The Colorado Avalanche went into game two against the San Jose Sharks probably thinking they were going to have a peaceful night. With the Sharks in total rebuild mode, you really cannot blame Colorado for that. It was a tougher night, despite the 2–1 victory, for the Avalanche than most would have expected. I will go into what went right and wrong to make it a tough game for the Avalanche.
Goaltending
Colorado had only seen goaltender MacKenzie Blackwood once in his career before Saturday night. He had played all his previous five years in the league with the New Jersey Devils and was their backup. The last time he played them? It was way back in January 2019 and he allowed four goals and lost. Saturday was a different matter. He was seeing the puck on a whole new level than in years past. His skill improved as he took more shots. The Avalanche threw 52 shots at him by the end of the night. He made saves no one expected him to and kept the Sharks in the game. Blackwood’s performance ended with a .981 save percentage.
Mackenzie Blackwood absolutely dialed in tonight. pic.twitter.com/seDp5NBHAq
— The Goalie Guild (@TheGoalieGuild) October 15, 2023
Passing
Aside from the first 10 minutes of the game, the Avalanche were having a horrible time completing passes. Some of it may have been the ice conditions, but passes were too hard. This was making it difficult for the receiving player to catch the puck without bouncing over their stick. Nathan MacKinnon struggled to lift the puck for a pass and turned it over.
Defense
Both teams displayed tremendous defense on the puck. Colorado had expected goals for of 5.14. The Sharks held the Avalanche to one goal in regulation while frustrating the Colorado offense. Matt Benning was especially helpful in blocking shots, poke checking and taking the man off of the puck. Cale Makar logged 27:46 of ice time, being on the ice in every situation for the visiting team. He scored the only goal for the Avalanche in regulation with a top-slot shot and a minute remaining.
Cale Makar FINALLY beats Blackwood on Colorado's 50th shot of the game!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/BBd7z7Ujdb
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 15, 2023
Mikko Rantanen with an excellent shot in the shootout#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/nVcSs6Tl6D
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) October 15, 2023
Conclusion
The Avalanche were handed a near loss, but Alexandar Georgiev held them in it. He secured his 100th career win and had a .952 save percentage throughout the game, not to mention he stonewalled the Sharks in the shootout. Colorado did not execute their style of play and it showed through the entire game.
The next game will be Tuesday when they take on the Seattle Kraken at 8 p.m. MDT. This is their first meeting since the playoffs last season, so it will be interesting to see if there will be any hostility there.