net. We’re so skilled that for us it comes down to competing. Our compete does all the talking and our skill takes over after that.”

One downside for Colorado during the second period was when defenseman Patrick Nemeth crashed hard into the boards while fighting for a puck. He went straight off the ice and did not return to play.

Cale Makar is so good pic.twitter.com/L2AObsGikE

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) May 8, 2021

Period Three

The Kings made things interesting with under three minutes to play when Gabe Vilardi put back a Lias Andersson rebound past Grubauer. The Kings capitalized on a turnover by Nazem Kadri in the defensive zone. However the Avs were able to hold on and get two much needed points in the Honda West division.

Gabriel Vilardi picking up the rebound. pic.twitter.com/99ZYcWLTR9

— LA Kings (@LAKings) May 8, 2021

What’s next?

With the the Wild and Knights both winning in overtime, no teams made any ground in the standings on Friday night. The Avs play the Kings again Saturday in LA with both the Wild and Knight in action again as well. With just four games remaining, the Avalanche need to make every point count.

The post Avalanche edge Kings 3-2, continue to chase Vegas in the standings appeared first on The Rink.

The cynical people out there will see this post as a reaction to that, but in truth, it is something that has been in my head for a week or two now. Of course, the loss to Minnesota highlighted the need further, and I get the feeling a few more people saw what I did last night.

The Avs were not at their best last night, but over the past two games in Minnesota, we have seen a very tired team.

Well, we can’t win EVERY game. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Eg8XmmBRHz

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 8, 2021

Qualifying for the playoffs seems a formality from this position, and yes, the push for first in the division is important, as is the overall position in the league, for when this team hopefully reaches the final four.

However, their ability to win in the final four will be seriously harmed if the team does not work out a plan for the remainder of the regular season when it comes to management of both games and time on ice.

As you go through this post, you will notice some of the suggestions as think they are small and sensible, while others will be radical. Resting the bigger names will not come until the very end of the season, when, hopefully, the Avs have the No. 1 spot in the division wrapped up.

Other smaller moves probably need to start happening now.

The remaining game schedule

From now until the end of the season—just over a month away—the schedule that Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar’s team has is a very simple one. Three back-to-backs remain and the team never has more than one day off.

For this reason, practice has pretty much gone out of the window, with optional skates and team meetings taking place on the days off, though mainly the injured players and taxi squad members are the ones taking part in the optional skates.

If a player wants a full day off from the rink, that only comes by being out of the lineup. From both a mental and physical point of view, the feeling I get is that everyone needs a day off now and again, and it would greatly benefit everyone on this roster, from top to bottom.

So when, where and how does this all work? Here are some things I have been thinking about.

The netminding situation

Philipp Grubauer has played arguably his two worst games of the season in Minnesota this week. One of the possible reasons for that is tiredness—he has been pushed a lot already this season, and perhaps the Avs are going too far with this.

Philipp Grubauer has had an excellent season, but this was his worst game of the year. He allowed seven goals on 18 shots for a .611 save percentage.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) April 8, 2021

Talking about who will be the backup netminder is for another day, but what the team needs to do is sit down and work out how many games they want Grubauer to play between now and the end of the season, and let him know when his days off are coming.

It does not matter what the Avalanche do with a backup netminder because Grubauer is the man to lead this team in the playoffs. Getting him there in the best possible shape is now key, and that means management of games so he can spend time away from the spotlight on a regular basis.

Managing minutes on defense

We will get onto who should be playing on defense shortly, but first up let’s look at minutes. These need to be managed for the likes of Samuel Girard, Cale Makar and Devon Toews.

Toews in particular has looked gassed this week. He played 29:48 on Monday; that cannot happen again this season. On Wednesday, he played 20:35, which is much more like it.

Apr 05, 2021: NHL Most Ice-Time

Forwards
01 Connor McDavid 28:38 #LetsGoOilers
02 Leon Draisaitl 25:52 #letsgooilers
03 Ryan Nugent-Hopkins 23:59 #letsgooilers

Defence
01 Devon Toews 29:48 #goavsgo
02 Drew Doughty 29:31 #gokingsgo
03 Thomas Chabot 28:07 #gosensgo

— LinesLinesLines (@CcCMiddleton) April 6, 2021

Toews on the ice often means Girard is, too, and the same pattern emerges. Girard skated for 26:46 on Monday then just 19:48 on Wednesday. The second figures for both defensemen need to be what is seen moving forward.

Makar played 24:47 and 25:53 in those two games, and his time probably needs cutting back a little from that. He is the main guy, so is expected to go over 20 minutes, but if Colorado can regularly keep him around the 22–24 mark, that is good for him.

Of course, minutes from the top guys need to be found elsewhere, and these two games show what the Avs need to do. On Monday, Kyle Burroughs played just 6:17 while Jacob MacDonald played 9:45. On Wednesday, both bagged over 14 minutes, which is what they need to do to take the pressure off those on the lines above them.

Rotating in defensemen

When fit, one of the great elements of this team is the ability to call on multiple defensemen to play a role on this team. The top four are pretty much set, so let them keep rolling for now, but as far as the bottom two go, perhaps it is time to start rotating and keeping players fresh.

Burroughs and MacDonald will be involved, as will Bowen Byram, Greg Pateryn, Dan Renouf, Conor Timmins and even Dennis Gilbert if you want to.

The Avs have played 13 Defensemen at least once this season:

Cale Makar
Sam Girard
Devon Toews
Bowen Byram
Erik Johnson
Ian Cole
Ryan Graves
Jacob MacDonald
Conor Timmins
Greg Pateryn
Kyle Burroughs
Dan Renouf
Dennis Gilbert#GoAvsGo

— Casey Cheatum (@CaseyCheatum) April 6, 2021

You can play any two from those and not see a huge drop-off in the quality of the team. Yes, some are performing better than others, but the long-term benefit of having players healthy and fresh outweighs that for me.

Further down the line, hopefully in May when the No. 1 spot in the division is confirmed, the Avalanche can look to giving a Girard, Graves, Toews and maybe even Makar the night off. Not all at once, but it is certainly something I would consider planning for if the division standings allowed.

Rotating in forwards

One of the real highs over the past few weeks has been depth scoring in Colorado, and there is no way I want the team to change what they are doing, particularly with the third line. However, if we are looking at the bigger picture, then rotation and giving others a chance to play is what needs to happen.

If you are talking about the younger prospects here, then it is also an opportunity to see what they have.

When we get to the very end of the season, if someone such as Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon or Mikko Rantanen needs a night off to recover from a minor knock, then this will happen no problem.

However, before getting there, for me, it is time for the Avs to start using their depth and putting other players in for a night to give people a day off.

Even with Matt Calvert and Logan O’Connor injured, the likes of Jayson Megna, Kiefer Sherwood or TJ Tynan could step in as more experienced players.

If the team wants to go with younger players, who are seen as prospects for the future, then the likes of Martin Kaut could come up, Alex Newhook may get a chance and, of course, the constant ask for Shane Bowers is not going to go away.

EAGLES WIN!!!!

Kaut had 2 goals, including the GWG late in the 3rd. Bowers with 1G 1A and Conor Timmins with 2 assists tonight. pic.twitter.com/VeDA1sQha6

— The Rink — Colorado Avalanche (@TheRinkColorado) April 7, 2021

The bottom six would be shaken up—not what we want—and would likely have a different style about it, but when you look at the bigger picture, a night off for someone like 36-year-old Pierre-Edouard Bellemare could prove to be huge as we head into May.

There are multiple different looks that the Avalanche could have on their fourth line. Currently, we are seeing grit and toughness with the use of Liam O’Brien. It would be interesting to see how it looked with others, for example, if a more skilled player such as Kaut or Newhook was placed on the line.

There is also the option for this type of player on the third line if Valeri Nichushkin needs a night off, for example.

With how that third line in particular has been rolling recently, the last thing I would want to see is splitting them up or try and include new players on that line. However, with the need for this team to stay healthy and fresh, and the upcoming schedule the team has, in order to get to the playoffs in the best possible shape, it may be what the Avs need to do.

The post The Avs are tired and time needs managing moving forward appeared first on The Rink.

Staff writer Craig Jones joins the podcast to discuss Philipp Grubauer’s career season, the success of the defensive group and what could happen before next week’s NHL trade deadline.

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The post Colorado Hockey Rinkcast S1 Ep11 — The Rink Colorado’s Craig Jones appeared first on The Rink.

The trade with the Sabres brings goaltender Jonas Johansson to the club, and it seems he will likely take up the backup netminder role until Pavel Francouz returns to the fold, if he does return.

Welcome aboard!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/84di6p0dER

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 21, 2021

A more specific update on Francouz’s timeline would allow us to judge this trade properly. If Francouz is coming back soon and the signs are good, bringing in Johansson to be the third netminder on the taxi squad, allowing Hunter Miska and Adam Werner to split AHL starts, is a good move. Miska is desperate for a confidence boost and Werner needs to play regularly to aid his development.

However, if the news on Francouz is not as positive, or is inconclusive, my own personal preference would have been for the Avs to go out and get a better, more proven netminder at a higher cost. It would be a real shame for Colorado to head into the playoffs and have to ride a third-choice, or worse, netminder once again, like they did last year.

With Johansson signed up, here is a look at two other needs for this club to address over the next couple of weeks.

The addition of an experienced defensive defenseman

I love the Avs’ defense at the minute, so do not for a second think this is a negative toward any player on the roster. When healthy, Conor Timmins would essentially be the eighth defenseman on the depth chart, a player who would get on to many NHL teams as a regular in their top six.

The need here is not based on players not performing, but rather to bring in a specific type of player for the battles ahead. Erik Johnson is the one and only truly experienced guy the Avs have on their blue line at the moment, and he is out for the foreseeable future.

On top of missing out on his leadership, the team is also missing Johnson’s penalty-killing ability and his reliability when the team is in a tight game. Look down Colorado’s roster right now; it is full of exceptional defensemen, but there is no genuine stay-at-home guy there, an Ian Cole if you like.

Jacob MacDonald blocked that shot.

E-I-E-I-O!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Vg1BbJGqBz

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 20, 2021

We are all living in Jacob MacDonald’s dream land at the moment; he is on a real high. But, when we get into the playoffs and we need a rock-solid guy to trust, kill penalties and defend the net with his life, a stay-at-home defenseman is the man to do that.

Not a slight at all on MacDonald, or Timmins for that matter, but I feel the Avalanche would love to add a real stay-at-home guy over the next couple of weeks to solidify their league-leading back line even further.

Fast forward to the playoffs and if the team wants to be dynamic, MacDonald get to play with the newcomer or perhaps Ryan Graves sitting in the stands. If we need solid defensive play and someone to shut the opposition down, MacDonald may sit in these circumstances.

Third-line center issues

I thought it was pretty telling on JT Compher that when he returned to the lineup on Saturday, he was not put straight back into the role of being the third-line center. Regardless of which side of the “JT Compher fence” you sit on at the moment, we can all agree that Compher is a better winger than he is a center.

That leaves the team with a problem in that spot. The internal option is to play Tyson Jost there, and his goal against the Wild on Saturday will have certainly aided his case to stay there. The problem with this is that Jost has thrived by being placed in a role that puts no pressure on him this season; we have really seen him come of age.

And this lil maneuver from Josty?

OKAY#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/YWZMXJejIK

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 20, 2021

For me, Colorado needs a third-line center to allow Jost to remain in his current role. Joonas Donskoi has impressed all year, Valeri Nichushkin has come to life over the past month or so. When you think of the criticism that Compher has faced this season for his play, imagine what these two could do with a true third-line center between them.

Is Nashville the perfect trading partner?

Without a doubt, top of the list has to be the Nashville Predators. They have a number of pieces who are going to attract interest before the deadline, and those include players who could fill the two roles that the Avs need from above.

To add fuel to this fire, it was reported that the Predators had a scout watching the game on Saturday night. When you consider Nashville will not play either of Colorado or Minnesota this season, this scouting assignment is solely based on a possible trade with one of these teams.

Nashville Predators have a scout here at Avs-Wild @ColHockeyNow

— Adrian Dater (@adater) March 20, 2021

Mattias Ekholm has been the subject of many trade rumors, and the Swedish defenseman would certainly slot right into what the Avs need on the blue line. Ekholm comes with a cap hit of $3.75 million and is under contract for next season, so more than a rental. With that in mind, this move will need cap hit to go in the opposite direction, perhaps in the form of Compher or Graves.

In terms of a third-line center, look for names such as Mikael Granlund and Erik Haula to attract attention at the deadline. Both are rentals, and Granlund has the same cap hit as Ekholm while Haula is $2 million cheaper.

Nashville appears to be rebuilding its entire roster at the moment, and will more than likely see upsides in many players who are on the Avs’ roster. Someone such as a Graves or Timmins would likely appeal to the Predators, giving them another defenseman to try and mould, especially Timmins, who is younger and still improving.

Do not be surprised to see Compher attract interest; he is the perfect player for someone looking to buy into a project and rejuvenate him. Jost is another who will interest others; it would not be the biggest surprise to see these two flourish if they went elsewhere.

Logan O’Connor is another name to throw in. Colorado will not want to lose him, as he looks to be the ideal Matt Calvert full-time replacement next season, but he was the odd man out on Saturday.

If we are to see a third-line center and experienced defenseman come into the club, it is highly likely that at least one piece of the current lineup will have to depart.

The post Colorado Avalanche trade deadline needs and a possible partner appeared first on The Rink.

At the end of each Avalanche game, stars are awarded to players for their effort on the night. As a fan, I applaud those stars, especially when one, two or three Avalanche players are named, but I want to award stars for consistency.

Starting this week The-Rink Avalanche team will be awarding consistency stars for the past week of games played, which with this compacted season will be 3-4 games.

Here are this past weeks Star players for the four games played between March 6^th – 12^th inclusive.

Given that the Colorado Avalanche had four players who have been consistently showing up and playing their best, or better, each and every game this week and a fifth player who has been just as good, it made it difficult to pick the most consistent player. Awarding five stars to each of the first four players was an easy choice.

Jacob MacDonald

What can you not say about how consistent MacDonald has been? Night after night he is showing up and playing a big part in the Avalanches strong defensive game. MacDonald has been making the hits, jumping in the way of passes, going after the puck, and basically making a nuisance of himself on the ice. Just what the Avalanche need to stop their opponents from scoring goals.

MacDonald has very quickly gone to playing 20 minutes on the ice. That’s a big leap for a player that only joined the Avalanche organization in 2019 and went straight to the NHL. He has played 13 games in total with the NHL so far this season, four of which are in this past week.

Jacob MacDonald has quickly become a solid part of the Avalanches Defensive core due to his consistency. Go back to the start of the season and the thought of MacDonald being on the team would have led to people being worried. The aim would have been to shield him in a small role, when actually, if you look back, has he given you a moment of worry over the past week? He hasn’t for me. 

Logan O’Connor

Wow! Logan O’Connor has certainly earned and deserves his place in this Avalanche team. He came into play on the Fourth line with injuries to Matt Calvert and PE Bellemare and his consistent play to score and deliver pucks on the net has been outstanding.

Coach Bednar in a recent post-game press conference said that O’Connor won’t be going anywhere because he is the one player consistently getting in the way of opposition players. He is averaging 11 minutes on the ice, but for each and every minute of that ice time, he is delivering.

Logan along with his fourth line teammates in Calvert and Bellemare are a force to be reckoned with when they are on the ice. During these past four games, he’s put 5 SOG and scored once. And the other four were awfully close shaves.

Another positive note has been his penalty-killing skills. O’Connor has played in relief of Calvert, Bellemare and JT Compher recently, all of which are key to the Avs penalty kill. O’Connor stepped in, taking their place 5on5 and also ensured no gaps appeared on the penalty kill. Long term he is expected to be a penalty killing fourth liner on this team, and right now he is showing he is more than ready for it.

Valerie Nichushkin

Nichushkin had a slow start to this season. Then all of a sudden in the game against the Anaheim Ducks he stepped up and hasn’t stopped during the other games this week. Val has found his drive. He now takes that puck and will not stop until he is in front of the net aiming to put the puck in the back of it.

During this week’s games, he put 12 shots on the net and scored 1 Goal and 1 Assist.  Nichushkin has been the player that has broken through when it looks as if the Avs just weren’t going to get that game win. He has been delivering pucks to his teammates at key times.

You know when he’s on the ice, no matter what line he is playing on, he is going to deliver. The cynics out there will say that Nichushkin is a streaky player and goes through stages like this. They are of course right, but it is only fair to highlight good weeks as we know Twitter will be quick to point out the bad. The more week’s like this one from Nichushkin the better as far as the Avs are concerned. 

Samuel Girard

Sam Girard’s game has improved leaps and bounds this season. He stands strong and defends the puck, no longer easily being pushed off it. He drives the puck and is strong in his defensive position. During these past four games, Sammy G has been another one of the core parts of the Avalanches ability to close down their opposition and keep them to 3 scoring shots per game.

His Time On Ice (TOI) has jumped to be on average around 26 minutes, yet Coach Bednar has so much faith in him that he had him play nearly 30 minutes last game. He has a role on the top power-play unit and although that hasn’t been scoring, he has been playing his part consistently.

Girard often misses the plaudits on this team, because if we are not talking about Cale Makar then we are talking about newcomer Devon Toews or up and coming stud Bowen Byram. He’s had two of those three out of the way recently, and Girard has shined exactly as we hoped he would, while also handling the most responsibility he has been given in his career so far.

This Weeks Honorable Mention

Tyson Jost

In the past four games, Tyson Jost has shown the true player that he is. He has been fast and active. Taking the puck and working the space behind the net. He’s been strong in his defensive play in the corners. His game has been strong, just not quite as consistently strong as the other four players that have been called out above.

Jost was a borderline player at the end of last season. He didn’t appear to have a place, and whilst there were one or two shows of brilliance, it wasn’t consistent. This season so far, that’s changed. He has been showing up consistently and doing things that make a difference.

He appears to have found his feet again and be playing his natural game.

However, this may now be what we have to expect from Jost. For the first time since being drafted back in 2016, Jost looks comfortable on this team. He may not be hitting the scoreboard on a regular basis, but his penalty killing has been excellent, and on both the third and fourth lines, he has put up some impressive defensive numbers. 

The pressure on Jost to succeed has been taken away a little this season and that has allowed him to find a game he can play with great success.

Interestingly, if you only look at the statistics for each of these five players you would say they didn’t contribute much to the team, yet watching the games, you see something very different.

The post Avalanche Consistency Stars For the Week appeared first on The Rink.

Between The Pipes — March 8: Raj and Springer had lots to say about Philipp Grubauer’s performance and the Avalanche’s goaltending situation overall. It is worth a listen.

One thing noted is inconsistency is a big problem with the Avalanche, and I am in complete agreement. What are your thoughts? Listen to C.C. Hawkley and Scott MacDonald talk about the Avs’ problems in the Front Range Hockey podcast. They also discuss the netminder problems the team has, too.

Bednar on O'Connor: "He's taking time and space away. […] He's forcing the opposing power play and skill players to make quicker decisions because he's skating, he's moving his legs, and he's a quick, quick player, an explosive player." #GoAvsGo

— AvsBurgundyReview (@AvsBRblog) March 11, 2021

JJ and Aarif have a unique look back on the 365 days since Avalanche fans were allowed at Pepsi Center in this week’s Hockey Mountain High podcast. It is interesting hearing Aarif talk about all the changes that have taken place since then.

Other hockey news

All quiet on the NHL's waiver wire today.

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 6, 2021

Lots of talk in the hockey world this week about fines and suspensions for players who are caught doing something they should not do on the ice.

The Tough Call website’s byline is “Hitting back at hockey hitting culture.” It lists hits on players and the website owner’s view of what he would have called had he been the referee on the ice at the time. See if you agree with some of his views.

A lot of the discussion in the space of suspensions centred around the Tom Wilson hit on Brandon Carlo of the Bruins. Andy Campbell had a really good take, from my perspective, when he talked about when a pattern of these serious hits needs to be factored into the mix in a recent article.

Brett Pesce gets a $5,000 fine for an intentional slew foot that could’ve seriously injured the player and Tom Wilson gets 7 games for boarding which wasn’t even called a penalty by 4 referees on the ice. I don’t get it

— Carlo Colaiacovo (@CarloColaiacovo) March 7, 2021

Fun, fun and more fun

And there was also some fun.

The Calgary Flames (CGY) have been placed on waivers.

— Dyl (@dhockey13) March 8, 2021

the nhl needs to change their format it would be so funny if the bottom 3 teams got relegated to the ahl

— csenge (@spinoramas) March 10, 2021

And whilst there might not be a lot of Avalanche fans who are also fans of Patrick Kane, he reached a milestone this week by having played 1,000 games. The Chicago Blackhawks had some fun. Go watch this YouTube video where Kane counts to 1,000 to help you fall asleep. That is one way to celebrate.

Hockey trivia

Elizabeth Graham was the first recorded goaltender to wear a mask in a hockey game. In a game in 1927, for Queen’s University, she wore a fencing mask #InternationalWomensDay pic.twitter.com/jmvTOUlanU

— Mike Commito (@mikecommito) March 8, 2021

Draft lottery changes

The NHL is proposing changes to the draft lottery that would see:

* teams limited to no more than two lottery wins in a five-year period
* teams only allowed to jump 10 spots with a lottery win
* a reduction in the number of picks decided by lottery from three to two

— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 8, 2021

The mental toll of COVID-19

The toll on players mentally at the moment is bigger than you may think. This week in an article on ESPN, a number of players from different teams spoke about how they are struggling with the isolation of COVID-19 restrictions in the midst of what can already sometimes be a mentally grueling game.

You may get to watch more hockey

Next season, for anyone that has an NHL TV subscription, you will not need that anymore. Or perhaps it will not be an option for watching the games anymore given the new agreement that will be in play with ESPN. ESPN has won the NHL TV rights in the United States for the next seven years.

ESPN & NHL details
* ABC/ESPN will have four of the next 7 Stanley Cup Finals
* ABC/ESPN will have one conference final each year
* 25 regular season games on ABC or ESPN
* ESPN+ will stream more than 1,100 games
* ESPN+/Hulu will exclusively stream 75 national games

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 10, 2021

The price of the Disney Bundle is going up.
* With Disney+/ESPN+ and Hulu (ad supported), it will be 13.99/per month
* The same no ad bundle will be $19.99/per month

— Andrew Marchand (@AndrewMarchand) March 10, 2021

The post ICYMI: Week of March 12 — Avalanche news and more appeared first on The Rink.

Play those games 100 times and the Avs win them both in regulation 98 times out of 100. The two they do not both happened this weekend.

Arizona tallied a total of four goals across the two games. Those came from the stick of Samuel Girard, the stick of Devon Toews, the pants of Toews and the skate of Tyson Jost.

Jared Bednar’s team is in desperate need of puck luck right now, while the Coyotes seemingly have it in abundance.

How the Avs dominated the stat sheet

If you want an impression of these two games, the best place to find that from is the stat sheet. Ignore the score line and take a look at these.

• Across two full games, plus overtime in the second, Arizona put a total of 28 shots on goal
• Colorado registered 81 shots on goal over the same time period
• The Avs had 67 total shot attempts (including misses and blocks) on Monday night
• If you thought that was a lot, they had 84 on Wednesday!
• Nathan MacKinnon was on the ice for 43 of those 84; they have certainly missed his presence
• Specifically 5-on-5 on Wednesday, Arizona had just nine shots on goal

That paints the picture of what happened over these two games, and as already mentioned, if you play those games back, Colorado scores more than four total goals, and they win both games in regulation.

The @Avalanche held ARI to 14 shots for 2nd straight game

28 combined shots is 2nd fewest allowed by COL/QUE in consecutive games (25, Nov. 24-27, 2001 vs EDM/FLA)

Was 14th consecutive game that COL has allowed fewer than 30 shots, tying the franchise record set in 2000-01

— Brendan McNicholas (@bmcnich) March 11, 2021

Game one takeaways

The first game came on Monday night and resulted in a 3–2 success for the Coyotes.

The first point of note here is that the team missed MacKinnon and Cale Makar. It was one of those games where the team was frustrated, and needed a spark or bit of quality to bring them to life. Others can do this, but in terms of the most likely to do this, MacKinnon and Makar rank No. 1 and 2 on this team.

The team needed a push right at the end of the game to get back into things, and the feeling I got was that they were a little too tired to do it. Those playing more minutes than usual, Girard and Toews on the back end alongside Nazem Kadri, Valeri Nichushkin and others in attack, seemed to have little left to give.

This is not a complaint about these players at all; they can only do so much, and while MacKinnon can carry this team on his back when needed, these players cannot. Injuries have forced the Avs to play a number of individuals far more than they should, and that means they have nothing left in the tank when a final push is required.

I did not think the Avalanche lacked anything on Monday night, but felt they looked like a very tired team at the end of the game, a slight worry considering we are not even halfway through the season yet.

NHL Video Highlight – Derick Brassard scores a power-play goal against the Colorado Avalanche to make it 1-0. pic.twitter.com/0pC61IvTRg

— Coyotes Game Bot (@CoyotesGameBot) March 9, 2021

Game two takeaways

The second game on Wednesday resulted in a 2–1 overtime win for Colorado.

As far as the stats go, this was an even more dominating performance by the Avs and one they eventually took two points from. It was great to see No. 29 back on the ice, and he put up a dominating performance, driving a lot of the offensive play and double shifting at times, leading all forwards with 24:44 of ice time and 10 shots.

MacKinnon’s shot total of 10 was only four less than the entire Arizona team, which tells its own story.

One area of concern right now has to be the power play. On Wednesday, Bednar’s team had 9:55 of power play time, putting 17 pucks to the net, but just six of those got through to register as shots. They failed to get a goal, and from almost 10 minutes of power play time for a team with this many weapons (even minus Makar), that is simply not good enough.

GABE LANDESKOG IN OT!!!#GOAVSGO pic.twitter.com/fv14NeybzP

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 11, 2021

Shooting in general has been a problem for the past few games, and reared its ugly head again here. Of the 84 pucks on net by the Avalanche, 20 were blocked, meaning that 64 of those got through. 46 of these hit the net, so the Avs missed the net a total of 18 times from 64 attempts.

However, the big area of concern will no doubt involve the figure of 46 shots on target. If you are getting this many pucks on goal and only scoring two goals from them, you have a problem, albeit a short-term one.

It is worth pointing out here that multiple players in Colorado have 30-goal seasons behind them. MacKinnon and Andre Burakovsky are known for having incredible shots, Brandon Saad and Gabriel Landeskog are known for picking up tips, rebounds and generally dirty goals. That is without mentioning Kadri and Mikko Rantanen. This is a temporary blip, not a shooting issue with the team.

Girard is the best defenseman this team has right now, and ended the game logging 29:33 of ice time. He is being pushed to the limit during this period by Bednar.

A special mention for Jacob MacDonald

There has been a lot of praise for Jacob MacDonald during his step up to the NHL. He is seen as a risk and reward guy, who will make mistakes and be found out defensively from time to time, but also has the ability to make offensive plays.

He is deserving of a special mention here because over the past two games, his underlying numbers have been outstanding.

Jacob MacDonald finished that period with 7 minutes of ice time. He's on pace for his biggest game this season.#Avs

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) March 11, 2021

Monday night, the Avs gave up just two shots on goal when MacDonald was on the ice; on Wednesday it was even better, as they gave up just one when MacDonald was out there. To top things off on Wednesday, the team had 14 shots on goal while he was on the ice, four of those coming from MacDonald himself.

With each game played, it seems MacDonald is moving his game forward and working hard on his defensive play to limit the number of shots he gives up.

The post RECAP: Avs dominate Yotes in homestand but only take two points appeared first on The Rink.

That piece is Erik Johnson, a player currently on long-term injured reserve, and one that has played just four games this season. Despite his lack of impact so far this season on the ice, plenty of chat surrounds Johnson off it.

He is vital to the Avs, and one of the very few players on this roster with veteran experience. You can only imagine how smoother the Bowen Byram path would be with a season at the side of Johnson, something we probably are not going to see too much of.

However, it is with regards to the Seattle expansion draft where Johnson holds the keys for Colorado in the future.

Erik Johnson (upper body) is now on long-term injured reserve, per @CapFriendly.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 7, 2021

No-movement clause

The 32-year-old has a no-movement clause on his contract, which means he must be protected this summer in the expansion draft. However, with limited spaces available, he is taking up a valuable spot that the Avalanche simply have to give to someone else.

The hope is that Johnson will waive his no-movement clause, making him eligible for the move to Seattle. While the club would probably be happy to move on from his $6 million per year deal, it is unlikely that the Kraken would take Johnson from Colorado, as there are better options elsewhere.

But, what if Johnson does not waive his clause? What happens next for the Avalanche? This is certainly worth investigating, simply because it shows how important this decision, and cooperation from Johnson, is going to be.

Protecting three defenseman

It is highly likely that Colorado will protect one goaltender, three defensemen and seven forwards in the expansion draft. Let’s say for this example that they do that, and Johnson does not waive his no-movement clause.

That would leave the team protecting Johnson, Samuel Girard and Cale Makar, while Bowen Byram is on the exemption list as a rookie. There is one key name missing off the list, and if this happens, based on his play so far this season, there is no doubt that Seattle will happily take him out of Colorado.

Samuel Girard and Devon Toews both played 25 minutes last game for the #Avs. Will that continue?

"I think it's going to go up," Jared Bednar said.

He's comfortable they can handle it and has been tracking how top D around the league (Nurse, Jones) have played heavy minutes.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) March 1, 2021

The player is of course Devon Toews, an excellent acquisition and a player who is already proving his worth to the team, especially considering the $4.1 million per year deal he signed in the offseason.

Unless something bizarre happens between now and the draft, based on current play, if Johnson does not waive his clause and the Avs protect three defenseman, Toews will surely be heading to become the No. 1 defenseman in Seattle.

Protecting four defensemen and four forwards

The second option when it comes to protection is to go with eight total out skaters, enabling the Avalanche to protect Toews as a fourth defenseman. In terms of defensive players, this would leave Ryan Graves as the best defenseman that the team could lose, though their problems on offense will be a greater cause for concern.

Moving to this style simply to protect Toews brings huge problems elsewhere.

With just four protection spots for their forwards, a top name will be on his way out of Colorado. Let’s say you protect the “top line” of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. You are left then with just one spot remaining.

My best guess would be that this goes to Andre Burakovsky, given that the club has invested in him and he has youth on his side in comparison to fellow second-liner Nazem Kadri.

This would leave Kadri as the prime option for Seattle, with Joonas Donskoi, Brandon Saad and others also available. Center depth is not easy to come by, so it would be a big call for the Avs to leave Kadri open, and a pretty simple call for the Kraken to snap him up.

Nazem Kadri continues to thrive in Colorado – 9 pts in his last 7 games

17 pts in 22 games overallhttps://t.co/8j3ccdBpsD

— Frozen Tools (@FrozenTools) March 7, 2021

The value of Erik Johnson

When you look at the two scenarios above, it shows just how valuable the spot is that is currently being given to Johnson. Without him on board, and keeping his no-movement clause in place, would see Colorado more than likely lose Kadri or Toews.

These are two big pieces of their immediate future, and in terms of Toews especially, a big piece of the long-term future. Potentially losing one over the summer would certainly alter the plans that this club are putting in place right now.

This all shows that the club need to get Johnson on board and waive his clause. Given his recent injuries, overall injury worries and the $6 million cap hit he carries, it is highly unlikely that Johnson would be the man taken by Seattle.

But to keep this team rolling, without them losing a big piece, Johnson needs to put himself in the shop window for the sake of the future.

The post Why Erik Johnson holds the expansion draft keys for Colorado appeared first on The Rink.

Game two

The game Saturday night started off with a lot of speed from both teams, but there was not much puck possession. The Avs struggled to transition out of their defensive zone cleanly, as the Ducks mucked up the neutral zone as much as possible. Anaheim played a very simple road game, making sure they had fresh legs and continued chipping the puck in deep.

Nichushkin was again noticeable, as he was strong on the forecheck and made a really nice steal later in the game. He has been strong on the puck and been putting a lot of shots on net, even if they are not necessarily quality chances. The Avs were clearly not on their game, as they made poor defensive zone turnovers, notably from Kiefer Sherwood and Ryan Graves. Goaltender Hunter Miska kept Colorado in the game, except for a miscue where Rickard Rakell fired a one-timer right off the faceoff and in.

Steeler wins the faceoff right to @RickyRakell93 and he buries it. #FlyTogether pic.twitter.com/ovkHzoEWRa

— Anaheim Ducks (@AnaheimDucks) March 7, 2021

The Ducks led the Avs 1–0 after the first period, which may have been the sloppiest 20 minutes the Avs played all season. There was limited time in the offensive zone, they had issues connecting on passes out of their own end and Ryan Miller did not seem like he was challenged with any of the Avs’ shots. On the bright side, MacDonald continued to impress. Playing with Samuel Girard lets MacDonald play the conservative game that the Avs need right now: No turnovers, make smart plays and help soak up minutes.

The second period was a complete 180. It started off with a beautiful goal from former Denver Pioneer Troy Terry, but after that, it was all Avs. After Colorado did not score on the power play, Nichushkin found a streaking Logan O’Connor, who put the puck past Miller for the first Avalanche goal of the night. You could tell the Avs were on a mission, as they had a little more pep in their step.

You can just hear that one #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/oCBDCq1tBD

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2021

It seemed like something clicked, because Colorado started getting pucks deep and cycling in the offensive zone. They ended up drawing another penalty, and this time making the Ducks pay when Mikko Rantanen collected a rebound from a Girard shot from the point and shot it off Miller and into the net. It was great seeing the Avs get a creative goal like that. Often times, it seems like they are trying to make things a little too perfect. Following the power play, the Avalanche were still buzzing and shooting from virtually everywhere.

Power play goal #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/t8rR9NZKVn

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 7, 2021

The third period started with the Avs scoring two goals within one minute of each other. Rantanen scored his second of the night on a shot through traffic from the point and Brandon Saad got his driving hard to the net for a nice tip in. At that point, the Avs had scored four straight goals after the Ducks got the first two of the game, but there was plenty of time left in the game.

Terry found the back of the net for his second of the contest, as he shot through bodies in the slot that Miska did not seem to have his eyes on. The Ducks had all the momentum, but the Avalanche were pushing back. Miller had to make a few key desperation saves to keep Anaheim in the game, then Kevin Shattenkirk tied the game on a late Ducks power play goal. The game would head to overtime again, but the Avs would get into trouble early in the extra frame when Rantanen would go off for a tripping minor giving the Ducks a 4-on-3 advantage. The Avalanche started off strong on the penalty kill, but it was Ryan Getzlaf who sealed the overtime win for the Ducks with a tip in past Miska.

What’s next?

It is a positive sign that the Avs came away with three points this weekend, but Saturday’s game definitely got away from them. Hockey returns on Monday with a pair of games with Arizona before the Kings come to Denver over the weekend. It looks like the Avalanche will get some players back from injury too with MacKinnon and Matt Calvert returning to practice. It was also noted in yesterday’s broadcast that Erik Johnson has been placed on long-term injured reserve. The Avs will need to tighten up and get some much needed points this month to separate themselves from the log jam that is the Honda West Division.

The post Avalanche earn point in 5–4 overtime loss, split series with Ducks appeared first on The Rink.

There have been several films made about enforcers and how they are a “dying breed” and analytics played a big role in the evolution of today’s game. The idea is that if there is a player on the ice that is not contributing to the team winning the game, you are at a disadvantage. But, there was a reason these kinds of players have existed for so long in the game of hockey. With 12 forwards, six defensemen and a goalie, not everybody is going to be Wayne Gretzky.

Players have roles on a hockey team and one of those roles is an agitator. These types of players get under the skin of the opposing team to try to shift the momentum in their team’s direction. Those tactics include big hits, roughing after the whistle and chirping the other team’s players.

Just this week, agitator Tom Wilson hit Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo high, forcing his head to crash into the boards. Carlo left the ice on his own feet, but was later transported to the hospital. Wilson has a history of these kinds of plays, the ones the NHL has been trying to weed out the last few years. Back in the day, an enforcer would have fought Wilson or targeted one of the Capitals’ top players in exchange for hitting Carlo. Is an eye for an eye the answer? Probably not, but it makes you at least think twice about hitting another team’s top player.

Tom Wilson hits Brandon Carlo up high.

Carlo needs help getting off the ice. pic.twitter.com/RgACye1H7l

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) March 6, 2021

So how does this relate to the Colorado Avalanche? Well, the last couple years, the Avs have been Stanley Cup contenders with a very bright future. Their young talent is through the roof with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Bowen Byram, Mikko Rantanen and many others. Unfortunately, they have been plagued with injuries, forcing them to go weeks without key players in the lineup.

At one time, former Avalanche forward Cody McLeod was an alternate captain under then-Head Coach Patrick Roy. Now, Roy is probably as old school NHL as it gets, but he knew how important protecting the Avs’ young talent back then was when they had budding players such as Matt Duchene, Paul Stastny, Ryan O’Reilly and then-rookie MacKinnon.

But today is a different story. The Avs are often left doing nothing after an opposing player takes liberties on a Colorado player, or you have top-six forwards taking matters into their own hands like when Nazem Kadri fought Ryan Lindgren after an ugly hit on Joonas Donskoi, who later missed several weeks due to concussion symptoms.

Fast forward to just a few days ago and we saw MacKinnon take a high hit from a Sharks player that looked really bad. These situations continue to happen and they definitely affect the psyche of top players.

With so much invested in your top players and in the future of your organization, it makes sense to me to want to protect those assets. Of course, we have all seen the studies on what head trauma does to players and it is something I do not wish upon anybody. But, there should be a difference between fighting to fight, and fighting to police. It is clear that in the 70s, it was out of control, and maybe today the pendulum has swung to the other extreme with no fighting and players are getting injured too often.

So what is the middle? How can teams like the Avalanche give their top players the confidence to play their game knowing that one or more of their teammates has their back? It is an issue that is intangible that will not show up on a stat sheet, but everybody knows it is there. The question is, who will be the first to bring the enforcer back?

The post Do the Colorado Avalanche need an enforcer? appeared first on The Rink.

Colorado Avalanche

I really enjoyed listening to all of the Hockey Mountain High Podcast this week. It was titled “Getting to the Dance,” which is a reference about making it to the playoffs. It does not matter how you do it; all you have to do is get in.

Aarif and JJ touch on a number of topics in this episode, including injuries to Matt Calvert and Cale Makar, what is working and what is not with the Avs and how getting the two points is the most important thing each night.

The Hockey Writers put out a great article this week that looked into one of the Avalanche’s top prospects, Alex Newhook. We have all been seeing highlights pop up on Twitter of some of the great things he has been doing. Here is confirmation that Colorado has another good player on the way up.

"The Chirp" feat. @AlexNewhook_ #ChallengeAccepted // #ForBoston pic.twitter.com/Q5hpw6GjAZ

— BC Men's Hockey (@BC_MHockey) March 1, 2021

Ryan Boulding released an article on Mile High Sports on why there should not be fans in the stands at Ball Arena. He dives into all the reasons why it is still too early to allow fans back into sports arenas.

In the March 3 episode of the Locked On Avalanche podcast, Chris talks in depth about the lack of trust the players have for the next man up and how it is impacting the team. I was nodding my head the whole time in agreement with everything he was saying.

Off the back of a 6-2 loss to the Sharks on Monday, and as the two teams prepare to meet again tonight, @avalanche head coach Jared Bednar knows certain elements have to improve as they reach a crucial part of the season.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/yKtA7civb7

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) March 3, 2021

And of course, with the expansion draft just around the corner, fans have to be praying that their beloved players remain safe and do not get moved to the Seattle Kraken.

Hockey in general

The Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association played their very first game at Madison Square Garden in New York last weekend. It was a big day for women’s hockey. Check out the story about that night and what it meant for those players at Madison Square Garden.

With the NWHL broadcasting games this season until it was canceled, it looks like we will get to see more and more women’s hockey in the years to come. Who knows, we might even eventually have a Colorado team in the women’s league; wouldn’t that be fantastic!

And this week on 31 Thoughts: The Podcast with Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman, they talk about the NHL Entry Draft and what is best for the game. With everything pandemic, you might not have thought about the impact on scouting and the ability to pick players for draft. It is not an easy task. Friedman talks through his thoughts on why it might not be possible to have a draft this year.

What do you think about the way junior players make their way into AHL affiliate teams before entering the NHL? More importantly, those on-fire 19-year-olds who are not allowed to make the jump because they do not yet fit the guidelines of the current agreement, which says they must be 20 years old or have played four seasons in junior hockey before they can join an AHL team. Tony Ferrari’s view is that maybe it is time to redesign the agreement based on the number of 19-year-old players who are good enough to make the jump.

Have a great weekend and go Avs!

The post ICYMI: Week of March 5, 2021 — Avalanche news and more appeared first on The Rink.

Have we seen that from everyone thus far through 18 games?  Probably not, but I want to talk about one player in particular in J.T. Compher.

Defining Compher’s role

At the start of the season, there were a number of games where what I saw was a player who would make a dash to get the puck, then not finish the play. Numerous times, he would drop off and not follow through to give the Avalanche the best chance at scoring. It baffled me. Honestly, not because I am a big fan of his, but because he has a role to play and to me, he was not fulfilling that role.

I was expecting him to be the one working hard and getting the puck out of the zone. I do not know how many times lately Peter McNab and Mark Moser have commented that the Avs are not getting the puck out of the zone. It is not just Compher’s responsibility, but as one of the six left wingers on the team, he has a part to play.

There were times when I expected him to be the playmaker. Being there and making solid passes, moving the puck down the boards, being in the thick of things in the offensive zone, working to get the puck to the front of the net or taking more shots on goal. He was missing in action and not doing those things.

Maybe I was not understanding what he should have been doing. I checked on the ‘How To Hockey’ site about what a winger’s job is. Here is what it said:

“Your general duties as a wingman are to dig in the corner, feed the centerman, wreak havoc in front of the other teams net and outsmart the other teams defensemen on both ends of the rink.

In the defensive zone that is to stop the other teams’ defensemen from getting the puck and getting a shot on your goal; to get a break out pass from your own team member; to block shots or passes if the other teams defenseman does have the puck; to intercept passes and break out.

One of the biggest responsibilities of the winger in the defensive zone is breaking the puck out.

In the offensive zone his job is to carry the puck out and get a shot on net; look for a man in front of the net and set him up for a pass, look to see if the D is open and if so give them the puck, carry the puck up the boards a bit and cycle it back.”

A lot of what was described here does not represent Compher in my eyes.

Chemistry with the Avalanche

Watching Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar move Compher up and down the lines, it was pretty clear that he did not know where to put Compher. Bednar moved him to the second line and that certainly did not work—too many turnovers and little chemistry with his linemates to deliver what is expected of a scoring line. Colorado was waiting for them to make a difference on nights when the top line was shut down, and it was not happening.

And there were even times earlier in the season when Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri were out and Compher was part of the top line. That was a disaster. At least that is my way of describing it. Nothing clicked. Landeskog, Rantanen and Compher have hugely different hockey styles. That is all I can say about it.

Next, he shows up centering the third line. Again, no real delivery. It did not matter who he was out there with, he just could not seem to gel with them. Compher is not the only third-line player who is struggling this year. Valeri Nichushkin—who had an amazing year last year scoring 13 goals and 14 assists from 65 games, with three of those being game-winning goals—only has two goals and two assists so far this season. He has not been playing up to what is expected either given what the team showed in depth scoring last season.

If I remember correctly, Bednar even tried Compher on the fourth line for a short while and that certainly did not pan out, either. With young players such as Logan O’Connor and others from the taxi squad, it was clear there are better fourth-line combinations than ones including Compher.

You know who I totally forgot was a member of the Colorado Avalanche?

J.T. Compher.

Where has he been this season?

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) February 23, 2021

The next thing I noticed was that the Avalanche social media team were posting videos of Compher scoring goals at practice. Maybe this was Bednar’s way of trying to get Compher to realize exactly what his role on the team was. Perhaps he needed it spelled out clearly by the head coach for him to realize it. It does not really make sense to me. As a hockey player, whether that is as a forward or a defenseman, shouldn’t your mind be either on scoring goals or stopping goals?

Obviously, something clicked, because on Wednesday night in the game against the Minnesota Wild, Compher scored a goal for the Avalanche. He also had an assist. But, can he keep this up? I guess only time will tell. I saw a lot of fans were surprised. Why? Because we just have not seen anything from Compher leading up to that to show his commitment to giving 110% on the ice each and every night.

J.T. Compher knots it up at 1 with the nip on the rush!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/mBSkCy87si

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) February 25, 2021

Adding value

After only a couple of games into the season, I had quite a heated debate with another Avalanche fan about Compher. My view was that he needed to be traded because I was not seeing him provide value to the team, who has Stanley Cup aspirations this season.

Interestingly, the one player that Colorado traded a couple of seasons ago who is the same age, has the same salary and plays both center and left wing is providing much more value for his team than Compher is: Alexander Kerfoot. Kerfoot and Andreas Johanson from the New Jersey Devils both have positive plus-minus ratings this season, whereas Compher has a -2. The Maple Leafs are having a good season, and the Devils have been surprisingly successful.

My friend continued to argue that I was looking at Compher all wrong, that he had a role on the team, and he was playing it. He was not going to be the star player scoring night after night, but he was doing what was asked of him in his role. I am not sure that I followed exactly what that role was, and we agreed to disagree on his value.

I was comparing Compher’s output to players like Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Matt Calvert, and for me, they just did not add up. But, as my friend rightly pointed out, Compher has much better stats than either of the other two.

Okay, so if the stats say he has been a better contributor on the ice, then what am I missing?

For me, it is the passion. When players like Bellemare and Calvert are on the ice, you can see they are there fighting for that puck and driving to the net, with passion, each and every time. Or, they are fighting to stop that puck going in the net when the opposition is trying really hard to do just that. A team is made up of stars, grinders and passionate players. They are all different. They all bring their uniqueness to the ice. Fair enough. I see that.

However, I am still not yet convinced that Compher has a long-term place with this team.

Convince me that I am wrong.

The post Is J.T. Compher a long-term fit with the Avalanche? appeared first on The Rink.

Game 2

Hunter Miska gave Philipp Grubauer some much needed rest Friday night, but the Avs went right back to their number one goaltender Saturday night.  We also learned that defenseman Cale Makar is day-to-day with an upper body injury so he would be replaced with Dan Reneouf.  Matt Calvert was out again but this time Logan O’Connor would crack the lineup, along with Jacob MacDonald.

It was clear in the first period that the Coyotes had made some adjustments.  They were getting pucks deep and creating a lot more chances early on.  Nick Schmaltz seemed to pick up where he left off yesterday, trying to take pucks to the net and get in the grill of Avs’ defensemen.  Bowen Byram also continued playing a physical game, laying a big hit on Clayton Keller.

But it was Nathan MacKinnon who broke the ice.  The Avs centerman slipped through a check along the left boards and shot a laser past Coyotes goaltender Antti Raanta top-shelf.

https://twitter.com/Emily_Wade/status/1365852998711209984?s=20

The Coyotes kept it interesting when forward Clayton Keller redirected a shot from the point past Philipp Grubauer with a handful of minutes left in the second period.  Although it seemed like momentum was going towards the Yotes, the Avs answered right back with a nice wrap-around goal from Jacob MacDonald who scored his first NHL goal with Colorado.

After the game, MacDonald said, “You have to savor these moments.  For me proving myself isn’t going to happen in six games, or twenty games, or whatever.  It’s going to be on consistency on a day-in, day-out basis. As long as I can do that, there’s ‘no proving myself in one game.’ It’s about proving myself on a nightly basis for me.”

"Old MacDonald had a goal- E I E I O"@ConorMcGahey with the great goal call on Jacob MacDonald's 1st goal in an @Avalanche sweater!!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/dwXFueTXxz

— 92.5 FM – Denver's Altitude Sports Radio (@AltitudeSR) February 28, 2021

MacDonald’s go-ahead goal proved to be the first of many Avalanche goals in a much needed blowout game.  Gabe Landeskog got things going in the third period with a net-front powerplay goal.  The Avs seemed to not be able to get set up or move the puck around successfully in previous powerplays.  It was also uncharacteristic for them to get a blue-collar, greasy goal like that.

The Avs would later add third period goals by Donskoi, Jost, and Bellemare which is great for Colorado’s scoring depth.  If they can get production and start rolling all four lines, the Avs could hit their stride this season in March.  The final score Saturday night was 6-2, giving Philipp Grubauer his 10th win of the season.

It’s also noteworthy, head coach Jared Bednar ruled out defenseman Cale Makar for the rest of the road trip as the Avs wait for more information from the medical staff on his day-to-day status.

What’s next?

The Avalanche wrap up the month of February with a record of 5-3 and will continue their short road trip on Monday & Wednesday in San Jose against the Sharks.  Following that series, the Avs play 13 of 15 games at home at Ball Arena in Denver.  If there’s any time to get on a hot streak, March is their time.

The post Avalanche defeat Coyotes 6-2 Saturday for series sweep appeared first on The Rink.

Staff writer Owyn Cooper chats with Juliana Nikac, social media manager for the NWHL’s Connecticut Whale, about her love for the game of hockey, having a career in sports and much more.

• What is your background in hockey and how did you end up in the industry? (2:00)
• What was it like going to school at two colleges with prestigious hockey programs? (7:05)
• What did you know about the NWHL and what about it drew your interest in working for them? (9:40)
• What is the voice of the Connecticut Whale on social media and how did you find your brand? (12:00)
• What was the most difficult part of running social for a sports team during COVID-19? (15:57)
• What the impact been like when the NHL puts a spotlight on the NWHL? (22:23)
• Thoughts on a NWHL team in Colorado? (25:45)
• If you had advice for aspiring young women in the sports industry, what would you tell them? (28:04)
• What is your take on fans with multiple team allegiances? (31:12)
• What are your thoughts on the NHL’s division alignment? (36:48)
• Who is your Stanley Cup pick? (43:15)

Please do us a favor. Subscribe, rate this episode, share with your friends and even write us a review. The best reviews will be read on the air.

Also, please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

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The post Colorado Hockey Rinkcast S1 Ep10 — The Connecticut Whale’s Juliana Nikac appeared first on The Rink.

Let’s take a look at what Byram has done so far in his first 30 days in an Avalanche sweater.

Byram’s first games

In the first tilt against against the Kings, Byram took a penalty early against Anze Kopitar, and took one shot in the game. The match was an Avalanche loss, but he posted a good start.

Byram seemed to already get his feet under him by the series against the Anaheim Ducks. He assisted on Mikko Rantanen’s goal, getting his first NHL point and showing his offensive side in the process.

Bowen Byram's first NHL point was a beauty!#BoAvsBo pic.twitter.com/xGYvSudsTh

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 23, 2021

Just as spectacularly, Byram showed a calm head and quick hands, as a puck slid past Philipp Grubauer’s initial stop and the rookie efficiently moved the puck away from the goal line. 

Byram has shown a variety of facets to his game. He has played on both the power play and the penalty kill and is taking shots, laying big hits and making an impact when he is on the ice.

Is that a wall, or is it Bo?#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Y6h3jAINC3

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 31, 2021

He has played with a variety of defensemen, but has yet to find his pairing due to both chemistry juggling and injury issues. He has been listed on a pairing with Samuel Girard, Erik Johnson, Cale Makar, Greg Pateryn and Devon Toews so far this season. Girard looks like the most ideal fit for a defense partner, but it is good to see Byram get a variety of experienced players to share in a pairing.

As of the Feb. 2 game against Minnesota, the Avalanche entered the first year of Byram’s entry-level contract. Eleven games into his NHL career, Byram averages 18:24 per game, showing that the coaching staff already has trust in him. 

The first of four games against the Vegas Golden Knights, Byram had 23:07 of ice time. He topped that in the second game of the series with 25:03. This was largely because the Avalanche were down both Girard and Makar due to COVID-19 protocol and injury, respectively.

In the Feb. 20 Lake Tahoe game, Byram had a tougher showing. He was usually swarmed by Golden Knights players, he had a rough turnover and had bad luck when the puck seemed to go off his stick on the Alex Tuch goal. He went from 25:03 of ice time in the previous game to 14:25, not seeing any power play or penalty kill time. After that goal, he did not skate again.

you spin me right round pic.twitter.com/sPSXd10shg

— Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) February 21, 2021

His decreased ice time is not necessarily an omen. This third game in the series against Vegas also saw the return of Girard and Makar, both of them spending over 20 minutes on the slushy ice. They have each spent at least a season with Head Coach Jared Bednar, and already have his trust. And when the game got close, Bednar chose them and Toews in key defensive situations after Vegas made it within one.

What Byram’s peers are saying about him

Due to the shortened season, the staff had only seven games to make the decision on whether or not to burn the first year of Byram’s entry-level contract. 

“He’s clearly an NHL player and can help us win hockey games,” Bednar said in a post-game interview. “I don’t foresee him going anywhere.”

But, Bednar also acknowledged that the decision was left up to General Manager Joe Sakic and the rest of the management staff. 

“Bowen Byram, you can tell he’s here to stay,” said Marc Moser during an Avalanche broadcast. “That’s all there is to it.” 

“(Byram’s) a really important piece of our lineup right now,” Johnson said of his rookie teammate. “I think this is the deepest (defensive) core we’ve had since I’ve been here, and he’s a big part of it.”

Conclusions thus far

Byram is young and he is green, and he is showing steady development. This truncated season is weird, and there is no need to rush him into a top-pairing role when he is not ready for it. Injuries may have forced the coaching staff’s hand there to push him more. With a healthier backend, Avs fans might see Byram’s role be decreased anyway. 

It has been a month of Bowen Byram, but due to the COVID-19 protocol pause, he has only played 11 games. There has not been a lot of offensive production so far, only tallying two points. The second assist was on the game-winning goal in the Feb. 16 game, but Byram has yet to score a goal of his own. That is not egregious since he is a defenseman, but it would certainly be nice to see. 

That game winner by Kadri was exactly what the doctor ordered.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Acu4BCMS6v

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 17, 2021

There are some elements to his game that he needs to improve upon, but it is still early in the season and certainly early in his career. Byram is showing flashes of greatness, and it is going to be a blast to watch.

What do you think of Byram’s performance so far? Let us know down below or tweet us @TheRinkColorado.

The post A month of rookie Bowen Byram appeared first on The Rink.

We will see two more between these teams, first the outdoor game at Lake Tahoe on Saturday, followed by the final meeting of four next Monday in Colorado.

This is the first time that these two have met this season. Ask the vast majority of people and they will tell you the Avs and Golden Knights are the two best teams in the west. Those who do not will tell you that combined with St. Louis, they make the top three, however you want to order them.

On the face of it, neither team has done anything to show dominance so far. They have split the two games—the Avalanche were shut out in the first of those—no one has laid down a marker.

That is not what I believe.

The way in which these games have unfolded, with COVID-19 and injury issues in Colorado, combined with the fact they were so rusty in the first game after their enforced COVID-19 break means the Avalanche have won big, and here is why.

Avalanche match Vegas in five out of six periods without star names

If you take every single period individually from those two games, the final period of the second game is the only time where the Avs really struggled to get a grip. Strangely enough, they scored late in that period to win a game, but that is all about clutch players surfacing at key moments.

As for the other five periods, those were even—neither team established a definitive clear gap between them and their opponents, with every period swinging at some point. The key here is that we saw Colorado do this without Sam Girard, Erik Johnson and Cale Makar on the blue line.

That is their future Norris-winning stud, most experienced blue liner and a rock-solid top-four guy who is only not receiving as much praise as he should because the team is too loaded.

We don't talk about him enough because the Avs have so many fun players but Sam Girard is one of my favourites to watch. Just love seeing him fly around, put people in the spin cycle, and create for others pic.twitter.com/gwJvzE0lKt

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) January 29, 2021

Top-line winger and key power play component Gabe Landeskog missed the two games, as did Tyson Jost, arguably the best bottom-six forward so far this season. Throw in Matt Calvert, missing for a few weeks now, and even Kiefer Sherwood, a surprise positive, and you see how short this team has been.

Return to a full-strength roster

Given the season so far, do not be surprised to see this team ever field a full roster, but let’s work on the assumption they can at some point.

Move one, likely to happen before the outdoor game is Makar in and Dennis Gilbert out.

This instantly makes the Avalanche better at both ends of the ice. Then add Landeskog to kickstart the power play once more, go back on the top line and slot Jost back onto the fourth line. Again, this makes the team instantly better at both ends of the ice.

We will also see more balance. Logan O’Connor can slot back into his “crash, bang, wallop” fourth-line role, with Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, meaning the Avs can push forward with that line rather than simply aiming to survive.

Further in time, we will see the likes of Calvert and Johnson returning, adding veteran presence and calm, while crucially upgrading the quality of the roster, too.

If you are a member of the Vegas Golden Knights’ franchise and see how those two games have just been played out and then look at the above improvements the Avs can make, you would be lying if you said it did not worry you.

The play of Philipp Grubauer

Coming into the new season, Philipp Grubauer splits fans into three camps.

• Those who thought he was not the man to lead this team
• Those who thought he was good enough but had health problems
• Those who thought he was good enough and the Avs just needed to sit tight

We certainly have more people in the final camp now after what has been a huge start to the season by the German netminder. He has played really well in every single game, but in Vegas, he took that to a whole new level.

Philipp Grubauer had another strong game tonight, stopping 27 of Vegas' 29 shots. His .936 save percentage is third in the NHL among goalies who have played 5+ games.

"He’s the backbone, and he’s essentially driving the bus for us," Nazem Kadri said.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) February 17, 2021

Marc-Andre Fleury was exceptional at the other end of the ice, and Grubauer needed to be at the very top of his game to keep the Avs in it. Both netminders knew that just one mistake in those two games could have been the difference between victory and defeat, and the Colorado Avalanche were not let down at all by their man in the cage.

With question marks over Grubauer, many made this team Stanley Cup favorites. If he can somehow play like this for a full season—and stay healthy—those predictions become a lot firmer.

The coming of age of Bowen Byram

Not every fan was onboard the Byram hype train at the start of the season, and would not have minded him developing for another year elsewhere. Those who were not sure probably comforted themselves knowing that the Avs intended to shelter Byram as much as they could on the bottom pairing, allowing him to grow into games.

Injuries and COVID-19 threw that out of the window in Vegas, and Byram thrived on it. Yes, he will continue to make the odd rookie mistake. We all have to expect that and live with the consequences.

He played 23:07 in game one, smashing his previous high by almost two minutes. That itself is impressive enough, but game two demanded more from the 19-year-old. He played 25:05 on Tuesday, again, an almost two-minute jump from his previous best, and for the first time this season, taking over 30 shifts in a game.

Byram is no longer being sheltered by the Avalanche, and quite frankly, he does not need to be.

Note the veteran play to get the puck toward players crashing the net for the game winner below.

That game winner by Kadri was exactly what the doctor ordered.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Acu4BCMS6v

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 17, 2021

Time to be positive

If you look at everything in reverse and see the Avalanche splitting games with an under-strength Vegas team, who have multiple key pieces coming back in, you would be a little worried.

But, we are on the right side of this, so it is time to be positive. At full strength, the likelihood is that the Avs win both of those games in Vegas, rather than splitting them. Going back to the top paragraph, this is a team who many believe to be one of the best two teams in the west, if not, in the top three.

With good health, the Colorado Avalanche are superior, and after splitting two games on the road in Vegas with so many pieces missing, they have started to prove that.

The post RECAP: Why splitting the games in Vegas is great for the Avs appeared first on The Rink.

Host Aaron Goldschmidt chats with College Hockey News senior writer Avash Kalra about the Denver Pioneers and the NCHC conference.

• Is North Dakota the team to beat this year? (5:55)
• What’s going on with Magnus Chrona? (8:43)
• Do the Pioneers not have enough scoring? (13:59)
• Is Carter Savoie one of Denver’s top playmakers of the last decade? (16:15)
• Why haven’t the Pioneers been able to fight back into games this season? (19:15)
• Frozen Faceoff updates (22:00)
• How does the NCHC compete for national championships every year? (28:25)
• Will the NCAA pull off the Frozen Four tournament? (33:12)

Please do us a favor. Subscribe, rate this episode, share with your friends, and even write us a review. The best reviews will be read on the air.

Also, please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

Are you a RinkRat who also owns a business? Our data shows RinkCast listeners are (like you) affluent, discerning, and want to patronize like-minded brands. As part of our growth, we’re looking for an exclusive advertiser, at a VERY low cost.  Email podcast@the-rink.com for more details

The post Colorado Hockey Rinkcast S1 Ep9 – College Hockey News senior writer Avash Kalra appeared first on The Rink.

Host Aaron Goldschmidt chats with Locked on Avalanche podcast host Chris Micieli to discuss the Colorado Avalanche season thus far.

• Why can’t the Avalanche stay healthy? (11:35)
• Can the Avs get by without Nathan MacKinnon? (16:00)
• Which player are you excited to see step up with all the injuries? (24:45)
• Is Bowen Byram ready? (30:09)
• Will Cale Makar avoid a sophomore slump? (33:00)
• Is Jared Bednar a long-term solution for the Avalanche? (38:24)
• Can Grubauer finally stay healthy and be the Avs #1? (49:05)
• The Lake Tahoe outdoor game is right around the corner. Boom or bust? (52:42)

Please do us a favor. Subscribe, rate this episode, share with your friends, and even write us a review. The best reviews will be read on the air.

Also, please help spread the word to more #RinkRats and visit our sponsor www.PUCKHCKY.com. Use the discount code “THERINK” for 10% off all orders.

Are you a RinkRat who also owns a business? Our data shows RinkCast listeners are (like you) affluent, discerning, and want to patronize like-minded brands. As part of our growth, we’re looking for an exclusive advertiser, at a VERY low cost.  Email podcast@the-rink.com for more details

The post Colorado Hockey Rinkcast S1 Ep8 – Locked on Avalanche podcast host Chris Micieli appeared first on The Rink.

Let’s take a look at how the Avs did this weekend against Minnesota.

Game one

With Matt Calvert already out indefinitely due to concussion issues, the fourth line was already on the mend, as recently acquired Kiefer Sherwood replaced Calvert in the lineup. But, that line took another hit this week when Pierre-Edouard Bellemare went down with an apparent knee injury in the series against the Anaheim Ducks. Following Thursday’s game, Colorado Head Coach Jared Bednar said Bellemare will “miss some time,” leaving fans with the hope that his injury is not season-ending. On Saturday, the University of Denver Pioneer alum Logan O’Connor got the call up and did not waste any time getting involved. In just his first shift, O’Connor scored on a wrist shot from the left circle that ricocheted in off the goaltenders stick. After the game when asked about scoring on his first shift, O’Connor said, “Maybe throughout my career, but it definitely doesn’t happen often.”

Logan O'Connor opens up the scoring early for Colorado!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/FQFKRhFBkQ

— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) January 31, 2021

The Wild would answer O’Connor’s goal with a great shot from Matt Dumba off Grubauer’s mask, but the Avalanche would regain the lead in the final seconds of the first period with a power play goal from their second line. Andre Burakovsky sent the puck down low to Brandon Saad from the half wall, who then centered the puck to Joonas Donaski in front of the net for a tap-in goal past Kirill Kaprizov. After being called out by Bednar earlier in the week, who demanded more from the second line, Saad responded with six points in his last three games.

In the second period, Mikko Rantanen continued his hot start, scoring his seventh goal of the season on a nice wrist shot, as he carved his way through the slot of Wild defenders. With that goal, Rantanen became the first player in franchise history to score a goal in each of the team’s first five road games. Rantanen is currently tied for second in the NHL for goals scored, only trailing Vancouver Canucks forward Brock Boeser, who has lit the lamp eight times in the young season.

Looks like Mikko Rantanen is feeling it tonight. pic.twitter.com/Pq7xqGFUL8

— NHL (@NHL) January 31, 2021

The Avs would pull away in the third period with goals from Saad and JT Compher, but the big stories from Saturday’s game were the injury to defenseman Erik Johnson and the steady play of Byram. Early in the contest, Johnson skated up the right boards to dump in the puck when he was hit hard by Wild forward Jordan Greenway. Johnson landed hard and gingerly made his way back to the bench, where he proceeded back to the locker room. It is unfortunate that Johnson is injured again after he worked hard to get healthy, as injuries kept him out of the playoffs last season.

Jordan Greenway hammers Erik Johnson pic.twitter.com/40wXNOtz8p

— CJ Fogler account may or may not be notable (@cjzero) January 31, 2021

Playing with just five defenseman, the Avalanche leaned heavily on their young talent, as Sam Girard, Cale Makar and Ryan Graves all played over 20 minutes each. But it was the play of Byram that turned heads. Byram held his own in his 19:26 of ice time after playing just a handful of NHL games. He was patient with the puck, made clean exit zone passes and most notably was not shy about playing the body. With recent support from leaders like Johnson and Nathan MacKinnon, it seems like Byram will stay up with the Avalanche this season and use up the first year of his entry-level contract. It is great that these young players are able to fill in the gaps and get some great experience at the NHL level, but you have to wonder why this group just cannot seem to shake the injury bug.

https://twitter.com/Emily_Wade/status/1355706897723056130?s=20

Game two

The Avalanche and Wild played their second game just 24 hours later in St. Paul. Getting the start in net for Colorado was Minnesota native Hunter Miska. Jacob MacDonald also drew into the lineup, replacing Johnson. The pace to game two was similar to the previous night, with up and down action without a lot of stoppages. And within four minutes, the Avalanche struck first when MacKinnon found a streaking Donskoi in the slot, who put it past Cam Talbot for a 1–0 advantage. The Wild would even the score at 1–1 late in the first period following a Greenway rebound goal past Miska.

Had to get MacKinnon going tape to tape with Donskoi there!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/50XTn6jwqY

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 1, 2021

Right off the bat in the second period, the Wild attacked the Avs, forcing a turnover from Graves. The puck remained in the Avs’ zone until Wild captain Jared Spurgeon found Victor Rask open on the left circle for the goal. Makar and the Avs answered right back two minutes later, tying the game at 2–2.  Makar said at the intermission that he saw the Wild forwards had over-committed, so he took advantage of the space and the traffic in front of Talbot. The game went into the third period tied 2–2, but the success of the Avs’ penalty kill had been the story. They killed off another two power plays, backing up their first-place ranking in the NHL for penalty kill percentage.

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8) is one special talent… pic.twitter.com/WRkJ28TzdR

— NHL (@NHL) February 1, 2021

The Avalanche and Wild would continue to exchange blows in the third. Saad would give Colorado the lead, but the Wild would come back again with another goal by Rask. The game was destined for overtime, to which it went. But, with their first offensive possession, the Wild got the puck to Jonas Brodin in the high slot, who beat Miska for the game-winning goal. Although it was a disappointing loss, seven points in the last four games is pretty darn good, especially with a lot of players banged up. One of the most notable being MacKinnon, who did not return in the third period.

MacKinnon has lower body injury, will not return

— Lauren Jbara (@laurenjbara) February 1, 2021

What’s next?

These teams are not done with each other just yet. Both teams will travel back to Denver for another two games at Ball Arena on Tuesday and Thursday. The Avs are in another tough spot with so many players out with injuries, but hopefully Devon Toews can come back to help the defensive unit. Hopefully MacKinnon is okay as well, because that would be a colossal loss.

The post RECAP: Avalanche split first two games with the Wild appeared first on The Rink.

After taking both games, the Avs not only moved to 5–3 on the season, but they scored 10 goals,  with numerous depth players playing their best hockey thus far. Secondary scoring has finally arrived in Denver.

Avs fire without the top line

Of those 10 goals, Mikko Rantanen scored one, while both Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog were kept off the scoresheet. Two goals came from defensemen, with the remaining seven all being scored by depth forwards—the players fans were hoping would step up soon.

Brandon Saad put just one point on the board in his first six games with the Avs, a disappointing start for someone expected to add a little more offense to the team. But he scored two goals against San Jose, and also had two assists, giving him a far more respectable five points over eight games.

Nazem Kadri is another player who has received a little bit of criticism for his start, with just two points from the opening six games. An assist in the first game against the Sharks helped Kadri to his best game of the season so far, but that was eclipsed in the second, with a three-point night (two goals, one assist). Kadri now has six points through eight outings.

Nazem Kadri (2-1—3) factored on all three unanswered goals and Philipp Grubauer made 21 saves on 21 shots as the @Avalanche outscored the Sharks by a 10-3 margin across their two straight meetings. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/QU6QshtBNQ

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) January 29, 2021

Despite missing time already this season, Andre Burakovsky now has six points in five games, with three goals and three assists. He bagged two assists in the first game, while adding a goal in the second, to continue his bright start to the season. Burakovsky has been one of a small number of shining lights away from the top line.

Other important notes included first points of the season for Valeri Nichushkin, bagging a goal and an assist in the 7–3 win on Tuesday. Tyson Jost and Kiefer Sherwood also notched assists—their first points of the season—in the first game.

Injuries necessitate more secondary scoring

The Avs are going to be without Matt Calvert and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare for quite some time it seems, and that is going to put more pressure on the second and third lines to deliver.

Kiefer Sherwood has stepped into a role on the fourth line in place of Calvert and performed well so far, certainly not making any mistakes. Someone will have to fill in for Bellemare and the favorite to do that is Logan O’Connor, who will add grit and penalty killing ability, but may not add much in terms of scoring.

It would be no surprise to see the fourth line move into a full shutdown role, especially on the road in Minnesota this weekend, so scoring will have to come from the top three lines if the Avs are to continue their winning run.

Comment below.

The post RECAP: Avalanche of secondary scoring in Colorado sweep of Sharks appeared first on The Rink.

Even without Cole, the Avalanche have seven very solid defensive players in their lineup, and it is expected that a combination of six from those seven will play from here until the end of the season, barring any major injuries of course.

But how exactly will they look? Right now, that is certainly up in the air, and perhaps the most intriguing element of this Avs roster.

The best lineup?

What we saw from Colorado on Tuesday night against San Jose appears to be their best lineup on paper. This leaves Conor Timmins as the healthy scratch, with a lineup of Byram, Samuel Girard, Ryan Graves, Erik Johnson, Cale Makar and Devon Toews on the ice.

Byram was paired with Girard for much of the game, which was fine given their superiority over the Sharks and the comfortable nature of the game. But if that was on the road against a top team, would the Avalanche be happy trusting Byram at the side of Girard?

This is where we are likely to see changes to the defensive pairings, certainly for specific games but also depending on the situation the Avs are in and what they need at that moment.

Cale Makar (@Cmakar8) is just in sync with everyone… pic.twitter.com/aRq8Ax0ykU

— NHL (@NHL) January 27, 2021

Situational defensive pairings for the full season?

We have seen Colorado use situational pairings with success in the past, so they are certainly not afraid to do this. On countless occasions last season, we saw Girard play with Makar when they have an offensive zone faceoff and wanted to apply some pressure.

With so much talent on the back end this season, do not be surprised if we see more of this, both to apply attacking pressure and also shore up defensively when it is needed.

If the Avalanche need a goal, they could add Byram to the side of Makar to give the youngster a chance to show his skills in the offensive zone, something we have seen a little of already this season. If the Avs need to shore up defensively, we may see Byram move down to play alongside Johnson, who can keep risks and mistakes to a minimum alongside the rookie.

Girard is also likely to get involved here, as he has started the season in excellent form and has worked with Makar in the past. That would leave Toews and Byram without a partner, so we could also see those two put together in specific circumstances.

The positives for Bowen Byram

The long-term expectations for Byram are that he develops into a highly skilled top-four defenseman, but there was no expectation for him to do that this season. It is fair to say he could well be on his way to doing that already just four games into his NHL career.

The biggest positive for Byram is that there is no pressure on him because there is so much talent on this defensive unit. There is no reason for him to shine, and if he does not, then others certainly will.

However, Colorado will give Byram the chance to shine, and put him in favorable situations, which is a real luxury and one that is only going to help the rookie rearguard. Favored positions when the team has an offensive zone faceoff and being a little sheltered in tough games should only equal more points and more chance to impress for Byram.

Byram could very well find himself alongside every other Avalanche defenseman at some point this season, but fear not, if he does, it will only be for the good of the team and for Byram himself.

Bowen Byram's first NHL point was a beauty!#BoAvsBo pic.twitter.com/xGYvSudsTh

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 23, 2021

The role of Devon Toews

If there is one member of the Avs’ defensive unit that has an intriguing outlook, then it is certainly Toews. The 26-year-old has been a huge addition to the blue line and has impressed throughout the beginning of the season.

Toews is a player who can play in all situations, has a spot on the power play, spends time killing penalties and is the current regular partner to Makar on the No. 1 defensive unit. However, if the Avalanche want to put either Girard or Byram at the side of Makar in certain situations, then it will be Toews that suffers because of that.

Although starting on the power play, do not be surprised to see Toews come off that at some point, allowing him to focus on penalty killing, with few options for that on the Colorado blue line. The team would likely prefer to keep Girard and Makar for the power play, possibly with Byram, while Toews would join Graves and Johnson to form a unit of three penalty killers.

Toews has done absolutely nothing wrong since joining the team, and has been one of the bright spots of the season so far. Even with that, he may have to settle for being displaced from time to time by the more offensive players who currently sit behind him on the depth chart.

What to look out for this season

Colorado has six very good defensemen, seven including Timmins, and as a unit, this is the envy of many in the league. However, the actual pairings for this defense look a little vague, and we may see these pairings change depending on the situation in a game, or the opponents the Avalanche are playing.

This has been used with success in the past, and the hope is that it can be used in the same manner again. Look for Byram to be one of the real winners if this happens—his emergence has given the Avs another weapon—and do not be surprised to see them use him in the best possible way.

The post With so much talent, will the Avs abandon defensive pairings this season? appeared first on The Rink.

C + A + A = Top Line #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/D0q0yzXSiK

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 16, 2021

They have played together for years and they have an undeniable chemistry. They are also an offensive powerhouse together and apart, with a collective 1,212 points across the three of them. 

Instead of going with that top line, Head Coach Jared Bednar chose the combination he had been testing throughout training camp with Andre Burakovsky taking Landeskog’s spot and Landeskog added to the second line with Nazem Kadri and newcomer Brandon Saad. 

Burakovsky had a decent showing in an otherwise dismal game. He scored the only Avalanche goal of the contest on the second unit’s power play, but was a -1. 

Burky with first goal of the season! *tips cap*

Now let's see a few more!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/ewH4HZTUYL

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) January 14, 2021

In the first game against the Blues, the line of Landeskog-Kadri-Saad was a collective -10, and did not tally a single point. 

Saad is currently a -4 and has not yet registered a point. This is not a reason to panic just two games into the season. Saad missed the first part of training camp, and is adjusting to a new team. If 10 games pass and he is still pointless? Maybe cause for concern, but, he might just need time to acclimated. It is still early. 

Landeskog’s performance in the first game against the Blues was the interesting showing. The Avalanche captain was -3, took a tripping penalty against Tyler Bozak and looked a bit sloppy. Like Saad, he was also out of training camp early on, but Landeskog has been with the Avalanche organization for his 10th year. 

After that game, Bednar was quick to say during practice on Thursday that he would be reuniting the famous top line to the collective “THANK YOU” of Avalanche fans. 

A couple changes on the top two lines for the #Avs, per coach Jared Bednar:

Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen
Saad-Kadri-Burakovsky

Bednar said he wanted to move Saad to the left so he's using his forehand more, and Landeskog moved back to the MacKinnon line.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) January 14, 2021

In the second game, Landeskog scored two goals, one being his 200th, and Kadri scored a goal. But they were not on a line together. The top line of Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen was reunited, and each of them scored at least a goal in that blowout 8–0 victory. 

It absolutely made sense to break up the Landeskog-MacKinnon-Rantanen line ahead of the season—it allows depth scoring down the front and gives that second line a bit more toughness. 

Plus, back in November of 2019, there was a month-long stretch where both Landeskog and Rantanen were out with injuries. In a shortened season in such a hectic time, there is a need for flexibility when you have to factor injuries and COVID-19 protocol. If those three can only score together, that is going to be a problem.

With new players, it takes time to get adjusted to a new system. So as those players get adjusted and the chemistry grows, then it might be time to switch things up. More line changes and different combinations are likely to be tested as the season continues, as different lines might work against different teams. 

“I’m certainly going to stick with (Landeskog, MacKinnon and Rantanen on the top line) here for a few games,” Bednar said after practice on Sunday. “Sometimes, I think we’re better with them apart and sometimes we’re better with them together.”

The post Colorado Avalanche top line reunited after dismal start appeared first on The Rink.

Per Friedman’s report the NHL is beginning plans with four teams as part of a first-ever two-game, two-day “Outdoor Weekend” showcase at Lake Tahoe. More specifically the events will be held at Edgewood Tahoe Resort, home of the popular celebrity golf tournament, and will be played around the 16th, 17th and 18th holes of the course.

Fans will not be in attendance, as the number of attendees will be limited to about 400. This will all but be taken up by the teams’ traveling parties and staff needed to run the events. The lack of fans will give TV coverage some unique opportunities to broadcast the games like, possibly, more drone cameras.

More news will follow, but the games featured are the Colorado Avalanche vs the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday, Feb 20, and the Philadelphia Flyers vs the Boston Bruins on Sunday, Feb 21. These games were the only two scheduled for the targeted weekend, which suggests this event was part of the NHL’s plan all along.

Four teams — Boston, Colorado, Philadelphia and Vegas — are headed to Lake Tahoe in February: https://t.co/GDFc633pVD

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 1, 2021

The post BREAKING: NHL to play two outdoor games in Lake Tahoe in February appeared first on The Rink.

If anyone just heard the answers from Gabriel Landeskog you will immediately know why he was a 19-year-old captain. This kid is a pro. Forget how good he is on the ice ,,the excepting of responsibility and patting the linesman on the back was awesome.@Avalanche @GabeLandeskog92

— Kelly Chase (@Chasenpucks39) May 9, 2019

But, he is on schedule to hit free agency after next season. The Avalanche front office is already in talks with him for an extension, but a lot could change due to COVID-19, cap struggles and an abbreviated NHL 2020–21 season.

For the purposes of this article, let’s assume that Landeskog and the Avs do not reach a deal. 

So who would then be captain in his absence? 

The Avalanche roster is deep and there are several options, both obvious and unapparent, that could take over the position from Landeskog. 

Let’s examine some of the potential candidates.

Nathan MacKinnon

Could Nathan MacKinnon be the next Colorado Avalanche captain? (Photograph courtesy of Debora Robinson)

There is certainly a history of having a team’s star player be their captain, Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin, to name a few. Landeskog was in that running before the Avs drafted MacKinnon the year after he was named captain.

As a current alternate captain, MacKinnon leads the team in scoring the past four seasons, and also leads by example in the locker room. And in the 2020 postseason, he broke a Wayne Gretzky record by scoring 25 points in 15 games. Not only is he a fan favorite; he is also on a very team-friendly deal. And, it does not seem like he is interested in leaving, nor is the team interested in moving on from him. 

Joe Sakic asked about Nathan MacKinnon and said he would not move him for anyone in the world.

Says he loves everything MacKinnon did and how he is always working to get better. #Avs

— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) September 10, 2020

MacKinnon is not only the best player on the Avalanche, but he is considered to be one of the best players in the league. He won the Lady Byng Trophy and was also a finalist for the Hart and Ted Lindsay this past year. 

To list a detriment, there could be the issues of MacKinnon’s past anger management struggles that would hinder him on the ice while dealing with calls. He made headlines in the hockey world after barking at head coach Jared Bednar on the bench during a game against the Calgary Flames over a year ago.

But recently, fans have seen that anger be has used in more productive ways. His rage led to an overtime winner against the Vancouver Canucks after the referees did not blow a play dead when Matt Calvert took a puck to the head. It seems he has grown to utilize his anger to make him a better hockey player. 

Cale Makar

Should Gabriel Landeskog leave Colorado, would Cale Makar have a chance at being the team’s next captain? (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

The Avalanche front office has no apparent qualms about making children (okay, Makar is currently 22) the captain. Landeskog was only 19 when he was given the “C”, so Makar would not be the youngest in team history to receive it. 

Makar is certainly a great player and has impressive credentials. He scored the second most points on the team, won the Calder Trophy and is on his way to being in the Norris conversation. He dictates the pace on the ice and often dominates opponents. 

Calder Cale Makar, you already know the name. @Cmakar8 | @Avalanche pic.twitter.com/4plNYoxYxf

— NHL (@NHL) November 10, 2020

But, the responsibility of being the captain of a Stanley Cup-contending team could be overwhelming for him as he gets his footing in the league. He has so much talent and so much drive, but he does not seem to have leadership qualities yet.

Mikko Rantanen

Mikko Rantanen poses another option for a future Colorado captain. (Photograph courtesy of Matthew Stockman)

The Avalanche front office has invested a lot into Rantanen. He is currently the highest-paid player on the roster with his AAV of $9.25 million per year and that was not a mistake.

Even with missing almost 30 games of the regular season due to injury, he still finished in the top five of scoring on the Avs with 41 points. In the postseason, he earned 21 points, second only to MacKinnon on the team. He is an offensive force, and the Avalanche have him under contract until the 2025–26 season. 

But one does not often see him in a leadership role. In the playoffs last season, he wore the “A” against the Dallas Stars since Landeskog and Erik Johnson were out with injuries. He is definitely well known across the league and also a fan-favorite, going to the All Star Game in 2019.

The Big Moose lets it LOOSE with the one-timer on the power play!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/S3oXkSoAz8

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 17, 2019

Nazem Kadri

Though relatively new to the Avalanche, Nazem Kadri may just have what it takes to be a captain for the franchise. (Photograph courtesy of Jeffrey T. Barnes)

Kadri came over in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in the summer of 2019 and he has already made a big impact. He anchored the second line, added depth scoring and aggressively defended his teammates. 

In his first season with the team, Kadri has already earned the respect of his teammates in the locker room.

“He’s a great player for us,” MacKinnon said of Kadri. “He’s great on faceoffs. He brings some swagger to our team, too. He’s a fun guy to be around. He’s very confident and a great teammate.”

Kadri wore the “A” sporadically throughout the season, including when they lost Johnson in the series against Dallas in the 2020 postseason. And, with his own bouts with injury issues this season, Kadri’s absence was definitely noticed. 

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again:

Nazem Kadri is on #GoAvsGo https://t.co/EYH0RJNFGs

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 19, 2020

Off the ice, Kadri is a board member with the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and, if selected, could be the lone current player of color as a captain in the NHL. That representation would be very important to children of color, and provide him with an additional platform to combat racism within the league.  

Like MacKinnon’s downside, he also has some anger issues and they are a lot more obvious. He led the Avalanche with penalty minutes this season with 97, several being game misconducts. While with the Leafs, he had two suspensions in sequential postseasons in 2018 and 2019. But in the 2020 postseason, he took only 10 minutes total, showing tremendous growth and restraint, making him a qualified candidate for captain.

Samuel Girard

Samuel Girard offers another youthful option for a potential Colorado captain. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Like Rantanen, the Avalanche inked Girard for the long run. His contract extends through 2027 when he will turn 29. He is only 22 now, young like Makar, and he is also a defensive force. He appeared in all 70 games this regular season, an impressive feat considering how injured the team constantly was, and achieved his career high for assists with 30 in less games. While he understandably does not get as much attention as Makar, he still reserves respect and recognition. 

After a long time of the Avalanche being known for their offense, it looks like the defense will be a highlight of the 2020s. They currently have a young core of Makar, Graves and Girard, and they will soon get players like Bowen Byram, Drew Helleson and Justin Barron down the line.

It could make a lot of sense to get a defenseman in the main leadership role. Currently, the captain and alternates are Landeskog, MacKinnon and Johnson, with Johnson being the only blueliner. As Johnson is over 30, the Avs’ front office might want to let someone more long-term yet young like Girard take on that responsibility.

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare has the experience needed to serve as a team captain. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Bellemare also reaches UFA status at the same time as Landeskog, but he has already stepped up as a leader multiple times in his first year as an Avalanche. When Landeskog was out in November, Bellemare stepped up as an alternate captain. He has maturity and experience with only six years in the NHL. He scored nine goals in the regular season from the fourth line, and was key as a shutdown player for a team with stacked depth. He also showed immense leadership when speaking about racism as the Western Conference protested their own games after the shooting of Jacob Blake. And, like Kadri, he would be the lone captain of color in the league if he were selected.

His first-ever Stanley Cup Playoff Goal!

Well done, Belly #GoAvsGo https://t.co/pIPZIhn2VL

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 27, 2020

To his detriment as a viable option, he is the oldest on the Avalanche roster at 35 years old and is their fourth-line center, not so much a superstar. But, he is solid and dependable, so he would be an interesting choice. 

Should Landeskog ever move on, it is a pretty safe bet that MacKinnon would be next in line to lead the Avalanche. But, thanks to the Avs’ depth, there are definitely a variety of options for leadership. If Landeskog was no longer the captain, who would you want to see get the “C”?

The post Life after Landeskog? An analysis of the Colorado Avalanche leadership depth appeared first on The Rink.

One of the big offseason trades was the Brandon Saad for Nikita Zadorov deal between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Colorado Avalanche, and people have been quick to bicker over who won the trade. 

Personally, I like to think it takes a while for a trade to be fully evaluated. Sometimes players need time to flourish in their new environments. What seems like an obvious win for one team could potentially never materialize. Team chemistry, despite the name, is not an exact science; who knows what could happen once all the players involved hit the ice? 

Saad has fallen off from his previous heights, but if there's anywhere to rehabilitate a player's game, it's Colorado. Having Chicago retain $1M helps though, as does the cheap price. Nikita Zadorov isn't great, but can probably help Chicago's weak team defence. pic.twitter.com/zRVRwy53QP

— dom (@domluszczyszyn) October 10, 2020

So before these two division rivals play each other (whenever that will be), I wanted to delve into the story of this trade—and maybe see if it is possible to crown a winner before we return to play.

As an Avalanche fan, I wanted to be concise and thorough, so I’d like to thank fellow The Rink writer Juliana Nikac for giving me some perspective on the Blackhawks. 

Let’s get into the context, because trades do not happen out of thin air. 

Chicago Blackhawks: A rebuild

Before the new millennium began, the Chicago Blackhawks had won three Stanley Cups, the least of the Original Six teams (that honor now belongs to the New York Rangers). But then, a strong, young core, led by Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane, gave them another three Stanley Cups in the span of six seasons.

The Blackhawks organization was one of a few that dominated this past decade—but that has not been the case the past few years. Especially with the benefit of hindsight, the organization is on a downward trend.

(Information courtesy of Hockey Reference)

In 2018 and 2019, the Blackhawks did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, while this year they were able to beat the Edmonton Oilers in the play-in round. But, their overall regular season record was 32–30–8. They were the last in the Central Division, and lost in the first round to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games. 

After the Saad-Zadorov trade, Blackhawks players were vocal in expressing their concerns about the direction the organization is heading.

According to The Athletic, a source close to the team said, “They’re pissed. The core guys have had enough.” 

(Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews are among the core players remaining with the Chicago Blackhawks. Photograph courtesy of Gene J. Puskar)

Jonathan Toews, three-time Stanley Cup champion, clarified, “I’ve never been told that we were going through a rebuild. That has never been communicated to me, for that matter. A lot of this comes as a shock because it’s a completely different direction than we expected.” 

You have to wonder why the plan was not discussed with the team’s leaders, and I am sure people have their own conspiracy theories. I am not an NHL player or general manager (probably for the best), but I feel like there needs to be open communication in situations like these—it is hard to blame Toews for being frustrated. 

Once that article came out, the Blackhawks shared an open letter to fans stating, “We’re committed to developing young players and rebuilding our roster. We want more than another window to win; we want to reach the summit again and stay there — an effort that will require a stockpile of emerging talent to complement our top players.” 

A message to Blackhawks fans. pic.twitter.com/7wBXrJPDQ1

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 20, 2020

Even with their veterans, the Blackhawks are one of the youngest teams in the league, with several players under age 25. Their oldest veteran is Duncan Keith at 37, and his future with the team is not written in stone—and Chicago would get even younger should they trade him.

The Blackhawks seem to have a plan, and we still have plenty of time to see if it will pay off for them.

Colorado Avalanche: Post-rebuild

The Colorado Avalanche had a whirlwind of a decade from 2010–2020. They went from being one of the worst teams in 2016 to a legitimate Stanley Cup contender in 2020. In fact, according to Sports Betting Dime, the Avalanche are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with the highest odds to win the Stanley Cup in 2021 at +750.

Now, obviously, betting and statistics do not always dictate Cup runs—but with the moves the Avalanche have made in the past couple of offseasons to bolster their depth and draft quality young players, they are going to be a hard team to beat. 

In the past couple days the Colorado Avalanche..

1. Replaced Nikita Zadorov with Devon Toews

2. Added Brandon Saad

3. Retained Andre Burakovsky, Ryan Graves and Valeri Nichushkin

4. Didn’t use any top prospects, firsts, or future financial flexibility to do so

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) October 12, 2020

Joe Sakic, General Manager of the Avalanche, has made some big trades over the years. He traded former top player Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators in a three-way deal with the Nashville Predators. Sakic also traded veteran defensemen Tyson Barrie, rookie forward Alexander Kerfoot and a 2020 sixth-round pick to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for veteran forward Nazem Kadri, AHL defenseman Calle Rosen and a 2020 third-round pick. And he orchestrated a seemingly quiet trade with the New York Rangers by acquiring Ryan Graves and sending Chris Bigras to the Big Apple.

Initially, his trades generated some criticism and worry from fans, but today, he’s seen as a top NHL GM.

The Saad for Panarin trade

(Artemi Panarin was traded for Brandon Saad in the summer of 2017. Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

This is not the first time Saad has been involved in a controversial trade. After helping the Blackhawks win their 2015 Stanley Cup, Saad was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets that offseason in exchange for Jeremy Morin, Marko Daňo, Artem Anisimov, Corey Tropp and a fourth-round draft pick in 2016.

Meanwhile, the Blackhawks signed Artemi Panarin from the KHL. In his rookie season, “The Bread Man” won the Calder Trophy and scored over 30 goals, managing the same milestone in his sophomore season while finding great chemistry with MVP Patrick Kane. 

Then, in the 2017 offseason, Saad was reacquired by the Blackhawks in a trade where they also received Anton Forsberg and a 2018 fifth-round draft pick from Columbus. The Blue Jackets received Panarin, Tyler Motte and a 2017 sixth-round pick. 

The salary cap was definitely a factor there, given the fact that Panarin later signed with the New York Rangers with a cap hit of $11.6 million after initially taking a team-friendly deal with the Blackhawks. After the 2017 Columbus trade, Panarin let it be known that the move surprised him, and the trade is arguably one of the least popular deals ever in the eyes of many Blackhawks fans. 

Juliana spoke in defense of the move, saying the Blackhawks were never going to be able to afford Panarin.

“It made a lot more sense just to get Brandon Saad back,” Nikac said. “He was manageable for $6 million per year for the next three or four years. You didn’t have to worry about re-signing him in free agency come 2019. He was just available to you, you knew what he was.”

With all that out of the way, let’s get into the Saad-Zadorov trade.

What the Avalanche get with Saad

(Brandon Saad could prove to be a valuable acquisition for the Colorado Avalanche. Photograph courtesy of the Colorado Avalanche)

Saad has two Stanley Cups under his belt, winning with the Blackhawks in 2013 and 2015. He is a consistent 20-goal scorer, probably a solid addition to any second or third line for the offense. He has been named to the All Star Game, and was also in the Lady Byng discussions in his career due to only reaching an average of 14 penalty minutes per season. In the shortened 2019–20 season, he scored five game-winning goals, the most on the Blackhawks’ roster.

While talking to Juliana, I found the fans were rather mixed on Saad, which surprised me, as his record on paper speaks to a fairly reliable player. 

“Since that deal, Saad has had really bad luck, just putting it frankly,” Nikac said. “He tries his best, he always does. … (The puck) never seems to go in for him.”

Brandon Saad vs. the breakaway, a rivalry as old as time. pic.twitter.com/Ny4sDcTvKS

— Corey Sznajder (@ShutdownLine) November 4, 2020

When I asked Juliana to clarify, because hitting 21 goals this season is still impressive, she said Saad typically was not scoring those goals when it mattered most.

“People got really frustrated with him because it was never when they wanted it,” Nikac said. “It was never in those special moments with a minute left in the game or on the power play.”

That is understandable. As a fan, you want a player to come through for you and your team. 

Part of the frustration also seems to be that he scored more goals in his two years on the Columbus Blue Jackets, getting 31 one season and 24 the next. Juliana did partially lay the focus on the Blue Jackets being a stronger organization at this point, while the Blackhawks were already pivoting toward a rebuild. But Chicago fans wanted that production again, and there is still a lot of time until we find out what Saad may achieve in Colorado.

Saad only just recently turned 28. I doubt he is going to crumble next season. I am personally really excited to see how he fits into the Colorado organization. He could play on the second line with Andre Burakovsky and Kadri, or maybe even Gabriel Landeskog if he is moved to that line. Saad-Kadri-Landeskog would be very hard to play against.

What the Blackhawks get with Zadorov

(Chicago Blackhawks General Manager Stan Bowman is excited with what the team is getting in Nikita Zadorov. Photograph courtesy of @nhlportrait)

Nikita Zadorov is big and he is young. 

At 6-foot-6 and 235 pounds, he is 25 years old. In the 2019–20 season, the three biggest players on the Blackhawks were all 6-foot-4 and the heaviest was Corey Crawford at 216 pounds. Zadorov was also the biggest on the Avalanche roster, and he laid the most hits by a large margin (175 to Graves’ 112).

Typically, Zadorov utilizes his ample size—sometimes less so than his brain. His critics will say he has sloppy turnovers (and he does sometimes), but I do not think he is an overall bad player. Not only is he solid in five-on-five situations, he is sort of a throwback to the bigger, heavier style of defenseman who flourished in the league 10–15 years ago. And in that regard, he could be a nice addition to a smallish Chicago blue line.

There are advantages to Zadorov’s game. Avs fans will recall a game between the Avalanche and the Blue Jackets, where he was able to gain puck possession by knocking down Nathan Gerbe, leading to a Kadri goal that tied the game. 

Zadorov is also a great locker room guy: a big personality, willing to chirp and have fun. And he was adored by fans of all ages—a positive to have on your team. 

But there were definitely moments while watching him that a fan could become frustrated. Zadorov takes a lot of penalties, and, as previously mentioned, can be a bit sloppy with the puck. As the Avalanche grew more cohesive with their goals and system under head coach Jared Bednar and Sakic, it became clear that Zadorov’s style no longer gelled with their vision. A trade was inevitable.

As Chicago goes through a rebuild, I do not think Zadorov will be a bad fit there—especially when Chicago is presently a small and soft team.

Like many Avalanche fans, I hope Zadorov fits in well in Chicago. 

We had the guys draw a name of a teammate and tell us what they're thankful for about him.

Except all the names in the basket were Nikita Zadorov.

#HappyThanksgiving #GoAvsGo https://t.co/kx7vVysqj3

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 28, 2019

What the Avalanche get with Gilbert

(Dennis Gilbert was also part of the Brandon Saad-Nikita Zadorov trade. Photograph courtesy of the Colorado Eagles)

When I first heard the Avalanche acquired Dennis Gilbert, I was confused because I recognized the name, but I do not follow the Blackhawks. Then I remembered.

Gilbert fought Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog during one of the division games in December of the regular season.

Juliana said she thought Zadorov and Gilbert were more of the equitable parts in the trade based on their playing styles. However, Zadorov has significantly more experience, with over 350 NHL games under his belt.

Gilbert’s career in the NHL has been sparse. He has played in a total of 22 NHL games with 38 penalty minutes and a -9 rating, but he has shown some offensive skill on top of his abilities as a defender, with the way he jumped into play for his first NHL goal.

With the Avs’ deep blue line, Gilbert is probably going to be a strong player for the organization’s AHL team, the Colorado Eagles. But, if Colorado’s bad injury luck carries over into the 2020–21 season, Gilbert would likely get called up and see some NHL ice time.

What the Blackhawks get with Lindholm

The Chicago Blackhawks were finally able to land Anton Lindholm after having had their eye on him for a few years. (Photograph courtesy of the NHL)

Anton Lindholm, like Gilbert, is typically an AHL player. He started his career in the NHL with the Avalanche with 48 appearances in the 2017–18 season, but he quickly found more time with the Eagles. In 45 appearances this past AHL season, he had one goal and two assists as a defenseman. 

“(Lindholm) doesn’t bring a lot of offense to the table, but he is a strong skater and he is, in my opinion, vastly underrated as a defenseman,” said Marie Sexton, who covers the Eagles for The Rink.

So who won?

Right now, the bulk of opinion on this trade—among both Chicago and Colorado fans—seems to be that the Avalanche won the trade.

Brandon Saad for Artem Anisimov

Artemi Panarin for Brandon Saad

Brandon Saad for Nikita Zadorov

How do you get the worse player 3/3 times?

— BK (@TheBennettK) October 10, 2020

The Avalanche traded a third-pairing defenseman for a second-line winger, with the Blackhawks retaining $1 million of Saad’s salary. In this currently cap-strapped world, it is definitely a tally for the Avalanche.

One noticeably absent aspect of this trade is the lack of draft picks involved. As Juliana explained to me, many fans had expected that a deal of this nature—for a rebuilding team—should have earned Chicago some quality draft picks.

There is a lot up in the air before the teams return to play. Maybe Zadorov will flourish and reach another level in Chicago. Maybe Saad will struggle to score 10 goals this season, showing a dramatic decline. Maybe Gilbert and Lindholm will emerge as great trade pieces, either now or closer to the later trade deadline. Or not.

But for now, with no ice time in the foreseeable future, I still think it is too early to render a final judgement. I want to hear what you all think! Comment down below, or reach out to me on Twitter at @OwynsGrace. An big thanks to Juliana for her help with this piece! 

The post ANALYSIS: Who won the Brandon Saad-Nikita Zadorov trade? appeared first on The Rink.

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Let us start by taking a look at the man responsible for much of this Colorado Avalanche team’s recent success.

Jared Bednar

Grade: A+

In his fourth season as the Colorado Avalanche’s head coach, Bednar led an injury laden team into the second round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Despite Colorado’s ultimate loss to the Stars, the team overcame a 3–1 deficit and pushed the series to a seventh game despite numerous player injuries and injuries to both their first and second-string goaltenders, Philip Grubauer and Pavel Francouz. Under Bednar, the team overcame player injuries in both the regular season and postseason, demonstrating astute coaching decisions with respect to line changes, as well as a team depth that is largely attributable to previous smart trades and acquisitions made under Bednar’s watch. The trade for Nazem Kadri prior to the 2019–20 season, for example, proved invaluable when Kadri scored 11 points in 8 post-season games with the Avalanche, adding depth down their middle and bringing energy and grit to the team’s second line.

Although not chosen as one of the three finalists, Bednar finished fifth in voting for the Jack Adams Award, given yearly to the NHL’s top coach. The Avalanche finished the regular season with 92 points (42-20-8), only two behind the St. Louis Blues, who led the Central Division with 94 points. Bednar’s ability to recognize the needs of his team and address them with in-game changes, AHL call-ups, his insights regarding new player acquisitions, accompanied by his expertise in integrating the skills of newly acquired players such as Andre Burakovsky, became increasingly instrumental as Colorado’s injuries began to pile up. Bednar juggled lines throughout the season as one top player or another succumbed to injury, and he ensured that players like Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Burakovsky were set up for success whenever they were on the ice. He additionally altered Colorado’s playing style after Grubauer’s initial injury, recognizing the need to emphasize team defense with a less experienced net-minder between the pipes.

Nothing tests a coach’s competency like repeated injuries, and if the Avalanche can make it into the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs with as many missing players as they did, a healthy roster under Jared Bednar could prove a very dangerous thing.

Philipp Grubauer

Grade: B+

The Avalanche’s starting netminder for most of the year, Grubauer finished the regular season with an 18-12-4 record, a GAA of 2.63 and a .916 save percentage. In the postseason, he started seven games before suffering a lower-body injury and finished with a 1.87 GAA and a .922 save percentage. While he certainly made excellent saves in key game moments, his SV% sits at twenty-fourth in the League and multiple lower-body injuries kept him from being a constant on-ice presence for his team. On the other hand, Grubauer was not the only Avalanche player who missed ice time due to injury, and playing with a healthy team would no doubt have impacted his performance.

Per Ryan S. Clark of The Athletic, Bednar had said that at the time the Avalanche were eliminated from the playoffs, Grubauer was still “a week or weeks” away from returning, which is something to keep in mind as Colorado heads into its off-season training camp. However, despite rumors that the Avalanche are looking to acquire a goaltender during the offseason, Coach Bednar has expressed confidence in Grubauer’s ability to succeed next season.

Pavel Francouz

Grade: B

During the regular season, Pavel Francouz started only six fewer games than starting netminder Philipp Grubauer. He was announced as Colorado’s backup goaltender for the season in July of 2019, and proceeded to put up a .923 save percentage and a GAA of 2.41. The team won 21 of the 30 games he started, and Francouz proved an effective backup to Grubauer during the extent of his injuries.

In the playoffs, Francouz’s performance was less satisfactory than it was in the regular season, with a save percentage of only .892 and a 3.23 GAA. In game one of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs against the Dallas Stars, the Czech goaltender suffered an otherwise-unspecified head injury and did not appear in any subsequent games. Per Coach Bednar, “neither of those injuries [Grubauer’s and Francouz’] are injuries you have to worry about. Train hard in the summer and make sure it doesn’t happen again.” While Bednar appears confident in the Grubauer/Francouz pairing, and while Francouz certainly rose to the occasion in the regular 2019–20 regular season, his playoff performance earns him a B grade.

The Avalanche signed Francouz to a two-year contract extension in February of 2020, and with perhaps an exception given to this season’s playoffs, he has been a vital part of the Colorado Avalanche’s success, stepping up in Grubauer’s absence when needed and making invaluable saves.

Michael Hutchinson

Grade: B

The Avalanche acquired Hutchinson in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs in February of this year. He appeared in fifteen games with the Maple Leafs and four with the Toronto Marlies, their American Hockey league Affiliate, during the 2019–20 season before being traded to the Avalanche. In his NHL career prior to joining Colorado, the Ontario native posted a 50-52-14 record, with a .905 save percentage and 2.81 GAA.

Hutchinson made his NHL playoff debut and first on-ice playoff appearance for Colorado after backup goaltender Pavel Francouz suffered a head injury in Game 1 of the second round of the Western Conference Playoffs. He started the following four games, and finished with a .910 SV% and a 2.75 GAA. Though not given the opportunity to play many games, Hutchinson aided his team significantly after the loss of their top two goaltenders and became only the seventh NHL goalie ever to win his first two playoff wins back-to-back while his team faced elimination.

One of many backup goalies who rose to the occasion in this year’s postseason, Hutchinson certainly proved his worth in this playoff appearance. Moreover, the team seems to like his hard-working and optimistic attitude, as well as having a goaltender between the pipes who players respect and who inspires confidence is a major component of good team chemistry and performance.

Antione Bibeau

Grade: C-

Bibeau played two games this season with the Colorado Avalanche. His GAA was 3.27 and his SV% was lower than all other four Colorado goaltenders at .881. Bibeau was drafted 172 overall in 2013 by the Toronto Maple Leafs and has been playing with the Colorado Eagles since just before the 2018–19 season. He started his first game with the Avalanche in a 5-4 OT win against the Vancouver Canucks in November of 2019. He was called up due to injuries to both Grubauer and Francouz then returned to the Colorado Eagles shortly after.

Adam Werner

Grade: C

Like Bibeau, Werner played only two games with the Avalanche in the 2019–20 season. He posted a GAA of 3.42 and a .914 SV%. In his NHL debut against the Winnipeg Jets, Werner stopped 40 of 40 shots after started Pavel Francouz suffered an injury only 32 seconds into the game. However, when the Avalanche started Werner two days later in a game against Edmonton, the 22-year old netminder gave up five of eighteen shots on goal, posting a save percentage of only .722. A forty-shot shutout nonetheless gives him the edge over Bibeau, particularly since he managed it in his first ever NHL appearance.

The post Colorado Avalanche 2019-20 Season Review: Goaltenders and Coaching Staff appeared first on The Rink.

What that being said, let’s take a look at how the bottom six performed.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Matt Calvert (12G, 13A, +13)

Grade:  B

It’s difficult to say what could have been if the Colorado Avalanche were 100% healthy when they played the Dallas Stars in the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season.  Sure, the Avs took the Stars to seven games after being doing 3-1 in the series, but they were missing several key contributors in their lineup including forward Matt Calvert.  Known for his gritty playing style and ability to get to hard areas, Calvert brings a kind of tenacity to the Avalanche that they were lacking against Dallas.  Calvert was declared unfit to play following the Avs’ series against the Arizona Coyotes and his injury hasn’t officially been disclosed.

Injuries were surprisingly a theme this year for Calvert who had played all 82 games last season.  He missed several games this season due to a concussion he received after blocking a shot to the head against the Vancouver Canucks back in November.  The play was very controversial and received national attention as many criticized officials for not blowing the play dead as a player lay seriously injured.

Despite his injury problems, Calvert had another productive season adding some much needed depth scoring for the Avalanche and finished with a career high plus/minus of 13.  His goals reflect his ability to not just be a presence in front of the net, but also on the rush.  As Calvert enters his third and final year of his contract with Colorado it’s difficult to say if there is an extension in the works, but it’s evident the Avs need more players like Calvert in the lineup if they want to go deeper in the playoffs next season.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Valeri Nichushkin (13G, 14A, +13)

Grade:  A-

Joe Sakic has been able to find value-add pieces for the Avalanche in more ways than just the draft.  His acquisitions of Ryan Graves, Andre Burakovsky, and Nazem Kadri via trade have been significant as well as his free agent signings of Joonas Donskoi and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare.  But Val Nichushkin seems like Sakic’s diamond in the rough.  The former 10th overall pick in the 2013 NHL draft never found his way in the Dallas system, but something clicked this season when Nichushkin shined scoring 27 points for the Avalanche and finishing 2nd on the team in plus/minus with 26.

Nichushkin is the perfect combination of size and skill that the Avs need on their roster, especially since he proved he was able to play anywhere in the lineup.  And for being one of the biggest guys on the team, he showed some breakaway speed and the ability to capitalize.  Nichushkin played a lot on the third line and accepted his role as a checking forward.  But when he is in the offensive zone, it’s difficult to take him off the puck and stop him through the neutral zone.

With a few players like Martin Kaut, Shane Bowers, and Logan O’Connor knocking at the door for roster spots, there are some difficult decisions to be made in the bottom six for next season.  But hopefully, the Avs can come to an agreement for a least a one-year deal so Nichushkin can have an encore to prove he’s worth the long term investment.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Matt Nieto (8G, 13A, +7)

Grade: B-

There were only two players that played in all 70 games in the 2019-20 modified regular season and they were Sam Girard and Matt Nieto.  Nieto has been a solid add for Colorado the past few seasons providing valuable minutes on the penalty kill and recently some great depth scoring in the playoffs.  Last season he had two shorthanded playoff goals and seemed to be always buzzing around the puck, but this year that wasn’t the same situation.

Playing a bottom six role means you’re accepting limited ice time and have you to find different ways to contribute to your team winning games.  For some, it’s blocking shots, being reliable, or great defense, but a lot of the time it’s hard to distinguish yourself from the pack.  Has Matt Nieto done enough to earn him a spot on the roster next season?  Maybe.  I know a lot of people respect him and his work promoting hockey in the Hispanic community around Denver so that will be missed if he moves on.

Photo courtesy of reviewjournal.com

Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (9G, 13A, +2)

Grade:  B

You can look at Pierre-Edouard Bellemare on paper and say that he’s overpaid for a 4th line player and he needs to be the first guy out to clear cap space, blah blah.  But in reality, you’re getting a lot of intangibles from Bellemare that are invisible to the naked eye.  He exemplifies a veteran who is a great locker room guy.  He has a great sense of humor and knows how to keep it light, especially during the grind of a long regular season.  Plus he can skate pretty well for being 35 and can still produce in the NHL, not to mention he’s also 50%+ in the faceoff circle.

Off the ice, Bellemare represented the Avalanche and minorities of color in the NHL when the players came together during the Black Lives Matter movement and spoke about the importance of equality not just in all levels of hockey, but everywhere.  Bellemare’s combination of value on and off the ice makes him a vital piece for the roster next season, but who is to say what happens beyond then.

Photo courtesy of sportsnet.ca

JT Compher (11G, 20A, +9)

Grade:  B+

It’s hard to believe that the trade that sent Ryan O’Reilly to the Sabres five years ago is still bearing fruit on the Avalanche today with Nikita Zadorov and JT Compher continuing to be key contributors.  Compher inked his four-year deal last summer with Colorado and has done a good job giving them over 30 points the last couple years, not including his eight points in 13 playoff games this season.

Compher is fine.  He isn’t a shutdown, checking center that you can lean on for some top defensive assignments.  He can play the middle, or the wing and gives you some versatility, but dare we ask for more?  The conversation following the playoff loss to the Stars was “do we need bigger guys?”  And you have to ask yourself, is JT Compher the right fit for that role?  The Avalanche top six is loaded with offensive talent, but they somehow keep falling behind in games.  I understand that Colorado has committed to Compher, but they could look at him as a chip that a lot of teams would come to the table for.  He’s a young centerman who can play in the NHL with some offensive upside, and what the Avs really need is a grizzly vet who wants to dig pucks out from corners and mix it up every once in a while.  But for now, Compher gets the job done.

Photo courtesy of tsn.ca

Tyson Jost (8G, 15A, +11)

Grade:  C+

The best way you can describe Tyson Jost’s time with the Avalanche thus far is a mixed bag.  Drafted 10th overall in 2016, the former North Dakota Fighting Hawk hasn’t developed into the point-per-game machine that he was in college.  His ability to lose defenders behind the net with his shiftiness made him lethal with the puck, especially on a powerplay with Brock Boeser.  But today as Jost’s entry-level contract is behind him, the Avalanche will have to make a decision on Jost’s future.

There is no question that Jost has shown glimpses of high potential as he did when he scored a hat-trick back in October.  But to score just one point in 12 playoff games this year showed that it’s possible his game disappears when there’s less room to skate.  Jost could be a fantastic commodity for another team who could potentially trade for his rights this offseason, but the truth of the matter is that the Avs simply may need a different kind of player.

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

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

Nathan MacKinnon

Grade: A+++

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

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

Gabriel Landeskog

Grade: B

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

Mikko Rantanen

Grade:B+

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

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

Andre Burakovsky

Grade: B+

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

Nazem Kadri

Grade: B-

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

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

Joonas Donskoi

Grade: C+

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

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

After being down 1-3 in their series against the Stars, the Avalanche did the miraculous — they came back and forced a game seven. And they did it with their third string goalie and without lineup staples Matt Calvert, Erik Johnson, or Joonas Donskoi. But do they have what it takes to finish off the series?

Games four and five both saw one team dominate the first period then go on to win the game. Game six, on the other hand, was tied 1-1 at the end of the first period. The real story of the game — and indeed, of the series so far — is the Avalanche’s utterly impotent power play. Their last goal with the man advantage was in game four. They are 1/16 on the power play over the past three games. The Stars allowed them five power plays in game six, including a four-minute double minor, but the Avs failed to capitalize. The Stars, on the other hand, are 5/13 on the power play through those same three games.

Nathan MacKinnon continued his ongoing point streak in game six with one goal and one assist. Mikko Rantanen did the same. The two forwards now lead the league in playoff points. Defensemen Cale Makar and Nikita Zadorov each tallied a goal as well, helping secure the victory.

It's Cale Makar!

The ROOKIE puts the #GoAvsGo on TOP.

Presented by @NewAmsterdam pic.twitter.com/9sDGNeLaXJ

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 3, 2020

If the Avs hope to advance to the conference championship, they need to capitalize on their power play chances and stay out of the box. It sounds like a cliche, but special teams may end up making the difference in this series. And the Avs need to stay grumpy. Being downright pissed off has definitely worked for them these last two games.

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

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

Player(s) to watch:

On the Avalanche side, there are rumors that Matt Calvert may return to the lineup tonight. Although Logan O’Connor has played well in Calvert’s stead, Calvert’s grit has been sorely missed. And of course, all eyes will be on third-string goalie Michael Hutchinson, who’s surpassed all expectations so far.

On the Dallas side, rookie forward Denis Gurianov and defenseman Miro Heiskanen have 13 goals and 20 assists between them and lead the Stars in points. Minimizing their chances tonight will be critical.

There are few things more exciting in sports than a game seven! If things go Colorado’s way tonight, the Western Conference Championship is scheduled to begin on Sunday. 

The post Game Preview: Can Avs advance to Conference Championship? appeared first on The Rink.

Similar to Game Five, the Avalanche chose to play goaltender Michael Hutchinson who was backed up again by Hunter Miska.  Conor Timmins drew into the lineup once again but unfortunately Matt Calvert was still held out.  In goal for the Stars was Anton Khudobin, backed up by young Jake Oettinger as Ben Bishop was deemed unfit to play again.

Here’s how the game shook out.

First period

While it took awhile for both teams to loosen up, the story in the first period was faceoff wins and blocked shots.  The Stars won 67% of the draws and had 11 blocked shots in the first 20 minutes of the game.  The first big opportunity for the Avs came when Pierre Edouard-Bellemare took a high stick from Blake Comeau and drew blood so Colorado had four minutes of powerplay time.  Unfortunately, the Stars killed off all four minutes and limited Colorado to just a couple shots on goal.  The Avalanche had another minor penalty after Mikko Rantanen was taken down going to the net, but Dallas killed that penalty off, too.

On the defensive side, goaltender Michael Hutchinson made a huge save on Stars forward Radek Faksa as he was forced to slide from left to right to make sure a rebound didn’t go in.  But it was only a few minutes later when Miro Heiskanen scored on what should’ve been a routine save for Hutchinson.

Michael Hutchinson gets across to deny Radek Faksa. #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/SqfaJANQwQ

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 3, 2020

But the Avs weren’t ready to end the period on that note.  With under a minute to go, Colorado defenseman Nikita Zadorov took a shot from the point through traffic and it found its way into the net past Anton Khudobin.  With the score tied at one, both teams headed into the locker room with shots also tied at 13 each.

During the intermission, Anson Carter talked about there being fewer scrums after the whistle.  Both teams were trying to be conservative and not commit any dumb penalties that would put their teams shorthanded.

Zadorov ties it up at 1 after 1 #GoStars v #GoAvsGo

LIVE on @SiriusXMNHL
- https://t.co/F3l2nu3fHT pic.twitter.com/wmIPJb3JZY

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) September 3, 2020

Second Period

It was more of the same in the second period as the Stars still couldn’t stay out of the box, and the Avs still couldn’t score on the powerplay.  Jamie Benn and Corey Perry were called for minor penalties in the period, but Colorado struggled going 0-for-5 for the game.  Eight minutes in, Cale Makar found a rebound in the slot and put it high past Anton Khudobin, giving the Avs a 2-1 lead.  But more bad news would follow.  Conor Timmins would leave the game, leaving Colorado with just five defenseman to finish the game and captain Gabriel Landeskog left at the end of the period with an apparent leg injury.

It's Cale Makar!

The ROOKIE puts the #GoAvsGo on TOP.

Presented by @NewAmsterdam pic.twitter.com/9sDGNeLaXJ

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) September 3, 2020

Third Period

The Avs got to work early in the third period and provided goaltender Michael Hutchinson with some insurance with a goal by Mikko Rantanen.  The assist came from Nathan MacKinnon who extended his playoff point streak to 14 games.  After that goal, Dallas started turning up the heat finishing every check and putting tons of pressure on the puck.  But the Avalanche held on to their lead and got back the captain Gabe Landeskog who returned from the locker room.

With under ten minutes to play, the Avs went to the penalty kill after Stars forward Jason Dickinson received a high stick.  They did a great job blocking shots and making sure the Stars didn’t have any open lanes.  As time dwindled down to three minutes left, Dallas pulled their goalie but that didn’t end well.  Nathan MacKinnon recovered a loose puck and sent it down for the empty net goal, sealing the game for the Avs at 4-1.

MacKinnon and Rantanen are just so disgusting together pic.twitter.com/5mGyC4ktsW

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) September 3, 2020

What’s next?

Holy cow, that’s all I can say.  It’s been quite the series and will be remembered as an instant classic, but this is far from over.  Friday night, the Avalanche and Stars play each other one last time in a win or go home game to advance to the Western Conference Finals.  The stage is getting bigger each game and although Colorado keeps getting setbacks with injuries, they keep moving forward.  Hold onto your hats folks, we’ve got a game seven coming our way!

The post Avalanche force game seven after pivotal 4-1 win over Dallas appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

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

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

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) September 1, 2020

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

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

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

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

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

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

Defenseman Erik Johnson and left winger Matt Calvert remained unfit to play and were replaced in Colorado’s lineup by Colorado Eagles players Conor Timmins and Logan O’Connor. Both goaltenders Philip Grubauer and Pavel Francouz were also missing tonight for the Avalanche, the former having sustained a groin injury and the latter currently unfit to play per Coach Jared Bednar. In place of Francouz, Michael Hutchinson started in net for the Avalanche, with fellow Eagle Hunter Miska available as backup netminder.

Dallas also made an unexpected goaltending decision prior to the game, starting Ben Bishop in net over Anton Khudobin.

Period One

At just 4:37 into the period, Pierre Bellemare opened the scoring for Colorado on a breakaway pass across the slot from Logon O’Connor, who collected his first NHL playoff point on the assist. Shortly after, the Avalanche went on their first power play of the game when Stars’ winger Alexander Radulov was called for hooking. As they had in previous games, Dallas blocked multiple shots and left Colorado scoreless when playing with the man advantage. The Avalanche, however, quickly demonstrated that scoring goals does not require an extra man on the ice when halfway through the period, Andre Burakovsky picked up a rebound off of a shot from Cale Makar that gave the Avalanche a 2–0 lead.

Thank you, Bellemare!

(And a first playoff point for O'Connor, too!)#GoAvsGo https://t.co/IYEOGjANVm

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 1, 2020

In the three minutes that followed, Colorado scored three more even-strength goals. The first was from Nathan MacKinnon, who received a pass from JT Compher and clapped the puck into the back of the net from high in the slot. The goal extends MacKinnon’s playoff point streak to thirteen games and places him fourth in line for the longest point streak to begin the NHL playoffs, behind only Bryan Trottier, Mark Messier, and Bobby Orr.

The next goal came from Nazem Kadri, who continued in Game 5 to fight for goals and pick up loose rebounds. He grabbed a bouncing puck on what should have been a save by Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, and after putting Colorado up 4–0, the Stars replaced Bishop with Khudobin. A net change did not appear to be what Dallas needed, however, because less than a minute later, Mikko Rantanen deflected the puck into the net after a drive and backhand shot by defenseman Samuel Girard. The Avalanche ended the period up 5–0, and two late penalties meant they would begin the second period playing with a 5–3 man advantage. The period also ended with Colorado up 23–5 in shots on goal.

So, that was fun!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/haOW9NpfRg

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 1, 2020

Period Two

The ability to carry their momentum from one period into the next was something the Avalanche had struggled with in previous games against the Dallas Stars, and while period two did not result in five unanswered Colorado goals, the Avalanche nonetheless maintained their lead. Dallas killed Colorado’s power play for a second time and proceeded to score on a goal from Joe Pavelski at 7:50 into the period. The team appeared to gain some momentum, taking the fight to Colorado’s defense, drawing penalties, and attacking the net. The second period saw eight total penalties from both teams, the Avalanche taking two for unsportsmanlike conduct from both Kadri and Girard.

After a second Stars goal by Miro Heiskanen on the power play, it seemed like Dallas was building the kind of momentum that had enabled previous multi-goal comebacks against Colorado. Bednar’s decision to place Burakovsky on the top line with MacKinnon and Rantanen, however, proved beneficial for a second time tonight when MacKinnon dished the puck to Burakovsky on the right faceoff circle, whose one-timer kept the Avalanche ahead of the Stars and ended the period with a 6–2 Colorado lead.

We're kinda digging Burky and MacKinnon on a line together!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/S0mbuqsEiw

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 1, 2020

Despite six power play opportunities, all of Colorado’s goals in the first and second periods were scored at even strength.

Period Three

The final period continued to see numerous penalties from both sides. Both Blake Comeau and Pavelski left the ice early with ten-minute misconduct penalties, and on a five-on-four Dallas power play with 5:48 left in the third, Jamie Benn scored a goal to cut Colorado’s lead in half. Dallas then pulled their goaltender to no avail, and the Avalanche beat the Stars 6–3, sidestepping elimination and continuing their race for the Stanley Cup. Colorado’s defense blocked 24 shots, and goaltender Michael Hutchinson saved 31 of the 34 shots he faced.

What’s Next

The Avalanche look to tie the seven-game series against Dallas in Game 6 on Wednesday, September 2^nd. The Avalanche will need to limit their penalties in Game 6 and focus on taking advantage of their own power-play opportunities. A loss in Game 6 would mean elimination for Colorado, so fans should expect the players to take to the ice Wednesday with the same urgency as they did today.

The post RECAP: Avalanche score five goals in first period, extend series against Stars appeared first on The Rink.

First period

Just when you thought the Avalanche would come with the energy they had in game three, they sleepwalk through the whole first period of game four.  The game started with the Avs on the powerplay but it was lethargic and they could not even get through the neutral zone.  The Avs did not register a shot on that powerplay and they would not get one until the 18 minute mark of the period.  Yes, you read that right.  Pavel Francouz did not have his best period either, allowing three goals on 10 shots.  Two of them were on the Dallas powerplay, one scored by Radek Faksa on a rebound in front of Francouz and the other on a Jamie Benn redirect.  The period concluded with Dallas up 3–0 and leading in shots 10–5.

Patrick Sharp of NBC Sports said it best after the period ended.  “The Dallas Stars came out angry and there was no response from the Avalanche.”  Anson Carter elaborated saying that “the Stars wanted to drag Colorado into a street fight,” and they did.

Power. Play. Precision. #GoStars strike AGAIN on the man advantage. #StanleyCup | @DallasStars pic.twitter.com/sCriMXk5lc

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) August 30, 2020

Second Period

The Avalanche woke up in the second and quickly came back to get even with the Stars in shots on goal with 14 early in the period.  Both teams were checking hard and seemed to trade minor penalties throughout the period.  At times, Avs coach Jared Bednar was double-shifting Nathan MacKinnon to ignite some sort of spark while they still trailed the Stars 3–0.  Thirteen minutes into the second, it was Val Nichushkin who got the Avs on the board first, cleaning up a shot from the point by Cale Makar.

Nichushkin getting this train rolling #GoAvsGo https://t.co/MnwxMoh8cU

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 30, 2020

And after a pivotal penalty kill that sent Nathan MacKinnon to the box on an interference call on the Stars’ Corey Perry, the Avs found themselves on a 5-on-3 with under a minute left in the 2nd period.  Colorado called a timeout which followed a powerplay goal by Cale Makar, drawing the Avs within one goal of tying the game.

BACK IN IT!

Cale Makar makes it a ONE-GOAL game. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/KrBDC4HfMl

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) August 30, 2020

Third Period

There was energy from both teams to start the third, but it was the Avalanche who would have a couple of miscues that would cost the.  The first was a tripping penalty that led to a Roope Hintz goal, giving the Stars another two goal lead.  Moments after, Cale Makar collected the puck behind the net, but somehow he lost it in front of Francouz who was scored on easily by Denis Gurianov making it again a three goal lead.

With under ten minutes in the period, Val Nichushkin scored his second goal of the game on a deflected wrist shot, but it was not enough for the Avs to complete the comeback.  Even with a late goal by Vlad Namestnikov, the Avalanche fell to the Stars 5–4 and now trail Dallas 3–1 in the series.

The @Avalanche get one back on a bit of a weird one. #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/gw14ygZ5YM

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 31, 2020

What’s next?

It will be a quick turnaround for this series as game five is on Monday at 7:45 pm MT.  The Avalanche, who were one of the favorites all year to compete for the Stanley Cup, now face elimination in the second round.  You can look at the key injuries to Philipp Grubauer, Erik Johnson, and Matt Calvert, but this should not be an excuse.  The Avs had to play a gritter playoff-style game to match Dallas, but they failed.  They have one more chance to fight for pucks, or else they will have to wait until next season.

The post Avalanche fall to the Stars 5-4, face elimination Monday appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

Jamie Benn

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players to watch

Mikko Rantanen

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

Joe Pavelski

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

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

The post Preview: Avalanche look for return of depth scoring in Game Three vs. Stars appeared first on The Rink.

Colorado did come out strong initially, scoring two early goals and dominating early gameplay, but they suffered multiple penalties in the second period which the Stars capitalized on, resulting in four unanswered goals before the end of the second. And, despite a valiant effort by backup goaltender Pavel Francouz, the Avalanche now look to play from behind in their race for the Stanley Cup.

Starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer and defenseman Erik Johnson did not play and, per Bednar, are out indefinitely. In place of Johnson, the Avalanche pulled Eagles defenseman Kevin Connauton into their lineup, who worked hard but could not quite fill the role of Samuel Girard’s defensive partner. Forward Matt Calvert was a scratch for both Game One and Two against the Stars and continues to be day-to-day.

First period

Colorado began the game by putting pucks on net at every single chance they were given, and the scoreboard reflected their intensity. Dallas committed their first of nine penalties at just 5:54 into the period, and the Avs’ top line did not disappoint. Less than 30 seconds into the power play, MacKinnon slapped a beautiful saucer pass from Rantanen into the back of the net. The goal tied MacKinnon with Joe Sakic and Marian Stastny for the longest playoff point streak in franchise history.

Nathan MacKinnon wires home Mikko Rantanen's perfect saucer pass pic.twitter.com/w65AgPQ76Q

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) August 25, 2020

The Avalanche continued to put pucks on net in the period, with good shot attempts by Ian Cole and exceptional saves by Francouz. A double penalty for roughing on Gabriel Landeskog and Mattias Janmark generated no goals, but the Avs ultimately outshot the Stars 20–6 in the period. They put bodies in front of Stars goalie Anton Khudobin, dominated the crease and killed all three of Dallas’ first-period penalties.

Second period

The quick and aggressive Colorado team from the first period carried over into the first half of the second. After a slashing call on Joe Pavelski against MacKinnon, MacKinnon slipped a pass to Rantanen from behind the net, who shot it high above Khudobin’s right shoulder, and the Avs scored their second power-play goal of the game for a 2–0 lead.

Mikko and Nate on the power play.

It's like we've heard it before!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/RfwNp4Z0a5

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 25, 2020

After the goal, however, the Avalanche’s luck seemed to roll only downhill. The Stars attempted to dislodge a puck that Francouz had already covered, and a fight broke out that resulted only in a slashing penalty on Girard against Corey Perry. Then, at 9:43 into the second period, Cole committed an interference penalty against the Stars, and Pavelski and Radek Faksa scored two goals on the ensuing power play to level the score at 2–2.

The penalties from both teams did not stop there, but Colorado could not capitalize on any of their power plays and the game began to look chippy. At 15:34 into the second period, Dallas deflected a shot into the net over Francouz, putting the Stars up 3–2. With less than three minutes left in the second, Nazem Kadri—who has excelled in the playoffs for the Avalanche this season—left the ice after blocking a shot. He returned to the bench at the start of the third period, ruling out a serious injury. The Stars scored again shortly after, and although the goal was challenged by the Avalanche’s coaching staff, the referee review resulted in a good Dallas goal. The Stars ended the period with a 4–2 lead and having closed the shots-on-goal gap significantly.

https://twitter.com/hayyyshayyy/status/1298100905678692355?s=20

Third period

Despite hopes that the Avalanche would come out swinging in the third period, and despite two Dallas penalties that led to good Avalanche power play opportunities, Colorado continued to choose the extra pass over available shot attempts. The team looked visibly frustrated at times, and despite bursts of physicality and defensive hustle, they could not close Dallas’s goal lead and finished the game down 5–2 after an empty-net goal by Jamie Oleksiak. Although a couple of Stars goals seemed reliant on luck and bad puck bounces, the Avalanche defense ultimately could not immobilize the Dallas offense, and missed shot opportunities resulted in an Avalanche loss.

What’s next

With the Stars up 2–0 in the series, Dallas and Colorado face off for Game Three on Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. MDT. Colorado will be playing from behind and looking to close the two-game deficit. Defenseman Erik Johnson will likely miss Game Three as well, and fans should expect Colorado to step up their defensive play in his absence. On stat watch is Nathan MacKinnon, who has scored at least a point in all 10 games the Avalanche have played this postseason and continues to climb the record boards.

The post Despite goals from MacKinnon and Rantanen, Avalanche fall to Stars in Game Two after five unanswered Dallas goals appeared first on The Rink.

The 5–3 loss to the Stars on Saturday was a result of many things, not least the fact that half of the team seemed to be asleep on the ice. The defense was unable to communicate and the defense was unable to get firing, with the notable exception of the top line, who scored all three of the Avalanche goals.

Bednar says “half the team” were passengers

— Adrian Dater (@adater) August 23, 2020

On top of those problems, Saturday saw two Colorado players injured. Defenseman Erik Johnson left the ice twice during the game in pain and will be doubtful for Game Two. In addition, goalie Philipp Grubauer suffered a lower-body injury during period two, leaving Pavel Francouz to take over in net. Given Grubauer’s history with lower-body injuries, the remainder of the playoffs may be Francouz’s time to shine. Matt Calvert was also a sudden scratch for Game One.

The Avalanche should be going into Game Two with something to prove, which has historically served them well. The flaws from the last game can be addressed, as they mostly came down to the fact that the team was not fully engaged with playing the game. With a more cohesive defense and more presence from the bottom three lines, there should be quite an improvement.

The question of the full lineup is still a mystery, as someone will need to fill Johnson’s spot if he is indeed unable to play. A few names have popped up here, as the Avs brought a number of additional defensemen with them to the bubble, including young prospective players Bowen Byram and Conor Timmins. They also have more familiar names in Mark Barberio and Kevin Connauton, both of whom logged minutes with the team this year.

Players to watch

With Grubauer out indefinitely, Francouz will need to step up big going forward. He only has one official full playoff game under his belt, though he also played in one of the round robin games. That round robin game, coincidentally, was a shutout against the Stars. Francouz also played in Colorado’s sole loss against the Coyotes, allowing two goals. While it would be nice to see the same Francouz we saw during the first game against Dallas, there will still need to be a considerable defensive effort to back him up.

Miro Heiskanen has had quite a run so far in the playoffs for the Stars, posting 13 points in 10 games. He had an assist on one of the goals against Colorado in Game One and will likely be a large contributing force in Game Two. His contributions mainly come in the form of assists, so the Avalanche will need to shut down his opportunities to set up plays.

Miro Heiskanen already has 10 assists this postseason

The franchise record is 12

This kid's good pic.twitter.com/AshruYkhCR

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) August 23, 2020

Despite it still being early in the series, Colorado needs to come out firing and tie the series here. Allowing Dallas to take a two-game lead will only serve to bolster their spirits, while an Avalanche win can rekindle the fire that saw them close out the series against Arizona.

Game Two will be at 7:45 p.m. MDT on Monday.

Calvert day-to-day, Grubauer is out indefinitely, EJ not expected to play tomorrow

— Adrian Dater (@adater) August 23, 2020

The post Preview: Avs look to battle back in Game Two appeared first on The Rink.

Before the game started, lineups showed that Vladislav Namestnikov was back in the lineup after sitting a few games under concussion protocol, but Matt Calvert was a scratch.  Calvert is a big part of the Avs’ bottom six forward group and provides a certain “sandpaper” that gives the team a lot of energy.  He was even in a scrap with Stars captain Jamie Benn earlier this year.

Make sure you check out our series preview of the Avalanche vs Stars in the second round series of the Stanley Cup Playoffs!

First period

The Avs didn’t get off to the start that they wanted to with the Stars, as Dallas took control in the first few minutes.  They had a plan to take Colorado’s strength out of the game, which is their great skating ability.  The Stars dumped the puck in behind Philipp Grubauer and began to cycle, wearing out the Avalanche defenseman.  After just four minutes, the Stars scored their first goal on a pass from behind the net from Benn to Tyler Seguin.  Within a minute of the Stars’ first goal, Nathan MacKinnon answered back, striking on a wrist shot through some traffic that Dallas goaltender Anton Khudobin never saw.

We just don't have anymore words for Nathan MacKinnon (@Mackinnon9). #StanleyCup

: https://t.co/GDNbGpS3tW @NHLonNBCSports
: https://t.co/Uu61IdqCuU @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/v9s05SXM9h

— NHL (@NHL) August 23, 2020

Some bad new came in the middle of the period when Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson blocked a shot and fell awkwardly in front of the net.  He made it back to his feet but opted to skate to the bench gingerly, knowing it wasn’t just a bruise.  The Stars continued putting on pressure and the puck eventually found it way to the back of the Avs net on a redirected shot from Blake Comeau at the point.

But the Avs weren’t going away.  MacKinnon made a nice pass to Gabriel Landeskog on what should’ve been the Avs’ 2nd goal of the game, but Khudobin made a great post-to-post save.

We call that Dobbery #GoStars pic.twitter.com/ve6NEc01bu

— X – Dallas Stars (@DallasStars) August 23, 2020

The Avs didn’t look great the rest of the period as they continued to turn over the puck in the neutral zone and simply didn’t have an answer for Dallas’ offensive game.  Within the final minutes of the first period, Samuel Girard dumped the puck in and chased it into the Dallas zone, which resulted in a Dallas odd-man rush.  Benn found Alexander Radulov right in front of Grubauer, who then put the Stars up 3-1.  The period ended with Colorado leading Dallas in shots 13-7, but Dallas seemed to have the advantage so far in all phases.

Second Period

To start the second period, it was nice to see Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson back on the bench, who had left the game in the first due to an apparent leg injury.  Unfortunately for the Avs, another player would leave the game in the second period.  Going for a pad save, Grubauer looked to over-extend and went down in agonizing pain.  Play stopped as he had to be helped off the ice, with Pavel Francouz coming on the ice in relief.

Scary moment as @Avalanche' Philipp Grubauer goes down in pain and is helped to the locker room. Pavel Francouz is now in net. pic.twitter.com/GfV0jc51z0

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 23, 2020

The Avalanche looked like they got some extra motivation after Grubauer went down as they were skating hard and putting a lot of pressure on the defense.  After a long shift in the Dallas zone, MacKinnon shot the puck from the point and the puck found Landeskog, who scored his first goal of the postseason.

Landeskog makes it a one goal game! It's 3-2 !!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/WzbJ1RSLBj

— SiriusXM NHL Network Radio (@SiriusXMNHL) August 23, 2020

The goals continued to pour in, as it was Dallas’ turn.  Seguin carried the puck through the Avs’ zone on a two-on-one and fired the puck low on Francouz.  The rebound came to Radulov, who put home his second of the game, giving the Stars another two goal lead.  Later in the period, Johnson took another spill and left to the tunnel again.  And just before the end of the second period, both teams took minors and it was four-on-four for two minutes.  The Avalanche got possession in the Dallas zone and MacKinnon redirected his second goal of the game off of a Girard shot.

What would @BrianBoitano do? @Mackinnon9 with a triple toe loop double redirection. pic.twitter.com/fryksQ9VAc

— BucciOT.Com (@Buccigross) August 23, 2020

Third Period

It was back and forth action for the first ten minutes of the third period as the Avs tried to even the game at four.  But it was Roope Hintz that broke the ice, giving the Stars a 5-3 lead.  Dallas continued to cycle in the Avalanche zone, grinding away at the game clock.  They finished all their checks and were always in on the forecheck.

In the final five minutes, the Avalanche pulled their goalie but the Stars held them until the final buzzer.  The game ended with the Avalanche leading in shots 31-30.

What’s next?

Game two will be on Monday at 7:45 PM MT and, if the Avalanche want to even up the series, they will need to find another level.  The Dallas Stars aren’t the Arizona Coyotes.  They’ve shown that they can score seven goals in a game too, plus they play a heavy style game.  If you’re Colorado, you have to watch the tape and see how you can come out and adjust.  It’s clear the Stars are taking away the neutral zone from the Avs so they can’t penetrate on the rush.  They Avs may also have to find a replacement for Erik Johnson if he’s unable to go for game two.

The post Philipp Grubauer injured in Avalanche 5-3 loss to Dallas appeared first on The Rink.

Players to watch

Our predictions

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

Samuel Girard, Nikita Zadorov, and J.T. Compher also contributed goals. The Avalanche scored three of their seven goals on the power play, capitalizing swiftly on Arizona’s mistakes, and killed the only two penalties they took in the game. Goalie Philipp Grubauer saved 23 of 24 shots on goal.

First Period

The Avalanche took advantage of Arizona’s early mistakes, with Kadri scoring a powerplay goal at 15:21 in the first period on assists from Gabriel Landeskog and MacKinnon. The goal placed Kadri second only to Joe Sakic in powerplay goals scored by an Avalanche player in a single season’s playoffs. The Avs’ powerplay passes also looked sharper than usual this period, and at one point they rearranged their regular positioning so that both MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen set themselves up behind the net, with Landeskog hovering on MacKinnon’s usual left blue circle.

It proved successful, as only four minutes later Girard scored the Avalanche’s second powerplay goal of the game on a quick slap shot from the blue line. Arizona was penalized a third time in the first period for having too many men on the ice, and although the Coyotes killed the penalty, a successive turnover resulted in a breakaway goal for Kadri with only 1:32 left in the period. The Avalanche ended the second period up 3-0 and ahead in shots on goal 12-6.

Naz on a breakaway?

Beautiful. Inspiring. Perfect. Flawless.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/4Yv7iJcOHi

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 19, 2020

Second Period

The second period started off more slowly than the first, but the lack of action did not last long. The Avalanche demonstrated their depth in period two, with good shot attempts taken by Matt Calvert, Matt Nieto, and Compher. While Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper continued to make great saves, the Coyotes’ defense looked haphazard and the Avalanche never stopped putting pucks on net. Halfway through the second period, MacKinnon fired a one-timer into the back of the net, extending the Avalanche’s lead to 4-0. He was assisted by Rantanen, who passed the puck cleanly through four Coyote players onto MacKinnon’s tape.

This was the goal that Nate scored, right before the other one.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/dNjUrGOpWt

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 19, 2020

Less than a minute later, the Coyotes were called for a hooking penalty, and MacKinnon scored again on a second one-timer after receiving a quick touch pass by Rantanen. MacKinnon wasn’t finished accumulating points, however, and with 1:44 left in the second, he fired a wrist shot toward the net which was tipped in by Zadorov after a good cut across the slot. The Avalanche ended the period up 6-0, having scored three goals in both periods.

Third Period

Just as in game four, the third period of game five resulted in a single Arizona goal (scored this time by Clayton Keller) to deprive Grubauer of a shutout, as well as a change in net for the Coyotes, who replaced Kuemper with Antti Raanta. The Avalanche took two penalties in the third—one on Tyson Jost for holding and the second on Andre Burakovsky for the same—but killed both of them and continued to dominate the Coyotes both defensively and offensively. The Avalanche also continued to demonstrate their depth when, with 4:41 left in the period, Compher scored on a pass from Nieto from behind the net. Game Five finished similarly to Game Four, with Colorado beating the Coyotes 7-1 and eliminating Arizona from the playoffs.

Nathan MacKinnon:

"Things have changed a lot since (my rookie year)…the message from training camp a year ago now was to just win. Our time has arrived."#Avs

— Scott MacDonald (@0ffScottFree) August 20, 2020

What’s Next

It’s on to round two for the Colorado Avalanche! Colorado’s next playoff opponent will be either the Dallas Stars or the winner of the series between the Vancouver Canucks and the St. Louis Blues. Playing against Dallas or St. Louis would see the Avalanche face off with a division rival, and playing against Vancouver would see the Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes matchup many fans have been discussing. Game time is currently TBD, but fans should be looking to the middle of next week in anticipation for game one of round two.

The post Recap: Avalanche beat the Arizona Coyotes 7-1, advance to second round of Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

The Kuemper fortress has been broken.

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

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

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

First period

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

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

Second Period

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

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

Third Period

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

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

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

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

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

Player of the Game

Nazem Kadri

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

I asked Kadri about this postgame:

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

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

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

What’s next?

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

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

With a couple of players listed as gametime decisions for Game Three, the Avalanche had some choices to make as far as the forward group, but they also made a change in net.  Making his Stanley Cup Playoff debut was Pavel Francouz, who played well in the qualifying round.  Joonas Donskoi returned to the lineup, while Vlad Namestnikov was sidelined for concussion protocol after a collision with Nathan MacKinnon in game two.

First period

Similarly to game two, it looked like the Coyotes wanted to come out strong and try to skate with the Avs.  Just three minutes into the game, the Avs were sent to the penalty kill on a Tyson Jost high-sticking minor.  Colorado killed it off after allowing just one shot to the Coyotes, making them 0/7 on the powerplay in the series.  A few minutes later, in the Avs zone, Nazem Kadri turned the puck over to Arizona and Clayton Keller fed Derek Stepan in the slot for the game’s first goal, beating Francouz who appeared to not have his stick.  It was the first time in the series that the Coyotes have led.

Great setup, great goal. pic.twitter.com/9BpZ20r7Fh

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) August 15, 2020

Later in the period, the Avs went to the powerplay on a Carl Soderberg goaltender interference minor.  Colorado was moving the puck really well and getting great chances, but Kuemper stopped them all.  The period ended with the Avs leading the Yotes 20-12 in shots, and there was a little skirmish after the horn sounded.  In the middle of it all was Matt Calvert.

Second period

The first ten minutes of the second period weren’t as exciting as the last ten minutes, but there were some highlights.  MacKinnon took a hooking minor.  It was his second penalty of the game, which is uncharacteristic for the Avalanche.  The Coyotes didn’t convert and, after two periods, each team was 0/3 on the powerplay.  Just after the Avs third powerplay that was awarded following an Oliver Ekman-Larsson tripping call, Andre Burakovsky finally found the back of the net on a deflected puck past Kuemper that tied the game at one.

It took 30 shots for the Avalanche to beat Darcy Kuemper.

Andre Burakovsky ties the game #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/AlC8nNnSzc

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) August 15, 2020

Another story was the play of Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson.  He has been great in the NHL bubble so far making great plays but today he made two big blocks and stayed in the game.

Erik Johnson with a Superman shift.

Gets in front of Hjalmarsson and Kessel's shot #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/phJskTkDFg

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) August 15, 2020

And with just 34 seconds left in the second period, the Coyotes’ Conor Garland found Brad Richardson in the left circle who fired a wrist shot that beat Francouz, giving the Yotes a 2-1 lead going in to the third period.  Arizona had just four shots that period compared to Colorado’s 16.  The story continued to be the play of Coyotes goaltender Kuemper, who didn’t give up many second-chance opportunities.

Third period

The Avalanche had the Coyotes under siege in the third period, firing shot after shot at Kuemper and the Arizona defense.  The Avs defenseman were very active, jumping into rushes and into deep into the offensive zone to keep pucks in.  But the Coyotes were committed to holding onto their 2-1 lead.  They got big shot blocks from Lawson Crouse, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Stepan, trying to keep as many pucks away from Kuemper as possible.

In the final minutes, the Avs kept the pressure up, but it wasn’t enough.  With the Colorado goalie pulled, Taylor Hall scored an empty net goal to make the score 3-1.  The Avs pulled the goalie again and this time scored on a Mikko Rantanen shot that got redirected.  But, with under a minute left, the Coyotes’ Crouse scored their second empty-net goal of the period, icing the game at 4-2. Kuemper stopped 49 of 51 shots and helped carry Arizona to their first win of the series.

What’s next?

The Avalanche and Coyotes meet again on Monday at 3:30 MT on NBCSN.  It’s very possible that head coach Jared Bednar goes back to goaltender Philipp Grubauer, but the story is really the Avs running into a hot goaltender.  If they want to beat Kuemper, they’ll have to keep pucks low and get traffic in front of the net.  Like the Columbus Blue Jackets, this Coyotes team is committed to team defense and they don’t need much of a lead to win the game.  The Avs have shown they can beat Kuemper, it’s just going to have to come in a grittier way than they’re used to.

The post Coyotes steal game 3 from the Avalanche after 49-save effort from Kuemper appeared first on The Rink.

Ready for some more playoff hockey?

Good.

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

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

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

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

Players to watch

Nazem Kadri

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

Michael Grabner

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

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

Solving Kuemper

Darcy Kuemper is an excellent goalie. He finished off the abbreviated 2019–20 season with a .928 save percentage and a 2.22 goals against average. He also consistently proves to be difficult for the Avalanche to score on. Game One between these teams saw Kuemper make 37 saves against an aggressive Colorado team, some of which were absolute robberies, including this left pad save:

"No." – Darcy Kuemper pic.twitter.com/MGIKucccMp

— Arizona Coyotes (@ArizonaCoyotes) August 12, 2020

If the Avalanche can figure Kuemper out, that should theoretically guarantee them the series. Having had one game to feel things out, we may see an adjustment on how the team approaches the net, hopefully resulting in sustained offensive pressure rather than a series of quick goals late in the game.

The key to beating Arizona is going to be patience, which the Avs displayed in Game One. They need to sustain that patience going into this game to ensure that they do not get frustrated and allow Arizona to capitalize on any mistakes.

Goalies for the back-to-back

These teams meet on Friday at 12:30 p.m. MDT and again on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. MDT. With how both goalies have been performing lately, seeing a split here would not be surprising. Pavel Francouz shut out the Stars in his first NHL postseason game last week and Philipp Grubauer shut out the Coyotes in Game One. While Grubauer is likely going to be the main starter for the Avs in the playoffs, switching goalies for the back-to-back would allow him a reprieve.

If the Avs keep up the whole-team defense we saw in Game One, the choice of goalie should matter even less. Grubauer faced only 14 shots on goal, a product of the Avs being able to keep the puck in Arizona’s end for almost the entire game.

Players to watch

The Avalanche top line is going to get firing at some point during the playoffs. We saw a glimpse of their capabilities at the end of Game One, with Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen combining for a pretty goal to close out scoring in the third:

MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog are pretty good at hockey pic.twitter.com/JVOFCcPLVg

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) August 13, 2020

While the storyline of this season has been about the depth that the Avalanche have, it would be ideal to combine that depth with production from the Avs’ most skilled line.

If the Coyotes do get their offense firing, it will likely come at the hands of Clayton Keller or Oliver Ekman-Larsson, both of whom have had a consistent presence in the postseason for their team. Being shut out in the first game will see the Coyotes come into Game Two with a higher degree of competitiveness, which should make this next matchup all the more exciting to watch.

Game schedule

Game Two: Friday, 12 p.m. MDT

Game Three: Saturday, 1 p.m. MDT

Game Four: Monday, Aug. 17, 3:30 p.m. MDT

Game Five*: Wednesday, Aug. 19, TBD

Game Six*: Friday, Aug. 21, TBD

Game Seven*: Sunday, Aug. 23, TBD

The post Preview: Avalanche vs. Coyotes Game Two appeared first on The Rink.

Make sure to check out our in-depth preview of this series against the Coyotes on The-Rink.com.

Playoff hockey. Is. Here.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/sfZN2vvstK

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 12, 2020

I absolutely love the intensity and physicality the @Avalanche are playing with right now.

— Orlando Franklin (@OFranklin74) August 12, 2020

First period

Now that the games truly count, it was pretty obvious that the Colorado Avalanche flipped a switch and started playing playoff hockey.  They were forechecking hard and finishing all their checks on the Coyotes players.  Even skill players like Mikko Rantanen were laying the body.  The result of the physical play was that it was almost all Avs in the first period.  Arizona had the puck in their zone almost the entire period.  One player who stood out was centerman Nazem Kadri who got some quality shots on goal.  The Avs did get one powerplay from a holding minor on Jason Demers, but it was killed off by the Yotes despite several good looks by the Avs.  The period ended with no score but a lopsided shot total with the Avs leading 13-3.

The moose is LOOSE!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/XNg0CV3BSB

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 12, 2020

Second Period

The pace picked up a little bit in the second period as both teams began to really feel each other out.  The Yotes clearly wanted more than just three shots on goal in the next period so they were noticeably more aggressive, but the story continued to be Arizona goaltender Darcy Kuemper.  Adding 15 more saves to his total, Kuemper made it look pretty easy on his side of the ice, making saves without much traffic in front of the net.  Arizona was again outshot heavily in the second and couldn’t really get their possession game going, however, Avs goaltender Philip Grubauer made a few good saves of his own. The Avs defense then locked down in the final ten minutes of the period where they didn’t allow a single shot on goal.

Here are the second period highlights!

Keep firing those shots @Avalanche! #GoAvsGo https://t.co/pCMUdnh8zB

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) August 12, 2020

Third Period

Noticeably frustrated with not scoring through the first 40 minutes of play, the Avs turned it on late in the third period and broke the ice.  With seven minutes left in the game and the score still tied, Kadri cleaned up a rebound and finally got the Avalanche on the board.  The adrenaline was running through the Avs lineup as it took just 15 seconds for the Avs to score again.  This time it was forward J.T. Compher who found a loose puck again in front of Kuemper and scored on a nice backhand shot.  But the Avs weren’t even done yet!  They generated a three-on-two rush that resulted in a really nice tic-tac-toe goal scored by Rantanen.  All three goals were scored in just 1:23, putting the game out of reach for Arizona.  Grubauer got the 14-save shutout as the Avs take a 1-0 lead on the Coyotes in the series.

The @Avalanche just scored three goals in 1:23.

Here's the opener from @43_Kadri!#NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/kheV7eLprs

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 12, 2020

JT Compher
2-0 #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/i4U59yiIDE

— Fuck Dave Portnoy (@TheReplayGuy) August 12, 2020

MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog are pretty good at hockey pic.twitter.com/JVOFCcPLVg

— Dimitri Filipovic (@DimFilipovic) August 13, 2020

What’s next?

The Avs and Yotes will meet again on Friday for game two and will drop the puck at 12:00 PM MST.  Colorado will most likely see some adjustments from Arizona and will have to be prepared, but, in the meantime, it looks like Grubauer will stay in net.  Backup Pavel Francouz has been very good this season and beyond, which is great insurance in case Grubauer falters.  The game did have some physicality, especially with the star players, but it’s unclear how Arizona will find an edge against this Avs team.  With the Avalanche limiting their opponent to just 14 shots in a playoff game and exploding for three goals in under two minutes, they have to feel good going into game two.

The post Avalanche solve Kuemper late, take Game 1 from the Coyotes 3-0 appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

X-Factors

Nathan MacKinnon (COL)

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

Clayton Keller (ARI)

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

Game Schedule

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

Game 2: Friday, August 14th 12pm MDT

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

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

Game 5*: Wednesday, August 19th, TBD

Game 6*: Friday, August 21st, TBD

Game 7*: Sunday, August 23rd, TBD

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First period

The first period started off with a good pace, but things tilted in the Avs’ favor when Stars defenseman Esa Lindell went off for interference just three minutes into the game.  Colorado didn’t waste any time on the powerplay when Cale Makar scored on a one-timer from the point that got by Stars’ goaltender Anton Khudobin, who was starting in place of Ben Bishop, currently unfit to play.  The Stars continued to give up several odd-man rushes throughout the period, but had a good chance of their own when Avs goaltender Pavel Francouz had to cover up a puck deep in his net that was reviewed as a no-goal.

Haven't had your daily serving of veggies today?

Cale Makar's got you covered with this incredible one-timer @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/lh1LwjjavK

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) August 5, 2020

The Avs returned to the powerplay when Mikko Rantanen drove the net on another rush and was tripped by Seguin.  Dallas killed the minor penalty, but the Avalanche scored just a couple seconds later when Joonas Donskoi cleaned up a shot by Sam Girard, putting Colorado up 2-0.  Donskoi got good net-front position on Stars’ defenseman Miro Heiskanen and was able to easily put back the rebound.  The whole play started with a clean faceoff win from J.T. Compher in what seemed like a set play in the offensive zone.  The period ended with a minor penalty to Girard that was killed off, but the damage was done.  The Avs went into the tunnel up two goals and had 14 shots on goal.

Easy, breezy, beautiful backhand.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/Y738cA3IUg

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) August 5, 2020

Second Period

One minute into the second period, the Avs drew their third penalty of the night when Valeri Nichushkin was tripped by Roope Hintz.  The Stars killed it off, but the Avalanche continued to keep up the intensity.  Francouz was brilliant, making all eight saves in the middle frame while the Stars were making it difficult for him with a lot of traffic in front of the net.  The Avs seem to be on a mission this year as they finished every check in a game that technically doesn’t count.

The Stars caught up to the Avs in shots towards the middle of the period, but Francouz kept them off the board.  After a sloppy play through the neutral zone where everyone seemed to lose track of the puck, Nathan MacKinnon ended up with it on his stick and took a hard wrist shot in the slot.  The puck found Vladislav Namestnikov, who scored, putting the Avs up 3-0.  The period ended with Rantanen drawing another tripping penalty, this time on Stars forward Mattias Janmark.

The @Avalanche can't be stopped!

Vladislav Namestnikov makes it a 3-0 lead for the Avs. #NHLonSN pic.twitter.com/0kPauGHqgv

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) August 6, 2020

Third Period

To start the period, Avs forward Andre Burakovsky made the Stars pay when he ripped a shot bar-down, making it 4-0.  The Avs were then 2/4 on the powerplay and, moments later, MacKinnon was tripped up by Alexander Radulov, sending Colorado to their fifth powerplay of the night. Thankfully for the Stars, Colorado was unsuccessful.  You could tell the 4-0 score let the wind out of the Stars’ sails, as they were sloppy with the puck and turned it over several times in their own zone.

Burakovsky goes bar down and off Khudobin.

DAL 0 – 4 COL // P3 pic.twitter.com/Xo10ustGdO

— Dylan Nadwodny (@dnadders) August 6, 2020

Halfway through the period, the Avs took their second penalty when captain Gabriel Landeskog went off for cross-checking.  Colorado looked good again on the penalty kill, breaking up passes and sending the puck all the way down for the Stars to collect.  Dallas forward Corey Perry was sprung loose on a breakaway, but was denied by Francouz, who remained brilliant.  Frankie ended the game making all 27 saves against Dallas.

What’s next?

The Avs play their third and final round-robin game on Saturday against the Vegas Golden Knights, who came back in the third period to beat the Stars 5-3 on Monday.  Vegas will play their second round-robin game against the Blues on Thursday and could be competing with the Avalanche for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.  Until then, it looks like the Avs could be in the driver’s seat entering the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The post Avalanche, Francouz shut out the Stars 4-0 in second round-robin game appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

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

Players to watch

Cale Makar — Colorado Avalanche

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

Roope Hintz — Dallas Stars

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

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

Fans talked a lot over the course of the 2019–20 regular season about the Avalanche’s mediocre-to-awful power play execution and what changes needed to be made in order to improve it. Whether the team relied too much on one-timers from Nathan MacKinnon in the left face-off circle, whether their passing lanes were too predictable, whether the second unit was underperforming or whether special teams simply needed to put more pucks on net were all issues discussed and debated as the calendar year turned from 2019 to 2020 and the Avs’ power play conversion rate…well, let’s just say it did not look much better.

Nathan MacKinnon fires a one-timer. (Photograph courtesy of Sports Illustrated)

The Avalanche ended their regular season with a power play percentage of 19.1, while the other top three teams in their division—the Jets, Stars and Blues—finished with percentages of 20.5, 21.1 and 24.3, respectively. The differential is not massive, although St. Louis ranks third in regular season power play conversions, and yet for a team currently sitting near the top of Western Conference power rankings and one that has made such a strong run this year for Ole Stanley, you would think their power play numbers would be a little higher.

But should you?

Yeah. You probably should.

On the other hand, I think most of us would agree that single statistics rarely tell the whole story.

Colorado is currently third in the league in scoring differential, behind only Boston and Tampa Bay, and despite much anxiety regarding the goaltending situation, Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz have brought their A game and kept the Avalanche’s save percentage hovering around .913. While Colorado did go 1/5 on the power play in their postseason exhibition game against Minnesota, they also went 18/80 on power play conversions from January through March, which puts their power play percentage over the second half of the season right around .225. And, there are some things stats just cannot track, like whether MacKinnon goes on a record-breaking 13-game point streak or just how good Cale Makar’s defensive playmaking abilities are going to be.

Oh, or if they manage to score a game-winning goal with 0.1 seconds left in the game.

Thanks, Naz.

So, for a little bit of postseason inspiration in the midst of anxiety surrounding Colorado’s special teams, let’s take a look at some teams who managed to grab the Cup in recent years while underperforming on the power play.

In the 2011–12 season, Los Angeles finished with a power play conversion rate of 16.96 when the league average that year was 17.31. When they won the Stanley Cup again in the 2013–14 season, their percentage was even worse at 15.14 when the league average was 17.89. But, they had a killer center in Anze Kopitar, who led the playoffs in points both years, as well as a top-scoring defenseman in Drew Doughty and a goaltending performance for the books from Jonathan Quick.

The Chicago Blackhawks also struggled on the power play in both of their most recent Stanley Cup finals. In 2012–13, their power play percentage came in at 16.67 when the league average was 18.82, and in the 2014–15 season, it was a little better, but still not great, at 17.69 when the league average was 18.66. But, they also had star forwards Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, solid netminding from Corey Crawford and exceptional defensive performances from the likes of Duncan Keith, not to mention some good young draft picks contributing like Teuvo Teravainen.

So, what is it going to take for the Avalanche? And how much need is there to worry?

Clearly, the team has a lot of the ingredients it takes to win. Blue line depth, all-star forwards, two goaltenders who are both reliable enough that Bednar does not even decide who to play until the very last minute. Five on five, Colorado looks pretty darn good.

But five on four, or even five on three…

Maybe special teams need to force the puck to MacKinnon less often. Maybe Colorado needs to shoot more and stop looking for that extra short pass. As one Twitter user suggested, maybe the Avalanche could just…refuse to take the advantage?

Yeah alright, that is not an option.

But, while I certainly hope the Avs figure out a way to fix their special teams, I have also been a little less worried knowing that previous teams have snatched the Stanley Cup with worse regular season power play performances.

On the other hand, we probably should not let our guards down. Playoff hockey is never quite like regular season hockey, and in this regard, 2020 is no exception.

The post How successful can the Colorado Avalanche be with a mediocre power play? appeared first on The Rink.

This time it all counts.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What has led up to this showdown with the Blues?

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

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

The post Round Robin Preview: Avs vs Blues appeared first on The Rink.

As the Avs are finally back to playing hockey and we’re back in the playoffs, we wanted to know if Colorado would get the good Kadri or the bad Kadri.  With a reputation of being a wildcard with history of suspensions, Kadri could be one of the final pieces the Avs needed to get them to the Stanley Cup, or something that holds them back.

To get more insight on Kadri, we asked Cris Caruso from The-Rink Toronto a few questions about the former Leafs centerman.

What should Colorado fans expect from Kadri in the playoffs?

During his time in Toronto, when on his game, he played a physical game, staying on the right side of the line. However, as seen in the last two years’ playoffs, it was easy for him to slip up. As some Leaf fans called it, he saw “red mist”. That is what led to his suspensions.

Kadri has had history with questionable hits and penalties that have cost his team.  Do you think he will have more trouble towing the line between being competitive and dirty, or do you think he’s matured from this?

If anything is going to get Kadri to grow up, it was this trade. He had previously been suspended by both his team and the league, yet he didn’t seem to mature. Honestly, trading him was the last option on the table. I obviously don’t have a definite answer, but in my opinion it is likely to have worked. It will definitely be interesting to see how it plays out.

Kadri has reached the 30 goal plateau a couple of times in his career.  Do you see him more as a scoring or playmaking centerman?

Kadri is a lethal playmaking centre. He is excellent at closing down the opposition. In fact, Kadri had his most successful years in Toronto (in terms of points and play in general) when he was acting as a shutdown centre.

What is something that Kadri excels at in big games, and what is something he struggles with?

Kadri excels at, for lack of better terminology, being a pest.  He will antagonize his opponents and get under their skin.  What he struggles with, or has struggled with in the past, is staying on the right side of the line.

A year from the trade, how do the Leafs feel about the Kadri / Barrie trade now?

Barrie has become an important piece to the team.  He has taken some of the weight off of Morgan Rielly’s back in terms of powerplay time and offense, and was extremely important with all the Leafs’ injuries early in the season. Kerfoot is a key part of the Leafs now. When he is going, he can get the team going. He has also been excellent at killing penalties, a real bad part of the Leafs’ season in 2018-19.

Who do you expect to go deeper in the playoffs this year, the Leafs or the Avs?

In my opinion, that depends on which version of the Toronto Maple Leafs shows up. One thing they’ve battled with all year is consistency. Another thing to watch is where Andersen is at. When he is at his best, he can steal games for the team, but he too has struggled with being consistent. However, basing my answer solely on how the season ended, I would say the Avs.

You can follow Cris on Twitter at @cmcaruso13 and read all her work for The-Rink Toronto here.

The post What will the Avalanche get out of Nazem Kadri in the playoffs? appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

What to expect against Minnesota

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

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

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

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

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

The post Colorado Avalanche vs Minnesota Wild – Exhibition Game Preview appeared first on The Rink.

This week, Nathan MacKinnon was nominated for the Ted Lindsay Award and Lady Byng Memorial Trophy, while the Avalanche star rookie defenseman Cale Makar was nominated for the Calder Trophy.  Both players are well deserving of those nominations but seem to have bigger plans in mind.

Eyes on the prize @Avalanche | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/kMLAkp9gdS

— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 15, 2020

Before the Avalanche officially get into playoff hockey, we wanted to take a look at a few questions surrounding the team.  Our experts JJ Seaward, Lucas Rozell, and Marie Sexton discuss everything Avalanche hockey and some general NHL topics.  We’re all really excited to be back and providing you excellent coverage of our favorite team the Colorado Avalanche!

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Which player who is returning from injury will make the biggest impact in the playoffs?

JJ:  While there are plenty of good options, I believe the return of Mikko Rantanen will bring the biggest impact for the Avs in this year’s playoffs. His return marks the return of the big three headed monster of Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Gabriel Landeskog, but he also adds to the overall depth for the Avs as he can fit anywhere in the lineup. No matter where he plays, he will make an impact for the Avalanche.

Lucas:  This one is difficult because I think a few players are going to have a strong impact. Obviously, the return of the first liners Rantanen and MacKinnon is going to impact the team greatly, as MacKinnon carried the team on his back for most of the season.  Other than the stars, the first name that springs to mind is Kadri – he’s been a really consistent force this season and I think he’s good at tying a line together. Burakovsky has also been a pleasant surprise this season and I’m hoping to see him make a big impact on his return, preferably on a line with MacKinnon.

Marie: I’d like to preface my first answer by saying I’m an AHL girl. I watch the Avalanche when they don’t overlap with the Eagles, but I don’t know the ins and outs of the team the way I do with the Eagles. But of the guys who were injured, I think Kadri will have the biggest impact.

How much of Timmins, Byram, and Bowers will we actually see?  And will any Eagles see any ice time?

JJ:  I think it will all really depend on how they perform in the summer camp leading up to the Avs exhibition showdown against the Minnesota Wild on July 26th. There is no doubt that all of them could make an impact, but it will depend on if Bednar believes they are ready. From what I have heard, Byram has been making a solid impression so far. I do believe some Eagles will definitely see at least some ice time, but only time will tell on how much exactly.

Lucas:  I think this will depend on both training camp and the series go for the Avalanche. The safer bet is to go with the squad that’s already had a really good year. While the newcomers had good seasons of their own, throwing them into these unusual playoffs would be an interesting move, unless they really impress during camp.  I could realistically see Bowers slotting in the easiest, especially if some of the other fourth line forwards fail to impress.

Marie: I doubt we’ll see much of the forwards. The Avs are just too deep up front. Maybe Logan O’Connor gets a bit of time on the fourth line, but unless somebody gets hurt (let’s hope not!), I don’t see the Eagles forwards getting any ice time.  Defense is another story. Zadorov is a wild card who appeared to be in Bednar’s doghouse before the break. Sometimes Cole is on fire, but other times, he’s a bit of a liability. And Barberio just isn’t that strong of a player, in my opinion. On the other hand, Timmins improved immensely this year. He and MacDonald are easily as good Barberio, and less likely to commit a costly penalty than either Cole or Zadorov. Connauton and Lindholm aren’t flashy, but they’re strong, reliable players. I think any one of these guys could find themselves part of the third defensive pairing.  As for Byram, I’ve seen all the hype, but I’ve also learned not to trust the hype because 99% of the time, it’s completely overblown. Yes, Makar managed to step into the playoffs last year and did great, but he’s an anomaly. In my experience, guys coming out of college at the end of the season are never as ready for the pros as people think. Those players almost always struggle being thrown into the AHL playoffs and don’t make much of an impact until the following season, Shane Bowers being a perfect example. So unless Byram is really as good as Makar (which I doubt), then I wouldn’t expect him to play.

What level of competition do you predict the round robin will have?

JJ:  I am a firm believer that every stage of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs will be help to the highest possible levels of competition. With teams being completely healthy, we will be in for some extremely good hockey games. In order for teams to advance past any stage, they will need to perform at their fullest potential to come away with the series victory — this will all start at the round robin games.

Lucas:  I believe there’s going to be a fair amount of competition. The teams were prepared to fight until the end to be at the top of the standings before the pause, so I definitely think that level of competitiveness is going to continue here. It’s a pride thing and it’s also a matter of getting into the right mindset for playoffs after the break.

Marie: The first time I really paid attention to hockey was the year the Avalanche won their last Stanley Cup. We watched the Finals, and it was undeniably exciting. I reluctantly conceded that maybe my husband was right and we should start watching hockey more often. I was psyched.  Right up until the new season started in the fall and my husband turned on a game.  Being early in the season, it was nothing like the intensity I remembered from the playoffs. “Why are they all skating at half speed?” I asked my husband. “Is this a preseason game or something?” Of course, I understand now that a) it’s a long season, and b) it takes some time to work up to playoff level intensity.  That’s all a very long-winded way of saying, I expect them to take it more seriously than a preseason game, but I think it’ll look more like early-season hockey than postseason hockey.

Photo courtesy of The Denver Post

Will the Avs have a goaltender controversy?

JJ:  Like Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz mentioned to Ryan Clark the other day in a post skate interview, it appears as if Phillip Grubauer and Francouz are ready to do whatever they have to do in order to win the third Stanley Cup in Avalanche history. While this is obviously exactly what fans want to hear heading into the playoffs, anything is obviously possible during the playoffs.

Lucas:  Ideally, the goaltending situation plays out like it did during the season – ride the hot goalie. The best option is always going to be the goalie that’s the most likely to succeed, but who’s to say who that’s going to be after such a long time away.  I like Francouz and Grubauer as a tandem and I think the fact that they can each step up when the other struggles that played a role in the success the Avalanche enjoyed this year.

Marie:  Well, if by “controversy” you mean, will everybody on Twitter be arguing over it, then yes.  I expect Grubauer and Francouz to get roughly even time in the first couple of rounds, but I think Francouz emerges as the stronger (and more consistent) of the two.

Could we see Zadorov benched at some point in the playoffs?

JJ:  I would hope not, but it will all depend on a few different variables. We have seen Zadarov be an imposing and intimidating factor in games throughout the year, but we have also seen times where he had a lack of judgment. Whether it be from missing assignments leading to goals against, or not playing physical, there have been a few common errors in his game that have led to him being benched. With these specific playoffs being all about wearing the opposition down, I am going to take a stand and say that no, we will not see him benched. He knows how he needs to play, and will do whatever he can to help the Avs win.

Lucas:  This one comes down to attitude. We’ve seen Zadorov with some splendid performances this season and I think he’s had moments of brilliance as a shutdown defenseman. If that slips, though, or if he continues to have issues with Bednar, we might see an appearance from one of the younger defensemen that are looking to earn a roster spot.

Marie:  Yes. There are too many other hot defensemen available. Admittedly, none of them play the same style of game as Zadorov, but that also means they’re less likely to be called for costly penalties

Do you think the Avs will be at an advantage as a skating team coming out of the break?

JJ:  If everything goes smoothly, and there are no injuries for the Avalanche heading into the official first round, then I definitely see the Avalanche having an advantage. The Avs will be playing against some of the tougher competition battling for the top spot in the Western Conference, and with a healthy lineup, the overall depth of the Avalanche could prove to be too much for any team.

Lucas:  Absolutely. The Avs have a lot of talent in one roster and they look to be working hard during this training camp period. With everyone back from injury, I see this team going back to their basics, running a very fast and skilled game.

Marie:  It’s good to have injured players back in the lineup, but I don’t necessarily think that gives them some huge advantage because all the other teams are in the same boat.

How much pressure is on the Avalanche right now to win the Stanley Cup?

JJ:  This is by far the most amount of pressure the Avalanche have had to win the Stanley Cup since probably the 2000-01 season. The Avalanche have all of the pieces to come away with the Cup this season. Coupled with depth throughout the lineup, and MacKinnon with a clear goal in mind, this is the best possible shot the Avs have of capturing Lord Stanley. Anything short would be a failure.

Lucas:  I think the pressure is high, both from the fanbase and within the team itself. This team has improved over the past few years and had themselves a great regular season, even though it was cut short. The guys in that locker room definitely want to win.  The fanbase wants them to win, too, as they always do. I think, as a fan, you look at the depth this team has and you want to see them go all the way. I’m not sure if we’re going to see this assembly of talent again soon for this team and it’s easy to get into a “now or never” mindset.

Marie:  Obviously everybody wants them to win it, but I don’t feel like it’s now or never for them. They’re a team on the cusp of becoming absolutely exceptional. If it’s not this year, it’ll be next.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Who is the biggest threat to the Avs in the Western Conference right now and why?

JJ:  I believe the biggest threat towards the Avalanche in the Western Conference has to be the Dallas Stars. Going 0-2-2 against the Stars this season, they are the one team who has had the Avs number during the regular season. However, if last year’s playoffs have told us anything, playoffs are a completely different beast and anything can happen. I would not count the Avs out in a best of seven series against the Stars.

Lucas: I think the Stars are going to be an issue for the Avalanche. They didn’t win a game against the Stars this year, which can’t be said of the other Western Conference teams. Unless something clicked over the break, I think the Avalanche style of play and the Stars style of play are going to continue to clash.

Marie:  While the Blues may be the better team, the Avs have struggled a lot more against the Stars this season. So yeah, I’ll go with the Stars.

Matt Nieto stepped up last year in the playoffs.  Who could be this year’s dark horse?

JJ:  While there are plenty of dark horses on the Avs roster, I believe big Valeri Nichushkin will continue to surprise people. Built as a true workhorse, Nichushkin has made a resurgence in his career after recording 27 points in the regular season. Due to his playing style, he is exactly who fans could see playing the role of difference-maker for the Avs.

Lucas:  I’m seeing Kadri or Nichushkin as important players this year. I think Kadri’s game is consistent and skilled and he’s been a force to contend with on the ice when he’s been healthy.
Nichushkin emerged as an interesting player on the team this year, finally breaking his scoring drought and starting to contribute a lot. I think the way he contributes to the play is a key in overcoming some styles of defense the top line can’t contend with.

Marie:  I’m going to go out on a limb here and say Jacob MacDonald. I know, it’s a long shot, but MacDonald scored 16 goals and 26 assists this season in the AHL, finishing first in goals and fourth in points amongst AHL defensemen. Granted, he scored a lot of those points while playing forward rather than defense. But he’s a versatile player with a strong shot, and I think he could emerge as this year’s dark horse. (Conor Timmins may be the safer bet. But “safe bet” and “dark horse” don’t really go together.)

Will the return to play Stanley Cup plan work or will we see issues with COVID impacting it?

JJ:  I would say that there will be no issues, but it is definitely difficult to make a statement in regards to how events will go nowadays, so let’s just all cross our fingers that everything goes as planned and enjoy playoff hockey. 2020 is an unpredictable boogeyman.

Lucas:  I should be up-front and say that I don’t really agree with the return to play. I love hockey, but the plan hasn’t been well thought-out, with players getting sick and ignoring regulations. That said, I think issues with COVID will impact it, certainly. I think the staff is being put at risk, which will impact arena flow. I also think that at least one player is going to get very sick, at which point we’re going to need to reevaluate if we’re willing to put the players at risk to this extent.

Marie:  I’m going to throw some positive vibes into the universe and say of course the plan will work! (In reality, I give it about a 50/50 chance).

The post Questions surrounding the Colorado Avalanche heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on The Rink.

There was a lot to like about this trip, but, as always, there remains room for improvement. Let’s take a look at these last three games and see what went right to keep the Avalanche climbing the rankings of the Central Division.

3-2 vs. Carolina Hurricanes

Interestingly enough, two players combined for four of the five total goals in this one. Tyson Jost struck first and then followed that up with a second goal in the next period, finally ending his scoring drought. He’s a polarizing player in the fanbase, to be sure, but I’ve liked what he’s been doing, even when he just couldn’t find the back of the net. The trade deadline came and went and Jost was still an Av and it seems like that gave him some of his confidence back. He was flying in the previous game against Buffalo and that aggression paid off as he took the Avs to an early lead.

The Hurricanes rallied back in the third period. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice, almost exactly two minutes apart, to tie the game. It felt a little bit like a replay of the game the two teams played back in January, where the Hurricanes took the game at the end of the third period.

That wasn’t the case here. Samuel Girard scored the game-winner with three minutes left to play and the Avalanche departed Carolina victorious.

The Avalanche went 0/3 on the powerplay and 3/3 on the penalty kill, which serves to further highlight the issues that the powerplay is having. Something needs to change there, as those scoring opportunities could serve to bolster the offense, which has been suffering lately.

Carolina also managed 47 shots on net. Pavel Francouz, still playing like a man on a mission, stopped 45 of those. A huge number of shots are to be expected when playing Carolina, who will put the puck on net at any given opportunity, so I’m comfortable calling that a blip in the exceptional defense the Avalanche have been playing lately.

45 saves for Frankie last night! #GoAvsGo https://t.co/5S8uIHniKx

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 29, 2020

3-2 vs. Nashville Predators

This game was strange. The pacing didn’t pick up until halfway through the second period, where Gabriel Landeskog struck first and Martin Kaut followed up two minutes later, scoring his second NHL goal.

The Predators brought it to a one-goal game 14:40 into the third period. They pulled their goalie in one last desperate push at the end, which resulted in Erik Johnson breaking his own scoring drought by scoring an empty-net goal from behind the Avalanche’s own goal line. That ended up being the game-winning goal, as the Predators scored again with only two seconds left to play.

The Condor soars again!

(: @AltitudeTV) #GoAvsGo https://t.co/NXHJmEhmUa

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 1, 2020

Yet again, the Avalanche scored on zero of the four powerplay opportunities they were provided, though they did go 3/3 on the penalty kill. This highlights an interesting trend – As their offense has been struggling to produce, the defense seems to have picked up accordingly. They’re actually winning tight games, something we just didn’t see earlier in the season.

Francouz played well yet again, as he started in both halves of the back-to-back even after facing 47 shots the night before. The Avalanche have a lot of confidence in their backup and he’s earning it, finding himself among the NHL three stars of the week twice in a row.

2-1 vs. Detroit Red Wings

It’s good that the Avalanche treat every game as a battle at this point in the season because the game against the Red Wings wasn’t the blowout that may have been expected. With only 35 points on the season and a -121 goal differential, it’s easy to underestimate a team like the Wings.

Michael Hutchinson made his first start for the Avalanche following the trade with the Maple Leafs and by all accounts did well, despite the outcry following the one and only goal he allowed. It came off of one of the four shots the Avalanche allowed in the first period and it was a fairly soft goal, but he stopped all of the 17 shots he faced for the rest of the game.

The two goals the Avalanche scored came courtesy of some interesting faces, with Vladislav Namestnikov scoring his first in an Avalanche sweater and Logan O’Connor scoring his second NHL goal. Namestnikov has been doing everything right for the Avalanche so far, playing a simple and consistent game. O’Connor has been doing the same, intent on making the most of his time called up to the NHL.

The Captain with the huge play and Logan O'Connor with the clutch finish!

(: @AltitudeTV) #GoAvsGo https://t.co/dzlau4XBBc

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 3, 2020

What’s next?

Every point matters as the Avalanche try to keep pace with St. Louis and winning every road game in the month of February is exactly what they need at this point in the season. As of March 3rd, they have 87 points, just three points the Blues with two games in-hand. Just as a reminder, the Avalanche finished last season with 90 points total.

Ideally, the team continues to play well defensively as they wait for the key members of the offense to return – When Mikko Rantanen, Nazem Kadri, and Matt Calvert are healthy again, the scoring should pick back up. This should, hopefully, give the powerplay a bit more pep in its step.

If Francouz continues this level of play, the Avalanche may have a bit of a goaltending question on their hands when Philipp Grubauer is healthy again. That said, with the extremely tight schedule the team is facing, we may see a tandem when both are healthy again – A game every other day is exhausting, even for a hot goaltender.

The next game is a rematch against the Ducks on home-ice and it’s also the Avalanche’s Hockey is for Everyone night. After that, they’re back on the road, with yet another back-to-back over the weekend. It’s essential to finish out the last full month of the regular season strong.

The post Avalanche fight through injury bug to win seven straight appeared first on The Rink.

The first period of the game wasn’t the most interesting 20 minutes of hockey, with play bouncing between the ends of the ice with nothing much to show from it. Both teams recorded 10 shots on goal in the first, with both teams killing off one penalty each.

The second period swung in favor of the Avalanche, as they dominated the shot metrics. Anaheim goalie John Gibson had an outstanding performance despite the onslaught, but the Avalanche managed to beat him for the sole goal of the game off of an excellent play by Kaut and J.T. Compher. The play started with a strong forecheck by Gabriel Landeskog. Kaut then perfectly intercepted a pass before snapping the puck over to Compher who buried it top-shelf to beat Gibson.

We’ve written about Kaut previously, but his confidence with the puck in this game was nothing short of impressive. The fake before the pass allowed Compher to hit the back of the net before Gibson could get back into position and it’s the kind of play you expect to see from the roster regulars, not the guy playing in his second career NHL game.

Martin Kaut J.T. Compher!

(: @AltitudeTV) #GoAvsGo https://t.co/ABSoBs9zxY

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 22, 2020

Francouz’s first career shutout came on the same day he signed a contract extension, worth $2 million for each of the next two seasons. He currently sits at a 2.33 GAA and a .926 SV% in 25 games played this season

Pavel Francouz’s deal is two years with a $2 million AAV, a source has told The Athletic.

— Ryan S. Clark (@ryan_s_clark) February 21, 2020

I was fully prepared for a scenario in which Francouz left the Avalanche after this season, as he was set to be an unrestricted free agent. It would be reasonable for him to try for a starter job, as his performance this season has been exceptional. However, it’s nice to have him locked down for the next two years, especially given the way he’s stepped up following injuries this season.

It’s inspiring to see the Avalanche manage to pull off a 1-0 win. They’ve had issues with maintaining close leads, but the defensive effort was present tonight.

With the second half of the back to back coming up against the Kings, the question of goaltending is still up in the air. The Avalanche recently signed Hunter Miska to an NHL contract and he is currently serving as the backup goalie with Philipp Grubauer out with injury. In the race to the top of the Central, this next stretch of games is going to be crucial – Miska has a 2.62 GAA and a .919 SV% with the Colorado Eagles this season, but he has only one NHL game under his belt so far.

Regardless of who is in net, the Avalanche need to come out with more energy than they did the last time these two teams met. They jumped the Dallas Stars to take second in the Central and trail the Blues by three points with two games in-hand. If the depth of the team can continue to step up with the recent injuries, they still stand a chance to go into the post-season at the top of the West.

The post Francouz records first shutout in 1-0 Avalanche win appeared first on The Rink.

The crowd of over 40,000 people did not have much to cheer about, in fact it was the opposite.  Reports on Twitter of logistics complications made the night worse for the fans, who paid a pretty penny to watch their team out in the cold.

I was shocked last night when I received a text from a friend saying he was leaving after the second period ended. At the time, the game was tied 1–1, so I knew something was wrong. He told me that getting into the game, going to the bathroom and buying merchandise was a hassle and took upwards of 45 minutes each. He and his friends wisely anticipated the chaos that would ensue after the game, so they took off after their poor experience.

Apparently this #StadiumSeries game was a disaster. People waiting 30min for the bathroom, 45min for merch, and it took over an hour to get in. Can anyone there validate? #GoAvsGo

— The Rink — Colorado Avalanche (@TheRinkColorado) February 16, 2020

We reached out on Twitter to see if anybody else was having the same experience and we got a lot of feedback. Everything from running out of toilet paper, food, beer and a lot of people missing the game because of traffic. And to put a cherry on top of it, when the game ended, fans were waiting over two hours to get off the base. ESPN’s Greg Wyshynbski reported late last night that fans were demanding their tickets be refunded because of the awful traffic jam.

In a way, the Avalanche got bailed out by some poor event planning, because if things ran smoothly at the event, people would only be talking about how the Avalanche got beat on national television by a last-place Kings team. Maybe if the Avs got their act together a found a way to squeak out a win, this whole debacle would not have been so bad. Maybe people would have been partying in the streets waiting for traffic to clear. But, a lack of effort and discipline by the Avs caused an already poor experience to get worse.

Looking forward, Colorado General Manager Joe Sakic has to take a hard look at the depth of his team and decide whether they are ready to take the next step. On paper, they might be a contender, but it does not look like they are mentally there. It obviously has not been easy with so many injuries, but the Avalanche need players on the ice who want to make a play, yet there was not a whole lot of that Saturday night. Additionally, Colorado goaltender Philipp Grubauer left the game early in the third period with an injury and his status moving forward is in question. Sakic may need to consider adding a net minder prior to the trade deadline.

Can validate. Absolute nightmare

— Tim Preston (@TimmyTebrows) February 16, 2020

It was absolutely terrible. Left loveland at 215, didnt get there and sat until 10 min left in the second. They ran out of beer i guess. There was throw up everywhere. Very very very poorly planned and very very shitty experience

— Nissa Rose (@NissaRose13) February 16, 2020

https://twitter.com/CarlsonDavidM/status/1229041786078674946?s=20

It was a disaster. Shouldn’t have these events in locations that clearly can’t handle it. We got there late and left after watching the last ten minutes of period 2 so we wouldn’t have to deal with the issues on the way out too.

— Courtney Jensen (@courtneyjensen_) February 16, 2020

https://twitter.com/BrianKinger87/status/1229095789034602497?s=20

Yes I can validate. More than half the crowd missed the first period, and no one could use the bathrooms as the lines were too long.

— Liam Hopkins (@svw_303) February 16, 2020

True story… I live normally 10 mins from stadium, took me 1:35 to get to my seats. Ran out of beer midway through first period. Lines absolutely ridiculous… and drunk people puking everywhere to top it off. You couldnt even walk around near bathrooms or concessions.

— Sean M Kennedy (@COHockeyTurf) February 16, 2020

We live 6 miles away & it took us 3 hours to get there from leaving our house to parking. Wasted money on a parking pass bc they stopped charging since it was such a mess. They weren’t prepared at all. AFA games are better planned out, so frustrating that an NHL game wouldn’t be

— taylor (@taylorspalloni) February 16, 2020

The post Avalanche downed by Kings 3–1 in chaotic Stadium Series game for fans appeared first on The Rink.

They fell to the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3, in what wasn’t the most encouraging return. However, the fundamentals of that game were there, and it can be an easy write-off to rust from the break. I went into that game anticipating a loss, as the Flyers had played the night before. They had the advantage of an extra game to get back into playing and were likely hungry for a home-ice win after falling to the Penguins on the road.

The next four games on the trip were a showcase of skill and of the intelligence of the off-season acquisitions for the Avs. Each game played out differently, but they came out on top in all of them – which is exactly what a playoff-contending team needs to do. There aren’t going to be any easy wins down this next stretch.

The game in Buffalo was, in a word, a blowout. The Avalanche won 6-1, with the second line deciding it was their night to show off what they’re capable of. The theme for this season has been depth scoring, but this road trip proved yet again that the key components in a team aren’t always the top line. That storyline followed through to the 4-1 win over the Senators, with the top line only contributing one assist.

The 2-1 win against the Blue Jackets marked an exciting development for the club, as it was the first time this season that the Avs managed to win after trailing going into the third period. The level of determination and push they showed late in the third period is encouraging going into the playoff push and beyond. And, finally, the 3-2 win against the Wild had the team fighting for a messy victory through a chippy game, plagued by minor injuries to André Burakovsky, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, and Nazem Kadri.

Standouts and takeaways

Let’s talk goaltending, first, as it’s been on my mind for these last four games. The Flyers game was not Philipp Grubauer’s best, as he allowed six past him. The guys on the ice in front of him weren’t playing a defensive game whatsoever, but you do rely on the goalie to make those crucial stops. The goaltender questions from before the break were coming back – Was Grubauer going to be enough going into the playoffs?

He answered back. In his next three starts, he only allowed one goal per game. While one of those may have been soft, it’s hard to complain when he was locked in for the rest of the game. We saw him tighten things up in the playoffs run last season and can only hope he continues to do the same now.

What a night for Grubi.

31 Saves
.969 Save Percentage#GoAvsGo https://t.co/vFAwtFjSDQ

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 9, 2020

Pavel Francouz allowed two goals in the game he started, but he also made the high-pressure stops that he needed to. If Grubauer continues this stretch of play, I don’t expect to see the two playing tandem, but Francouz remains a solid backup. With the number of games the Avs are playing these next two months, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more of him.

Now, onto the aforementioned depth scoring. With the exception of Nathan MacKinnon, the top line wasn’t at its best during this stretch and the rest of the team stepped up. The second line stands out especially, seeing as they combined for three of the six goals against the Sabres and assisted on a fourth. After a stretch of iffy games from Burakovsky, he had a four-point night against Buffalo and broke his personal scoring record. He now sits at 40 points, with his previous record falling at 38. Valeri Nichushkin and Kadri both netted two goals during the trip.

Aside from Burakovsky setting a new career-high, Cale Makar also had a successful road trip. He became the first rookie to hit the 40 point mark this season during the game against the Senators. Things remain tight between him and Quinn Hughes in the race for the Calder. Regardless of the eventual outcome of that, the Avalanche are still lucky to have his talent on the team.

Cale Makar (12-28—40) of the @Avalanche is the first rookie to collect 40 points this season. #NHLStats pic.twitter.com/yZNadK0tbZ

— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) February 7, 2020

So what’s next?

The Avalanche have a five-game home stretch coming up, which is then followed by an insane schedule in March, with a game every two days. There isn’t a lot of time for rest, but there also isn’t a lot of time for the guys to get rusty. Barring any meltdown, playoffs seem to be a sure bet. The race now is for the top of the Central Division, as the Avalanche are three points behind the Blues with two games in-hand.

In basic terms, the Avalanche need to keep winning. They need to keep winning the way that they did over this road-trip – Fighting through any type of game thrown their way.

The post Avalanche battling for first in the Central Division appeared first on The Rink.

Here’s why.

Let’s Talk About Call-Ups

Obviously, I’m not a coach. I can only guess at what’s going on in their heads. But I think people have unrealistic expectations when it comes to call-ups. Certain phrases get tossed around a lot. Things like, “Let’s bring him up, just to see what he can do.” Or, “It’s time to bench [some perfectly healthy bottom-six player] and give that new kid a chance.” Or, “We need to reward good play in the AHL by giving him NHL ice time.”

Personally, I think it’s highly unlikely any of these things cross a coach’s mind when he’s debating a call-up. Coaches aren’t going to toss an unproven rookie into the lineup as some kind of fun little experiment or in lieu of a gold star. Maybe if his team has already been eliminated from the playoffs and he has nothing left to lose. But for any team still in contention, the coach isn’t thinking, “This is a good time to assess that young prospect.” After all, he has a whole team of people doing that already. Assessing young prospects is the exact point of the AHL. If and when an NHL coach needs to bring somebody up, they have exactly one goal in mind:

Win the next game.

That’s it. Win the next game. And then the next. And then the next. Which players are going to help them do that? The consistent ones. The reliable ones. The ones who are least likely to commit a costly mistake. And like it or not, Kaut, Bowers, and Timmins do not fit this bill. All of these guys make the occasional spectacular play – a play that lets you see just how much potential they have –but none of them are consistent. And when a coach needs to call somebody up, he doesn’t want to gamble on inconsistency. He wants somebody he can count on to hold the line and make as few mistakes as possible.

I’m not saying Bowers, Kaut, and Timmins will never get there. They will. They’re all young. They all have enormous potential. Every single one of them will probably be in the NHL someday. But it won’t be this week or this month, and it probably won’t even be this season.

Photo by Ashlee Potts, courtesy of the Colorado Eagles

That’s not what the other people say!

I know, I’m about to contradict people whose opinions you trust. They’ve told you these three guys are all NHL ready. I’d argue these people are viewing young prospects through some very burgundy-and-blue-tinted lenses. It’s a big case of confirmation bias. They’ve looked at past play in college or juniors. They’ve looked at draft status. And based on those things, I think they’ve already decided these players are better than the AHL. When they take time to watch an Eagles game, they only see what they want to see: Big plays and points by the guys they’re watching most. But they’re not seeing the big picture. Specifically, they’re failing to see how these players match up against other AHL players.

Look at it this way: T.J. Tynan, Sheldon Dries, Jacob MacDonald, Erik Condra, and Jayson Megna are all consistently dismissed by these same people as, “good enough for the AHL, but not NHL material.” Yet, they lead the team in points. Bowers clocks in at sixth, Timmins at 11th, and Kaut at 13th. But to really assess their play and their NHL readiness, you also have to look at them against the entire backdrop of the AHL. Looking at stats for all AHL skaters, the Eagles’ top scorer, Tynan, is ranked 26th. Bowers doesn’t show up until 167, Timmins at 278, and Kaut at 362.

There were injuries to take into account, and stats don’t tell the whole story, especially for defensemen. They’re just one piece of the puzzle. But these numbers underscore my primary point: None of these guys are dominating in the AHL. They’re all improving. They’re all trending upwards. But they aren’t truly dominant players quite yet.

Shane Bowers

Photo by Ashlee Potts, courtesy of the Colorado Eagles

Of these three prospects, I think Bowers is the closest to being ready. After a slow start and an injury that had him sidelined for three weeks, he came back in a big way. Since returning to the lineup, Bowers has scored nine goals and 14 assists in 22 games, including a goal and an assist in Friday’s game against the San Jose Barracuda. There’s no question that he’s improved tremendously since the beginning of the season. So why isn’t he ready?

Ryan Clark of the Athletic recently reported that the number one reason Bowers suddenly started being productive was because Head Coach Greg Cronin moved him from center to wing. By putting him at wing next to a very productive Dries, it gave Bowers less space to manage, which in turn boosted his confidence and led to more productivity. We’re seeing the results of that move now. He’s finally gaining some confidence at the AHL level, but that’s a far cry from being ready to play in the big leagues.

Everything I’ve read about incoming prospects since the Eagles moved to the AHL has the same theme: The AHL is a lot harder than people think. Guys who dominated in college or juniors rarely have the immediate success people expect when they transition to the AHL. In that same article in the Athletic, Bowers himself is quoted as saying, “There’s a lot more that goes on at this level of the game than at the college level or even the junior level.” Translation? He’s still figuring out how to play against older, more experienced players. He had to be moved to an easier position in order to do that. If he’s still making that adjustment at the AHL level, how could he possibly be ready for the NHL?

Martin Kaut

Photo by Ashlee Potts, courtesy of the Colorado Eagles

Expectations have always been high for Kaut because he was a first-round draft pick. I think people put way too much emphasis on draft position than is warranted, but that’s an argument for another day. Kaut undeniably has good hockey sense. He tends to be in the right place at the right time. His speed is decent for such a big guy. So why isn’t he ready?

In Kaut’s first season in the AHL (including four playoff games), he scored 14 goals and 14 assists. Like Bowers, he started this season with zero points in his first seven games, then missed 15 games due to injury. Since returning to the lineup in mid-December, he has five goals and nine assists. In the last few weeks, he’s really started to shine. Two of those goals and six of the assists were just in the last eight games.

Kaut is big, and he’s learning to use his size to his advantage. He also seems to be gaining some confidence and shooting more. But his biggest drawbacks is poor puck handling. Frequently, he brings the puck through the neutral zone, but upon gaining the blue line (and running into the other team’s defense), he almost seems to panic. He can’t juke and dangle his way through the defense or use his puck-handling to keep it out of their reach. If there isn’t somebody wide open for him to pass to, he resorts to tossing the puck up the boards for somebody else to chase.

I recently saw somebody posit that the only thing holding Kaut back is the lack of structure in the AHL. They speculated that once he was in the “structured” games of the NHL, he’d thrive. Maybe it can be said that in general, NHL games are more structured than AHL games, but this is hockey. Lack of structure (or structure totally falling apart) happens on a pretty regular basis. Would anybody call Sunday night’s Avalanche game against the Minnesota Wild “structured”?

The Eagles’ recent series against the San Jose Barracuda was similar to the Avalanche’s game against the Wild in many ways. The Avs and Eagles both rely on speed. This weekend, the Wild and the Barracuda both used hard-hitting, physical play and attempts to goad players into fights to disrupt that speed. Kaut did fine in those two games – he even had a goal – but that’s against the last-place team in the AHL. That doesn’t mean he’s ready to face a team like the Minnesota Wild.

If Kaut keeps improving the way he has these past two months, he might be ready for a bottom-six role with the Avalanche by the start of next season. But as it stands now, he isn’t reliable enough for a call-up from a coach whose number one priority is winning the next game.

Connor Timmins

Photo by Ashlee Potts, courtesy of the Colorado Eagles

Of these three players, Timmins is probably the one most people think is closest to being ready. He’s also the one whose drawbacks are the easiest to see.

Timmins’ biggest issue is a lack of consistency. He makes some amazing plays. He also makes some terrible blunders. Or course, every single pro athlete makes mistakes. It doesn’t matter what sport or what league, there’s no such thing as a perfect player. And when it comes to defensemen in hockey, their blunders are often far more noticeable (and costly) than the mistakes made by forwards. But the fact remains that Timmins consistently makes large, costly errors in nearly every game.

According to Coach Cronin, these errors happen when Timmins tries to make big plays rather than taking the easy option. In Ryan Clark’s article in the Athletic, Cronin is quoted as saying, “[Timmins] makes mistakes by trying to make a better play… He ends up trying to bypass the simple play so he can get the puck 60 feet further up the ice.” One perfect example of this was in the February 1 game against the Tucson Roadrunners. Late in the second period, Timmins picked up the puck in the corner of the defensive zone with a Tucson player right on his back. He had two easy pass options up the ice – A.J. Greer along the boards or Michael Joly coming across near the blue line. Instead, he tried a spin move back toward the corner. In the process, he somehow chipped the puck right into the slot, providing an easy goal for Tucson.

Another good example came in the game on Saturday against San Jose. Timmins brought the puck across the blue line, where he ran into former Avalanche prospect Nicolas Meloche. Timmins began juking to the left to puck-handle around Meloche, and Meloche absolutely leveled him. It was a huge, clean hit that left Timmins flat on his back and the puck on Meloche’s stick.

A great deal of this comes back to what I mentioned when talking about Bowers: The AHL is a lot harder than people think. Timmins spent a few months with the Eagles at the end of last season, even though he wasn’t playing. He traveled with them and practiced with them. At the time, Coach Cronin commented that Timmins was surprised by the level of play in the AHL and that he struggled in practices. He’s improved immensely since then, but tricks that worked in the Juniors don’t work at this level, and they won’t work at the next one either.

Until he can play more consistently for the Eagles, he won’t be ready for the Avalanche.

I’d love to be proven wrong

All that may make it sound like I’m not rooting for these guys. I absolutely am. I’d love nothing more than for them to suddenly become the dominant players everybody wants them to be. But realistically, it won’t happen overnight. All three will keep improving. All three will eventually find their way to the NHL, maybe as soon as next season. But when it comes to call-ups this year? I expect their lack of consistency will compel the Avalanche to choose somebody else.

The post Why Bowers, Kaut, and Timmins won’t be called up this season appeared first on The Rink.

In a league where coaches are being relieved of their duties more often in the middle of the season, some are suggesting that fate for Jared Bednar.  Although there are some quality head coaches in the market, there is something to be said about a guy who helped lift the franchise from the basement of the NHL to a Stanley Cup contender.  Bednar also seems to really believe in his team, finding many positives despite the final score.

All good teams go through growing pains and this challenge isn’t unique to the Avalanche.  They are no longer going under the radar.  With the amount of press the Avs got from national media who picked Colorado as one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup, it’s not surprising the Avs have tough competition every night.  Much like a team that just won the Stanley Cup, a target is on the Avs’ back as the league’s most up-and-coming team that everyone can use as a benchmark.

With some flexibility, Joe Sakic may make a trade to add some depth to the Avalanche but I wouldn’t expect anything drastic.  His changes may even come in the form of more call-ups from the Eagles.  It’s bizarre that now the team is 100% healthy and they’re playing worse than they were short-handed.  But those Eagles players brought youth and excitement.  Forwards Shane Bowers and Logan O’Connor are playing some really good hockey and could help the Avs down the stretch.

It’s important to note the importance of veteran leadership on the team.  There are a few players that know what it takes to win a Stanley Cup on the Avs and that goes a long way.  They understand that the season is long and that it’s a marathon and not a sprint.  But that doesn’t mean that trends like these still don’t bother them.  Captain Gabe Landeskog was visibly upset after Tuesday’s overtime loss to the Stars after he stressed that divisional games this time of year are like playoff games.  Hopefully the Avs can make the necessary changes coming out of the break.

A few words from Landeskog heading into the game!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/M0Csgzl7ii

— AltitudeTV (@AltitudeTV) January 15, 2020

The post Changes must come from within despite growing pains for the Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It’s that easy.

Let us know what you think below

The post Simplification Is Key for the Avalanche in Second Half appeared first on The Rink.

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

The good

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

The bad

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

The ugly

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

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

With that being said, we thought it would be a good idea to do a round table article with our predictions for the next year featuring JJ Seaward and our newest contributor Lucas Rozell.  2020 is going to be a big year for Colorado hockey with the future looking bright for the next decade.  Let’s get started!

Photo courtesy of 1043thefan.com

Will Cale Makar win the Calder Trophy, and will Nathan MacKinnon win the Hart Trophy?

JS:  I would say that Makar is a shoe in for the Calder trophy, if he can continue to contribute on a daily basis. Nothing against Hughes, but Makar is just the complete package, and is just a stronger player overall. As for MacKinnon, I definitely do think he deserves the Hart trophy, and he proved that when we kept the Avs in winning form with injuries to Rantanen and Landeskog.

LR: Cale Makar should be a clear favorite for the Calder after the season he’s already had, even more so if he can continue to produce at the level we’ve been seeing him at. His excellent games have far outweighed his poor ones and the period during his injury showed just how integral to the defense he is. Other rookies this year have been impressive, but Makar has decided to take the NHL by storm this year and I think he’s definitely the most deserving. 

I think MacKinnon should win the Hart just based on how he put the team on his back during the injury bug. He doesn’t lead the league in points, but if the NHL decided he didn’t deserve the Hart after the 2017-18 season due to his excellent linemates, the same can absolutely be said for the McDavid and Draisaitl duo this season. 

AG:  If Makar can stay healthy, he should have the Calder locked up.  Even in his first game in the NHL he was an immediate contributor.  It shows that with that extra year at UMass, Makar was able to better prepare himself physically and mentally for the NHL grind.  And already quarterbacking the first unit powerplay, Makar has already established himself as trustworthy and not afraid to take a shot when it’s there.

I think people are finally seeing Nathan MacKinnon for who he is.  This season with all the injuries the Avs have had, MacKinnon has been the only constant and Colorado has been able to weather the storm.  The Avs are finally seeing success and MacKinnon is a big part in leading that effort.  It would be a shame if he didn’t get the Hart this year but this may be his best chance yet.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Is the tandem of Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz good enough to win in the playoffs?

JS:  I believe that they are. Although Grubauer was not the main guy in net during the Caps cup winning postseason run, he was very important. He only gained more experience last season, and once he gets back to feeling like his old self, he will be solid. It is a little bit more difficult to say for Francouz, as he hasn’t had that experience yet, but seeing how he has been able to elevate his game so far, fans should not worry about him.  

LR:  The goalie question is complicated by the defensive struggles the Avalanche have seen this year, but I do think we need to see more out of Grubauer and Francouz in this next stretch if the Avalanche are serious about being cup contenders. While both goalies have had some incredible highlight-reel worthy saves this year, they’ve also both let in some soft goals and Francouz was downright leaky during the December 27th game against the Wild. Our offense has bailed them out on some of their worst nights, but it isn’t realistic to expect the offense to continue with these high scoring games. 

AG:  This is an interesting one.  Grubauer has had his moments but is also having a hard time staying healthy.  Luckily for the Avalanche, Joe Sakic rolled the dice on Francouz and he seems to be playing pretty well in the NHL.  There are also a few goalies in the system that will be options in the future, but the Avs need help now.  For the moment, I think the Avs stand pat, but if the goaltender position is an issue in the playoffs, this will be addressed in the offseason.

Photo courtesy of sportsnet.ca

What position could be stronger for the playoff push?  Will Joe Sakic add any rentals at the trade deadline?

JS:  He might, but I don’t think it is a necessary option. Most of this season the Avs have not had a fully healthy squad. Once everyone gets on the same page, things will start clicking once again — no need for a meaningless rental that will only mess up the chemistry.

LR:  Our defense could be stronger in many areas, though that isn’t as easy a fix. Arguably we have the talent for a strong blue line, but the play has been disjointed and the team struggles with a five-man defense. I don’t see Sakic as likely to add a rental around the deadline, given the previous discussions the team has had on high-profile rentals. I think the playoff push is more a matter of tightening up the game than adding new players into the mix. 

AG:  Sakic did a lot during the offseason including importing an entire second line.  It’s possible he adds some more depth in the bottom six and on defense, but I don’t think it will be anything significant.  The Avs have about $6 million in cap space and they do have some draft capital.  The time is now to take advantage if they feel they are a true cup contender this season.

Photo courtesy of 9NEWS.com

Is Ryan Graves for real?  What kind of contract will he command if so?

JS:  Leading the league in plus-minus is impressive, and he just seems to be doing everything right. He is physical, elusive, and has been very good this season. I can see him getting a three-year contract if he resigns.

LR: I’m a big Ryan Graves fan. I love how he’s been playing this season, especially for a guy we didn’t know would have a roster spot coming into the year. He obviously has room for improvement in some areas, but he only has 63 NHL games under his belt, and he’s shown an ability to adapt his game in response to his weaknesses. He’s definitely producing, as he and Makar have combined for the vast majority of the defense scoring this year. I like his penalty kill presence as well. He’s not afraid to get into shooting lanes to break up plays and he’s equally as willing to join the rush at the other end of the ice. Add on to that the fact that Bednar says he’s earned the trust of the coaching staff and you have a recipe for a guy with a future with the Avs.

If he can continue playing like he has, and maybe tighten up a few aspects of his game going forward, I can easily see an extension in his future. He’s on a one year “prove it” deal at the moment, and I’m inclined to say he’s proven his worth. He’s definitely going to be more budget-friendly than other options going into next season and I think that’s going to be appealing given the number of players that are going to end up as RFAs in 2020.

AG:  Ryan Graves is having a fantastic season and a lot of that development has to do with the core group he’s playing with.  With a healthy mix of veterans and elite young players, Graves has been able to succeed playing his game.  He likes to jump into the rush, he can play the body, and has been reliable in his own end.  As an RFA, Graves will command a significant raise, but the question is if Sakic believes Graves can be part of the core long term. 

Photo courtesy of Coloradoan.com

Where will the Avalanche finish in the Central Division?

JS:  Not being able to beat the Blues, I can see the Avs finishing second or even third in the Central division with 98 or so points.

LR:  Assuming the Avalanche aren’t on the verge of a total breakdown, I can see them comfortably sitting in second place in the Central, probably sitting around 100 points. If the Blues decide to tank, the Avs might jump into first, but I wouldn’t put money on it as of right now. However, I think the Avalanche should be safe this season from having their playoffs position decided by the second to last game in the season, which is a nice change. 

AG:  I’m not sure what to think of where the Avs would benefit most finishing in the central.  They had so much success being an underdog and I’m not sure how they would do coming out as a favorite.  There have been high expectations for this team all year and it’s easy to get complacent.  I believe if the Avs want to get to the Stanley Cup, the road will have to go through St. Louis who has always been a bad matchup for the Avs.  It will be a true test.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Will Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog, and Nathan MacKinnon play together during the playoffs?

JS:  I can see them being split up for a little bit and then maybe being put back together for certain situations. The line has regressed from last season, and I honestly would like to see MacKinnon play more with Donskoi and Burakovsky some more. 

LR:  Our top line has been underwhelming lately. They’re far from the dominating force they were last year, with most of our recent point production from depth players and the defense. I wouldn’t be against splitting them up again – Maybe slotting Donskoi back in on MacKinnon’s wing, as that combination worked well during the injury bug. What I don’t want to see is Bednar going back to the salad spinner method of picking lines. It hasn’t done the job this year.  

AG:  I think they do play together.  Yes, they do get some powerplay time together but what has made this team so good the last couple years is their ability to strike quickly and change a game.  This top line gives you that along with more depth this season.  There is a lot of chemistry there and the Avs have to lean on their best players to get the job done when it matters most. 

Photo courtesy of nytimes.com 

Will the Avalanche make it past the second round?

JS:  Why not? The Avs were only one goal away last year, and they seem to get stronger each time they make the playoffs. With a young squad that is hungry, and now has that second round experience, I can see them advancing. With a talented, speedy squad, and MacKinnon and Makar both raising their games to the next level, the Avs will be a tough second round exit.

LR:  The Avs are capable of playing absolutely insane, blow the competition out of the water, dominating hockey. If they play to their strengths and play a full 60 minutes, they’re very difficult to beat. The question, of course, is if they’re going to bring the right energy into the playoffs. They fell apart in the second round last season after dominating the Flames in the first round and it was a difficult loss to swallow. I think this team has the ability to make it past the second round, especially if they can tighten up some of the flaws in their game before the start of the postseason. 

AG:  Denver was absolutely electric last season during the playoffs.  And with another opportunity for the Avs and Nuggets to be deep in the playoffs, Colorado will again be rocking.  The Avalanche are building to be a perennial contender for a long time and it wouldn’t surprise me if that started this season.  They continue to takes steps each year and this is the logical next step.  We saw a lot of depth players contribute last year in the playoffs and they will need heroes like Matt Calvert and Matt Nieto to come through again.

Photo courtesy of MSN.com

Will Bowen Byram make the 2020-21 roster?

JS:  Yes.

LR:  It’s possible. It’s also possible that the Avs want him to develop further before pushing him into the defense core. He’s put up decent numbers in the WHL this season, though his recent performance in the U20 has been underwhelming. In contrast, Timmins has been playing very well in the AHL this season, so he may be a more appealing choice to pull up to the NHL for the 2020-21 roster. The Avs might want Byram to develop at the AHL level before they call him up for good – The Eagles tend to do great things for player development and confidence, especially with their younger players. 

AG:  It won’t matter.  Joe Sakic knows that Byram is a key piece to this Avalanche team moving forward and he will be as patient as he needs to be to make sure Byram excels at every level before advancing to the pros.

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Will Comcast finally get the Avalanche back on TV?

JS:  Highly doubtful. Streaming is your friend, people.

LR:  I’ve tried to stay out of the Altitude debate, but it’s disappointing to see the argument continuing on both sides. I’d like to see Avs back on all cable networks because not having hockey on TV is the worst way to grow a fanbase. Avalanche fans deserve to watch the team, especially with how exciting it’s been to watch them play lately. 

AG:  This is a very sad situation for the Avalanche and all of their fans.  When the team is finally doing well, a lot of people can’t even watch them.  At this point, I hope other options are available to watch the games because it’s sad how the customers have become the biggest losers in this. 

Photo courtesy of NHL.com

Will Colorado win the Stanley Cup?

The post Round Table: 2020 Colorado Avalanche Predictions appeared first on The Rink.

The #Oilers are in on Saad but like Toffoli, Saad will have multiple teams interested. His ankle injury is considered relatively minor. Worth keeping an eye on. https://t.co/seNFLfbuzH

— Kurt Leavins (@KurtLeavins) December 30, 2019

Considering that the Blackhawks are currently one of the bottom ten teams in the NHL and last in their division, this kind of talk should come as no surprise to the Chicago faithful. Despite Saad’s ankle injury and subsequent trip to the long term injured reserve list, the Western Conference foes value his modest $6 million cap hit and steady production. Leavins and Spector go on to state that the additional year on his current contract (following this season) has been a bit of a stumbling block instead of being just a typical trade deadline playoff rental.

With both teams having (alleged) depth on their defense, organizationally, this kind of deal might interest Stan Bowman. Saad’s age, experience, and consistent production is just what a playoff bound team could use on the left side.

The 2011 second-round draft pick is in his second stint with the Blackhawks after originally getting traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2015. He was re-acquired in the much maligned Artemi Panarin trade on June 23, 2017. This season, Saad is fifth on the Blackhawks in scoring with 19 points (11 goals, 8 assists).

The-Rink’s very own John Jaeckel estimates Saad’s trade value to these clubs as potentially returning a mid to late first-round pick, a young player and a solid prospect. Edmonton has some very young defensemen like Evan Bouchard and Philip Broberg, while the Avalanche have a plethora of young promising defensemen such as this year’s first-round draft pick Bowen Byram. Those players may or may not be in available, but Stan Bowman should definitely be inquiring about players of that level of pedigree.

Another player that is undoubtedly available in Edmonton is 2016 fourth overall pick Jesse Puljujärvi who has been holding out from signing with the Oilers and is currently playing in Finland with Oulun Kärpät of Liiga.

What could a Saad-to-Edmonton/Colorado trade fetch for Stan Bowman and the Blackhawks? Register for our message board and comment below!

The post REPORT: Oilers and Avalanche inquiring about Brandon Saad appeared first on The Rink.

The Avs would continue to be short handed Saturday as it was announced that forward Nazim Kadri would be out of the lineup after suffering a lower-body injury against Montreal.  He is considered day-to-day.

Congrats to Cale Makar @Cmakar16 and Umass Hockey @UmassHockey on a fantastic ceremony last night #hobeybaker. pic.twitter.com/60G4vXz4SS

— Hobey Baker Award (@HobeyBakerAward) December 7, 2019

First Period

The first 15 minutes of the first period were pretty uneventful besides both team’s top lines trading quality chances.  The Avs controlled the pace initially with the first handful of shots but the B’s answered back by getting on the board first.

With 6:46 left in the first period, forward Chris Wagner redirected a shot from the blue line by John Moore for the first goal of the night.  The Avs had a group of tired players on the ice as they just finished a long shift of their own in the Bruins zone.

Chris Wagner tips home a shot from John Moore. 1-0 Bruins. pic.twitter.com/q96kY0aZkC

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) December 8, 2019

Minutes later, Brett Ritchie sprung loose for a breakaway and missed the net, but Colorado goalie Philipp Grubauer looked to be injured on the play.  He stayed on the ice until eventually Val Nichushkin scored a goal to tie the game, but Grubauer came off right after slamming his stick in frustration.  The period included big hits from Nikita Zadorov, Vlad Kamenev, and Ian Cole when eventually the Bruins started taking shots of their own.

Valeri Nichushkin, goal-scoring machine.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/V2vnfTit42

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 8, 2019

Just before the period ended, Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, and Mikko Rantanen got into a little cross-checking match with some of the Bruins including Zdeno Chara.  At the end of the period, Colorado led Boston in shots 9-4.

Second Period 

The second period continued with more chances for the Avalanche.  Mikko Rantanen found himself all alone in front of Jaro Halak but he ended up hitting the crossbar on a backhand shot.  About five minutes later, Cole took a nice slap shot from the left side and beat Halak glove side for his first goal of the season and put the Avs up 2-1.  This game was Cole’s 500th of his NHL career.

The best way to celebrate your 500th career NHL game: an absolute LASER.

We see you, Ian Cole!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/iQByxo1wGl

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 8, 2019

Towards the second half of the period, the Bruins had a few more very long shifts that continued to keep the Avs on the ice.  But at the end of one of those long shifts, Joonas Donskoi transitioned the puck out of the zone to Nathan MacKinnon but the puck somehow made its way to Andre Burakovsky’s stick in behind the Bruins defense.  Burakovsky put the puck right past Halak putting the Avs up 3-1 with under two minutes left in the period.

Now that’s just pretty, Andre Burakovsky.#GoAvsGo https://t.co/8qf6ICQJlo

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 8, 2019

Third Period

There was a lot of pressure coming from the Bruins in the third period but the Avalanche continued to forecheck hard and keep pucks away from Pavel Francouz, who came in relief for Grubauer.  Nikita Zadorov had one of his best games defensively shutting down Bruins sharpshooter David Pastrnak all night.

The first penalty of the night came five minutes into the period when Avalanche defenseman Ryan Graves went off for a high sticking call.  Colorado killed the penalty and hit Graves with a pass as he was leaving the penalty box.  Graves drove the net but wasn’t able to score as he drew a hooking penalty on Bruins.  The Avs then went to 4-on-4 hockey when Donskoi went off for his own high sticking minor but there was no score after both teams returned to full strength.

Early into the third period, Avalanche rookie defenseman Cale Makar went off to the dressing room after he was hit awkwardly by Bruins Brad Marchand.

Brad Marchand delivers a hit on Cale Makar behind Colorado's net.

Makar heads to the room. pic.twitter.com/8YLfgxy9LE

— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) December 8, 2019

The Bruins had some more pressure late in the game with a 6 on 4 powerplay but Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog sealed the deal scoring an empty net goal putting Colorado up 4-1.

What’s Next

Colorado went 3-0-0 on this short road trip but had some key injuries as they head back home.  The Avs get to spend this week in Denver and will host the Flames, Flyers, and Devils on Monday Wednesday and Friday.  The Avs will most likely have to call up some more players from the Colorado Eagles depending on how injured Grubauer and Makar are.  It’s possible the Avs bring back young goaltender Adam Werner and top prospect Connor Timmins for the homestand.

The post Avalanche Defeat Bruins 4-1 for Sixth Straight Win appeared first on The Rink.

Saad—Toews—Shaw

DeBrincat—Carpenter—Kane

Kubalik—Smith—Dach

Nylander—Kampf—Wedin

Murphy—Maatta

de Haan—Seabrook

Koekkoek—Gustafsson

Lehner

First period: The game got off to a rough start for the Blackhawks, with Jonathan Toews taking a penalty less than thirty seconds into the game on a slash on Joonas Donskoi. Zack Smith took a steal up ice in a two-on-one and fed it across to Brandon Saad who put it past Phillip Grubauer to make it 1—0 Blackhawks on a shorthanded goal.

Kneel. Before. Saad.

Good guys strike first. Stream: https://t.co/mRcXCKrtKj pic.twitter.com/nMDIhqn2RW

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

Then, a minute later, Saad took the puck into the zone on a pass from Patrick Kane and put it off of the post, beating Grubauer again. The Avs got a great chance to drive to the net, but Andrew Shaw came across and got his stick in the way, not allowing a shot on goal. Wedin got called for a holding call at the 7:22 mark of the period, putting the Blackhawks shorthanded yet again. The Avs struck gold on this one, with Nazem Kadri getting a pass in front that he was able to put past Robin Lehner to tie the game at 1—1. A few minutes later, the Avalanche picked apart the Blackhawks defense, with the puck eventually ending up on Kadri’s stick yet again, who made the score 2—1 Avalanche. Then, the Blackhawks absolutely imploded defensively, allowing Nathan MacKinnon to put a Mikko Rantanen pass past Lehner again, making it 3—1 Avalanche. The Blackhawks were just getting run around the ice for most of the rest of the period, not making great plays and playing some very sloppy hockey. Their best chance came from a Toews drive to the net in which he looked like he was shot out of a cannon to get into the offensive zone, getting a great shot off that was saved by Grubauer. Cale Makar ripped one off the pipe that beat Lehner at the 16:46 mark of the period that luckily didn’t go. DeBrincat missed one that got across to him in front of the net, and then got a hit from Samuel Girard that he took exception to, getting into a scrap and getting a couple of good rights in.

The Cat is out of the bag. pic.twitter.com/x22LS4sr5u

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Blackhawks got their first powerplay of the game when David Kampf was held in the back of the net. The situation got even more important when Graves of the Avalanche got a four minute penalty for high sticking Shaw and drawing blood. The Avalanche killed off the first of those penalties before the period ended with a 3—1 Avalanche lead. The Blackhawks still had over 2:30 left on the powerplay going into the second to try to make something happen.

Second period: The Blackhawks started off the period with over 2:30 of powerplay time left on the double minor penalty from the first period but got the puck taken away and cleared every time you turned around. Just after that was killed off, Joonas Donskoi took a pass from Ryan Graves just out of the box and put it past Lehner, making it 4—1 Avalanche early on in the second period. Then, at the 5:50 mark of the period, Robin Lehner was chased after Mikko Rantanen put the puck past him to make it 5—1 Avalanche. Lehner was not happy going off, as he shouldn’t have been and made sure that his bench knew as much.

Robin Lehner visibly frustrated after being pulled down 5-1 in Colorado pic.twitter.com/55KUFUm2Mf

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Avs kept pressing even after jumping out to such a big lead, with MacKinnon putting the puck out in front to Donskoi again, who got the puck past Crawford to make it 6—1 Avalanche. The Blackhawks were outhustled, outplayed, and positively outclassed by the Avalanche once again a few minutes later, when Tyson Jost went all the way by himself to make it 7—1 Avalanche. Really, if you missed this game, nothing good happened for the Blackhawks in the second period for the first eleven minutes. Dominik Kubalik wristed the puck five-hole on Grubauer to get the Blackhawks to within five goals, and get the score to 7—2.

Don't call it a comeback?

Would be pretty epic. Stream: https://t.co/mRcXCKrtKj pic.twitter.com/PoGag8TL6H

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Blackhawks took a tripping penalty at the 14:26 mark of the period to put them down a man yet again, and giving the Avs a chance to add to their lead. The Blackhawks killed that penalty off with relative ease, as Crawford only had to make one or two good stops. The period would mercifully end with the Avalanche jumping out to a seemingly insurmountable advantage, leading 7—2 going into the intermission.

Third period: The period started off with a lot more back and forth, which was encouraging because it meant that the Blackhawks were sharing possession better than they had in the second period. Alex Nylander drew a trip in the offensive zone to put the Blackhawks on the powerplay early on in the period. They got more chances, and were actually able to keep the puck in their offensive zone enough to get some good chances in front of Grubauer. The Avalanche did kill that off, but the Blackhawks were able to actually not allow any bad chances the other way. The Blackhawks got some good puck movement going, allowing for more scoring chances in the period than they had in the past two. Kane got a puck across to DeBrincat on a three-on-two rush into the zone, with DeBrincat getting a one-timer off on Grubauer, who made a great stop. Andrew Shaw got called for a trip at the 9:32 mark of the period, putting the Blackhawks up to kill off yet another penalty in this game. They killed it off, and didn’t give the Avs much of an opportunity to pad the stat sheet. Andrew Shaw then drew a penalty at the 13:05 mark of the period as he was tripped in the offensive zone, giving the Blackhawks a powerplay again. Pierre-Eduard Bellemare put the puck right off of the ice and into the stands, giving the Blackhawks a five-on-three penalty. They converted on the first of the two penalties, with Kane wristing the puck right through Grubauer’s five hole, and making the score 7—3 Avalanche.

If you're in the mood for silver linings, Patrick Kane just extended his points streak to 15 games. pic.twitter.com/ZY3PXaES3P

— Blackhawks Talk (@NBCSBlackhawks) December 1, 2019

The Avs were able to kill off the second penalty without too much effort, not allowing very many shots on goal from the Blackhawks. The game would end with the Blackhawks losing big to the Avalanche by a final of 7—3.

The Blackhawks are back in action on Monday night against the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues at the United Center. That game will start at 7:30 pm Central on NHL Network and NBC Sports Chicago.

The post Blackhawks get left under a pile of goals, lose to Avs 7—3. appeared first on The Rink.

8 p.m. CST
Pepsi Center
TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

Projected starting goaltenders

Chicago — Robin Lehner (5–4–3, .938 save percentage, 2.38 goals against average)
Colorado — Philipp Grubauer  (8–5–2, .912 save percentage, 2.86 goals against average)

Team statistics

Power play
Chicago (13.5%, 24th)
Colorado (19.2%, 13th)

Penalty kill
Chicago (80.8%, 19th)
Colorado (78.0%, 21nd)

Shots for/against
Chicago (31.0, 18th; 36.2, 31st)
Colorado  (31.2, 18th; 32.6, 22nd)

Shooting percentage
Chicago (9.1%)
 Colorado (11.1%)

Face off percentage
Chicago (49.1%, 21st)
Colorado (47.4%, 29th)

Projected lines and pairings

Chicago Blackhawks

Brandon Saad — Jonathan Toews — Alexander Nylander
Alex DeBrincat — Kirby Dach  — Patrick Kane
Dominik Kubalik — David Kampf — Andrew Shaw
Matthew Highmore—Ryan Carpenter — Zack Smith

Ian McCoshen— Erik Gustafsson
Calvin de Haan — Brent Seabrook
Olli Maatta — Connor Murphy

Colorado Avalanche

Matt Nieto — Nathan MacKinnon — Joonas Donskoi 
Tyson Jost — Nazem Kadri — J.T. Compher
Valeri Nichushkin — Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — Logan O’Connor
Sheldon Dries — Vladislav Kamenev — T.J. Tynan

Nikita Zadorov — Cale Makar
Mikko Rantanen — Samuel Girard
Ryan Graves — Ian Cole

Analysis

Yesterday was a bad dream for the Chicago Blackhawks. After coming into the game feeling confident in their ability to play well, too much tryptophan from Thanksgiving led to a sluggish start. The sluggish start was only the beginning of the bad dream. The game featured poor defensive play and somewhat suspect goaltending. Corey Crawford, who was riding a hot streak, played decent but allowed five goals on twenty-three shots. All the blame for the five goals should not be on Crawford, though, as his defense committed costly turnover after costly turnover leading to golden scoring chances. To add insult to injury, literally, Duncan Keith left the game with a groin injury. Keith did not travel with the team today and has been replaced by recently acquired Ian McCoshen on the roster.

The bad dream ended with a 5-2 thrashing at the hands of the Colorado. If there is any silver lining in the bad dream, it’s that Patrick Kane’s point streak was extended to fourteen games.

Lucky for the Blackhawks they get a chance to avenge their loss just over 24 hours earlier. Robin Lehner will his chance to stifle the lightning quick Avalanche offense. Lehner comes into today’s game with a 2-1-1 with .942 save percentage 2.47 goals-against average.

Lehner will have his work cut out for him as he has to face the red hot rookie sensation Cale Makar. Maker added to his impressive start, he now has 26 points in 25 games with eight goals and 18 assists. In addition to being a scoring machine, Makar has yet to commit a penalty this season. Makar is not the only offensive force for the Avalanche.

Nathan McKinnon started the season on 13 game point streak and now is currently riding a six-game point streak. He continued his point streak with a four-point effort. If the Blackhawks do not want to experience deja-vu, they need to keep the Avalanche MVP off the score sheet.  

Can the Blackhawks avoid a bad dream turning into a nightmare or will the Avalanche continue to crush the Blackhawks?

The post Preview/Game Thread: Chicago Blackhawks vs. Colorado Avalanche appeared first on The Rink.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Nathan MacKinnon to JT Compher.

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

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

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

The post MacKinnon records four points in Avs 5-2 victory over Blackhawks appeared first on The Rink.