COLvsEDM Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/colvsedm/ Chicago Blackhawks and NHL Salary Cap Information Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:53:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.2 https://i0.wp.com/www.the-rink.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/cropped-FavIcon_v3.png?fit=32%2C32&ssl=1 COLvsEDM Archives - The Rink https://www.the-rink.com/tag/colvsedm/ 32 32 136660061 Avalanche find redemption against Edmonton Oilers https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-find-redemption-against-edmonton-oilers/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-find-redemption-against-edmonton-oilers/#respond Fri, 19 Apr 2024 05:31:20 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29324 In the final stretch of the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche did not put their best foot forward and desperately needed redemption. In their last 10 games, the team sported... Read more »

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]]> In the final stretch of the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche did not put their best foot forward and desperately needed redemption. In their last 10 games, the team sported a 4–3–1–1 record and suffered several disheartening losses.

In their recent streak, they lost a three-goal lead in the final period against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday and a staggering 7–0 defeat to the Winnipeg Jets the night before.

The Edmonton Oilers provided just the confidence boost the team needed. In their last meeting, the Avalanche fell in a 6–2 loss on April 5.

Though the Oilers scratched most of their top players, it was still an opportunity for the roster to be put back into the winning mindset.

The good

The Colorado Avalanche came out of the gate hot, scoring four goals in the first 10 minutes of the game. Valeri Nichushkin kicked things off just over one minute into the period, setting the pace.

Mikko Rantanen lit the lamp at the five-minute mark. Nathan MacKinnon, who marked his 139th season point, assisted his goal and tied the franchise record.

 

Nichushkin tipped in his second goal of the evening on the man advantage, helping MacKinnon break the franchise record for points scored in a single season. Cale Makar secured the secondary assist, tallying his 250th career assist. Nichushkin’s goal was his 200th of his career.

Josh Manson found the back of the net to conclude the first period, and Zach Parise secured a goal at the end of the second period. Parise’s goal marked the last goal he would ever score in a regular season game, making it even more special.

The prolific offensive performance resembled the team playing against the Golden Knights. The challenge would be holding onto it, which the team struggled to do in their last game.

The team recorded 27 shots on goal, 13 of them from the first period alone. The early jump on the Oilers was a promising look, especially on the doorstep of an undoubtedly challenging first round opponent.

The Avalanche posted Justus Annunen in the net, who looked confident and composed. He sported several massive saves for the team, showing his promise for a solid performance in the upcoming series.

The Avalanche only found themselves in the penalty box twice. Despite having a strong penalty kill, penalties can be costly and change the course of games.

The bad

Despite having a very successful game, Colorado still fell short in several key areas.

The team only won 32.7 percent of face offs and only capitalized on one out of four power play chances. The Avalanche also had seven giveaways. Most concerningly, the team only put up four shots in the final 20 minutes of the game.

The ability to finish a game is everything, and putting less than ten shots on the net in a period is asking for a last-minute comeback.

Alexandar Georgiev has had a spotty performance in the last games he has started. While Annunen is a reliable goaltender, relying on him for a deep playoff run is not a reasonable expectation. Georgiev had an opportunity for a get-right game against the Knights, but ultimately, he could not keep things under control in the net.

Arguably the most concerning aspect of the rest of the season is the health of the players. Jonathan Drouin went down hard on the ice in the second period and quickly limped off to the locker room. He is now listed as a lower body injury and head coach Jared Bednar had no comment regarding his timeline after the game.

Samuel Girard is in concussion protocol after a collision with his own teammate in the contest against the Jets. He is a fundamental defensive player, and his absence was noticeable. Coupled with the loss of Logan O’Connor, the Avalanche are catching the injury bug at a catastrophic time.

What’s next?

The Avalanche will be on the road for the first game of the seven-game series against the Winnipeg Jets. They will be on the road Sunday and Tuesday but return to Ball Arena on Friday and Sunday, April 28.

Colorado is 29–11–1 on the road but will have quite a matchup against Connor Hellebuyck.

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]]> https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-find-redemption-against-edmonton-oilers/feed/ 0 29324 Avalanche push toward final stretch after Edmonton loss https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-push-toward-final-stretch-after-edmonton-loss/ https://www.the-rink.com/avalanche-push-toward-final-stretch-after-edmonton-loss/#respond Sat, 06 Apr 2024 04:51:20 +0000 https://www.the-rink.com/?p=29227 The final stretch for the Colorado Avalanche is crucial. The team is battling for a top spot in the Central Division but has hit several road bumps. Valeri Nichushkin and... Read more »

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]]> The final stretch for the Colorado Avalanche is crucial. The team is battling for a top spot in the Central Division but has hit several road bumps.

Valeri Nichushkin and Yakov Trenin have been absent because of injury, but both rejoined the lineup in tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. While both players undoubtedly make a monumental impact on the team’s performance, the game against Edmonton was the second game in a back-to-back run

The good

The beginning of the game was off to a hot start. Corey Perry from Edmonton scored an early goal with a fortunate bounce, but Jonathan Drouin evened the score at the 12-minute mark with an assist from Nathan MacKinnon.

The quick bounce back into the game was promising, especially against a team as successful as the Oilers.

Even better, Ross Colton lit the lamp only four minutes later, giving the Avalanche the advantage. The game looked promising, and with all players back on the ice, it had the potential to be a good game.

Despite being outshot 16–6 in the first period, the team held strong and scored on the few chances they had.

The Avalanche were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. Against a competitive team, the ability to shut down any advantage is key.

The bad

The game quickly fell apart after Mikko Rantanen took a hard hit in the second frame and headed down the tunnel. Because of an upper body injury, Rantanen would not return to the game, and his absence was noticeable.

With a quick line shuffle, everything seemed okay. They entered the second period tied up with two goals, but they would quickly find themselves in a hole they could not dig themselves out of.

Despite Colorado’s reputation for unlikely comebacks, Edmonton’s relentless efforts and excellent defensive skills successfully prevented the top scorers from reaching the net.

They quickly took the lead 3–2 and added an insurance goal with a buzzer beater.

Early in the season, this performance can be acceptable. But with five games left in the season and the Central Division playoff seating on the line, allowing four goals in two periods and being outshot 47–23 will have huge consequences in the postseason.

The team only won 33.9 percent of faceoffs and had 12 giveaways, both of which make winning the games unfavorable.

Takeaways

Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is not entirely to blame for this loss, but his performance in the last few games he has played has been concerning.

Overall, he has a successful record. He sits 37–15–4 on the season, but in the last few games he has looked panicked and disorganized.

He allowed four goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 4. Luckily, Justus Annunen has stepped up to the plate and provides reliable relief to Georgiev. Annunen’s relaxed presence in the net is exactly what the team needs from a secondary netminder.

If Rantanen has a long-term absence, the modifications to the lineup could take some time to find chemistry. The top line for the Avalanche has been not only consistent but also very successful.

Rantanen is one of the top point scorers for Colorado, and his chemistry with MacKinnon is a huge contributor to the team’s overall success.

The next five games are crucial to the team’s postseason run. They are only three points away from the Dallas Stars. With their game on April 9 against Dallas, a win would be a monumental step forward.

Moving forward into the ultimate games of the regular season, the team’s performance will be a good indicator of what to expect, especially if Rantanen does not have a timeline to return.

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