How do you follow up an electric 5-4 shootout win over your biggest rival? If you’re the Colorado Avalanche, you go out and make the biggest impact on trade deadline day. That comes at a perfect time with the Minnesota Wild headed to town.
In a tight game that felt like it could have gone either way, the Avalanche found a way to tie it late before their superstar made the difference in the shootout. Let’s get into the most important takeaways from the Avalanche’s 3-2 shootout win over the Wild.
A Playoff Atmosphere
The thing that jumps out immediately when talking about this game is how tight it felt for the entirety of the contest. Both Jesper Wallstedt and Scott Wedgewood were excellent, turning aside a combined 66 of 70 shots on the night.
Both clubs had their share of penalties on the evening, but all the talent on the ice could rarely find success. Two teams about as evenly matched as can be went toe-to-toe, and it is excellent preparation for what is sure to be a gauntlet of a Western Conference playoff bracket.
The new additions already paid dividends with Nicolas Roy scoring with just under eight minutes to go to tie it up at 2-2. The Avalanche might be the best team in the NHL but they are going to be in for a fight from the winner of the Wild/Stars series.
Welcome Back, Kadri
Reunions can be quite sweet and Avalanche fans are experiencing that first-hand. Nazem Kadri is back in Denver for the first time since he helped the franchise hoist its third Stanley Cup back in 2022.
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Like a hand to a glove, he fit effortlessly with the Avalanche once again. Kadri played nearly 22 minutes against the Wild, registering an assist on MacKinnon’s goal and a plus-one rating for the night.
There is just something that feels right about seeing Kadri in an Avalanche uniform again. The addition of he and Roy give the Avalanche the deepest center group in the league, one that should be formidable when the playoffs start.
The Dogg Has Awoken
Nathan MacKinnon had gone a bit quiet heading into the Olympic break. Sure, he had a pair of multi-point games but he also had three others in which he registered none and posted a collective minus-eight.
Since coming back from silver medal disappointment, he has been on fire. With a goal against the Wild, he is now up to a six-game point streak with 11 points in that span and a plus-eight rating. More importantly, he looks energized again in a way that had been missing.
It goes without saying but the Avalanche need MacKinnon to be special if they hope to hoist the Stanley Cup. There are few in the league that combine the level of intensity with the skill level he brings to the table.
The Central Division is Ridiculous
The Avalanche, after allowing their rivals a bit of hope, now have a seven-point lead on the Stars with a game in hand. The Wild are three points back of the Stars and only the Carolina Hurricanes (86) have more points than any of the top three Central Division teams.
The Stars and Wild are about to go to war for the right to face this juggernaut team. It should be a fun playoff but this will truly be a gauntlet for anyone outside of the big three if they hope to make a run to the finals.
