Takeaways

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

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

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

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

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

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

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

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

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

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) April 10, 2024

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

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

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) April 10, 2024

Conclusion

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

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

Welcome back, Big Val!

Valeri Nichushkin scores the @SUBWAYCanada OT Winner for the Avalanche. pic.twitter.com/6iqzCHiuSV

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 9, 2024

Takeaways

— Penalty kill unit two looked strong with adding Yakov Trenin and Valerie Nichushkin back. There were a lot of penalties during the game. The Avalanche either had opportunities or had to hold strong and defend. No power play goals tonight, but the penalty killers defended keeping the Wild scoreless too.

— Nichushkin was back. He will settle back into his full strength the more games he plays, but his presence on the second line seemed to give the team strength. He and the four other new players, picked up before the trade deadline, contributed.

How big is Val Nichushkin’s impact on the Avs.

Well there’s your answer. He wins it in his first game back.

— Jesse Montano (@jessemontano_) March 9, 2024

— Casey Mittelstadt at second line center was noticeable. Sean Walker was strong in defense and he, too, made his presence felt. Brandon Duhaime and Trenin kept up with the Avalanche speed and showed the skills that had them added to the team.

— The Avalanche looked to start the game strong, but were outshot in the second period eleven to seven. During several games this season, they then out shot their opponents during the third period. Tonight was no different.

— Alexandar Georgiev stood strong when it was most needed. He came up strong with phenomenal saves, including a penalty shot.

Another multi-point night for Nathan MacKinnon! pic.twitter.com/bxvHrKjc4r

— NHL (@NHL) March 9, 2024

Val's 2nd career OT goal

MacKinnon (2 assists) matches career high with 111 points for the season and extends overall point streak to 12 contests

Rantanen picks up assist for 9th consecutive game, a new career-long assist streak

Georgiev 33rd win tied for @NHL lead https://t.co/235kSAMgKc

— Brendan McNicholas (@bmcnich) March 9, 2024

Summary

The game was hard fought with the Avalanches lines shaken up and the Wild’s back up goalie, who had a three point goal against average, in net. The Avalanche’s new team members proved their worth in strengthening this already formidable team. Mark Rycroft commented during the third period that the Avalanche needed to “play sticky, greasy hockey” and they did.

The upcoming road trip will allow the lines to gel and find chemistry. Then Coach Jared Bednar with have the job of deciding which lines will work best together. Colorado Avalanche play the Calgary Flames on Tuesday in Calgary, the first of four upcoming games on the road.

The post Nichushkin nets the game winner against the Wild appeared first on The Rink.

Ultimately, the Avalanche dropped the game 4–3, allowing Minnesota to score three goals in the third period.

Going into the contest, Minnesota’s Jesper Wallstedt was going to be a tough goalie to score on. As one of the top goalie prospects in the league, the Avalanche had their work cut out for them.

In the first period, Colorado was ready to step up to the challenge. All lines were locked in and focused, looking cohesive. Only 4:10 into the first period, a pass from Fredrik Olofsson to Joel Kiviranta put the Avalanche ahead on the board.

And that’s a goal! Kiviranta gets the #Avs on the board@TheRinkColorado #GoAvsGo

— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) September 24, 2023

While aggressive play seemed to pay off, the Avalanche stacked up 18 penalty minutes. Leaving the team shorthanded allowed the Wild to capitalize. Sam Malinski spent the most time in the box, owning eight of the 18 minutes.

The Wild could not take advantage of the penalties by Henry Bowlby, Tomas Tatar and Saige Weinstein in the first period to even the score.

By the second period, the proactive play became a disadvantage. Malinski, Jack Johnson and Corey Schueneman committed the first three penalties of the period but were later followed by two from their opponents.

Unlike the first period, sloppy play became apparent, and a power play became the perfect scoring opportunity for Minnesota to get past Justus Annunen to tie the score at 1–1.

The rest of the period remained scoreless.

Heading into the third period, the Avalanche cleaned up the penalties, but it was not enough to keep Minnesota away from offensive momentum. After a goal from the Wild snuck past Arvid Holm, a pass from Ryan Sandelin to Bowlby tied the game back up at 2–2.

Two more Minnesota tallies put the Avalanche behind, and with nine seconds left in the last leg of the game, Riley Tufte put the final goal on the board to trim the score to 4–3.

Preseason is for learning, and the Avalanche have a lot to work with, but their time is limited. All eyes are on the coaching staff to see what adjustments will be made to produce a successful lineup.

With inevitable roster changes being made, Monday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights will demonstrate how the players’ performance affects the game’s result.

The post Avalanche drop first preseason game to Minnesota Wild 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.

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.