Wishing you all the best in retirement, Frankie!

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

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

History

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

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

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

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

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

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

What he is doing now

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

What Pavel Francouz said to the Czech media today?

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

— Eurolanche (@Eurolanche) April 19, 2024

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

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

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 19, 2024

The post Francouz announces retirement appeared first on The Rink.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz will miss the remainder of the 2023-24 season due to a lower-body injury. He will return to the Czech Republic with his family for rest of the year. pic.twitter.com/HoinjxUdEM

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) November 12, 2023

This is not the first time that Francouz has missed significant time because of injury. After going down in the playoff bubble, it forced him to miss the entire 2020–21 season. He had gotten offseason surgery to help repair the hip injuries, but it has continued to haunt him since.

This will unfortunately finish out his contract that he signed on March 12, 2022, and spent a good deal on the injury reserve list since. Francouz could only put together 16 starts last season with a .915 save percentage and 2.16 goals against average.

Pavel Francouz with the biiiig stretch to deny the goal! pic.twitter.com/dmwQgrNxje

— NHL (@NHL) January 13, 2023

Fans loved Francouz for his role in the Avalanche’s Stanley Cup victory and his performance in seven games after Darcy Kuemper’s injury. Francouz went 6–0 in those seven games that he played in, owning a .906 save percentage.

Pavel Francouz was PERFECT tonight. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/HpUkTfS8dS

— NHL (@NHL) June 3, 2022

So far this season, he has appeared briefly for three days in August during the captain’s skates, but took no shots. He was around during training camp, but never on the ice at all.

We have the first appearance of a #Avs goalie with Pavel Francouz here this morning. #Avs #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado pic.twitter.com/zmwlarGXXL

— Brennan Vogt (@brennan_vogt) August 9, 2023

This may very well be the last that we see of Francouz with his contract ending this summer. If his health problems continue, this may be the last of the Frankie chants that we will hear forever.

The post Francouz done for the year 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.

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.

I recapped the Ducks game previously and my hopes for the team came true – A continuation of their strong defensive effort and Pavel Francouz playing lights-out yet again. The game against the Kings wasn’t quite the blowout revenge that many fans wanted as a followup to the Stadium Series game, but pulling off a 2-1 shootout win should provide a lot of hope for the rest of the season.

How it went down

The Kings didn’t technically score a 5v5 goal, with their only tally of the evening coming off of a penalty shot. I thought the call for a penalty shot was questionable, but this isn’t the time to complain about reffing.

Austin Wagner makes no mistake on the penalty shot as he gives the LA Kings a 1-0 lead

AND THAT JERSEY THO #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/hAUxBFChAL

— LA Kings (@LAKings) February 23, 2020

It would have been nice to get the save there, but Francouz locked down the net after allowing it, stopping the rest of the shots he faced in regulation, overtime, and all three L.A. shootout attempts. He’s been very solid as a backup this season and it looks like he’s really settling in as the starter, as Philipp Grubauer’s status is still uncertain. Francouz now sits at a 2.27 GAA and a .927 Sv%.

The Avs’ sole regulation tally of the evening came off of the stick of Ryan Graves, who picked up his 9th goal of the season. That’s 25 points so far on the season for Graves, who also sits at a +43. Plus/minus isn’t the most significant stat, and his is surely inflated from the players he’s deployed with, but it’s great to see him having such a good season. I’m of the strong opinion he’s going to get better as time goes on and I doubt we’ll see him move before the deadline. What I don’t doubt is that he’s going to get a hefty extension after this season, especially if his point production keeps up.

Did somebody order extra Gravy?!?!

(: @AltitudeTV) #GoAvsGo https://t.co/5CjRVEUA74

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 23, 2020

It’s never inspiring to see the Avalanche go into overtime. Their 3v3 play is better this season than it was last year, but we’ve seen a few too many overtime meltdowns this season to be comfortable. The highlight of OT was the penalty kill. J.T. Compher went off for a hook and the Avs finished out the overtime period playing 4v3. They weren’t organized, exactly, but they did a good job of blocking shots around the net and Francouz held strong.

The Kings didn’t score on a single attempt in the shootout and Joonas Donskoi collected the win for the Avs with a filthy move in the third round of the shootout.

Got 'em! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/6PcOaj3yPB

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 23, 2020

Takeaways

The Avalanche didn’t play the best game in L.A. It was messy. The passing didn’t look good and they lacked in speed, some of which can be attributed to the back-to-back. Despite that, they pulled it off. The lineup is currently ravaged by injury and the top line isn’t producing, so the depth has had to step up to keep the wins coming.

While blowout games might be more satisfying to watch, the one-goal games are won by tight fundamentals. Battling back from a deficit, continuing to find ways to solve goalies, and locking down the net are all going to be crucial going forward.

The Avalanche need to improve the powerplay above all else. They went 0/5 in this game, unable to get set up enough to attempt quality shots. Granted, a number of their usual powerplay faces are out, with Mikko Rantanen injured and André Burakovsky out of the lineup for what was reported differently as illness and an injury at different points throughout the night. It hasn’t been outstanding for most of the season, though, and it’s going to need some changes through March and into the post-season.

The Avalanche don’t play again until Wednesday, which will be a home game against the Sabres. With the trade deadline fast approaching, the exact lineup for that game may be in question, but it’s going to be an important game to win in front of the home crowd. After this short break, the Avalanche play at least a game every other day for the rest of the season, with two more weekend back-to-backs.

They trail St. Louis by one point and are only one point ahead of the Stars, so the race to the top isn’t settled quite yet – Even if playoffs are nearly a certainty.

The post Avalanche sweep Southern California 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.

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.

3 p.m. CST
United Center
TV/Radio: NBCSN/WGN

Projected starting goaltenders

Chicago — Corey Crawford (5–4–3, .938 save percentage, 2.38 goals against average)
Colorado — Pavel Francouz (4–2–0, .920 save percentage, 2.55 goals against average)

Team statistics

Power play
Chicago (13.7%, 27th)
Colorado (18.8%, 16th)

Penalty kill
Chicago (81.3%, 17th)
Colorado (77.8%, 22nd)

Shots for/against
Chicago (31.0, 19th; 36.8, 31st)
Colorado  (30.8, 19th; 30.4, 27th)

Shooting percentage
Chicago (9.3%)
 Colorado (10.8%)

Face off percentage
Chicago (48.8%, 24th)
Colorado (47.6%, 27th)

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

Duncan Keith — 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
Calle Rosen — Samuel Girard
Ryan Graves — Ian Cole

Analysis

Entertaining and impressive; those are the two words used to describe the previous two games for the Blackhawks. After defeating the Dallas Stars 3-0, the Blackhawks confidence has been soaring high, especially with their goaltenders. Corey Crawford turned in a flawless effort earning the Blackhawks first shutout of the season. In the unofficial game of one-upmanship, Crawford has taken the game to another level. In Crawford’s last six games, he is 4-1-1 with 1.82 goals against average and .948 save percentage. He will remain in the net to today against the Colorado Avalanche breaking the “goalie every other game” trend. This means Robin Lehner, who currently leads the NHL with a .938 save percentage, will get an extra day off. With the goalie duo of Crawford and Lehner, the Blackhawks are able to play a free-wheeling style of offense which has finally yielded some wins.

One player that has benefited the most from the excellent goaltending on his backend is Patrick Kane, who is currently riding a 13 game point streak featuring nine goals and 13 assists. The last player besides Kane to have a 13 game point streak was Chris Chelios back in the 1995-96 season.  If the Blackhawks want to build off their victory against the Stars, the offense will need more production than from Kane. They will also need Brandon Saad to continue producing points. Saad scored his 100th career goal against Dallas and his seventh on the season.

The next opponent for the Blackhawks is the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs will get real familiar with the Blackhawks as they square off against each other in their next two games. In their last game, Colorado scored three goals against the Edmonton Oilers in a span 2:32. The game went from a 1-1 game to a 4-1 victory. Over their last nine games, they are 6-3-0 and looking to continue rolling down the mountain. With the momentum the Avs are building, Cale Maker is making his mark on the history books. Makar has 25 points in his first 24 games and is the most points since Larry Murphy’s 28 points in 1980-81. In addition to Maker meteoric rise, Nathan MacKinnon continues to play at a high level. He is currently riding a five-game point streak and has 18 points in the month of November.

If the Blackhawks want to win they have to hold down the fourth-ranked offense of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avs average 3.54 goals a game which fourth-best in the NHL.

This matchup will be strength on strength. Who will prevail?

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