There has been no better team in the NHL this season than the Colorado Avalanche. They became the fourth team in NHL history to go through their first 20 games with one regulation loss or fewer. They are first in goals for and goals against per game. In every facet, they are dominant.
Coming off a shutout win against the Nashville Predators, the Avalanche looked to continue their streak with a road victory against a division opponent. Though this game lacked the usual offensive fireworks, the Avalanche scored yet another shutout with a 1-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks.
Best Goaltending in the League
It has been talked about before but the contrast to last season’s goaltending situation cannot be overstated. Last season, the Avalanche couldn’t keep anything out of their own net as Alexandar Georgiev struggled on a nightly basis. Eventually, management made a pair of trades and things righted themselves.
This season, both goaltenders have been outstanding. Scott Wedgewood is playing the best hockey of his career by a mile, posting numbers that are near the top of the league in nearly every category. Mackenzie Blackwood is rounding into form since returning to injury and the Avalanche suddenly have back-to-back shutouts.
The Avalanche appear to have a pair of No.1 goaltenders right now, and that is the best possible problem to have. Even when they have an off night offensively, they know that they are covered and that allows teams to play at a supremely high confidence level.
Cale Makar is Your Runaway Norris Trophy Winner
Cale Makar was the lone goal scorer on the night, notching his ninth goal of the season, earning Tristen Nielsen his first NHL point in the process. What makes the Avalanche such a great team is that they can rely on their superstars – like Makar – to contribute virtually every night.
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For that reason, Makar is the unquestioned front-runner for the Norris Trophy as the league’s best defenseman. The offensive numbers are a given considering he leads the league in all three categories among defensemen. When you consider that all nine of his goals and 22 of his 29 points are at even-strength, the numbers get even better.
He is fourth in the NHL in time on ice at more than 25:30 per game. He is +22, second behind teammate Nathan MacKinnon (+23). Makar plays in all situations, and he is exceptional in all of them. We really don’t show enough appreciation for the kind of generational player he has been so far.
The Avalanche Have No Weaknesses
The Avalanche have been nigh unstoppable. They are now up to nine games in their winning streak and have a point in their last 13 games. They have a seven point lead on the Dallas Stars, who are no slouch at 13-5-4. They haven’t lost in regulation at home so far this season, either.
The one area where you can kind of point to is the power play, and that is more middling than anything else. The Avalanche have a +38 goal differential while the second-place Carolina Hurricanes are +13. The Avalanche aren’t just good, they are flat-out dominant.
Injuries have begun to creep up a bit with Valeri Nichushkin and Gavin Brindley recently exiting the lineup. Despite that, Joel Kiviranta is beginning to skate again and excellent defensive forward Logan O’Connor should return to the lineup in December. At full strength, can anyone stop the Avalanche?
Where Will the Streak End?
The next half-dozen games look more than manageable for the Avalanche. The San Jose Sharks are still figuring things out while the Montreal Canadiens, Vancouver Canucks, and New York Rangers each have their own set of struggles.
The Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders have both been playing very well of late, and could both give the Avalanche a run. Even then, it wouldn’t be shocking to see this winning streak reach 14 games after the Dec. 6 game against the Rangers.
