Beginning with a much-needed win over the Anaheim Ducks, the Colorado Avalanche have gone on a run. Given how the season started – with four consecutive ugly losses – it feels like ages ago that the Avalanche were approaching DEFCON 1.
On Sunday night, it took some resolve to hold off the Ottawa Senators. The Avalanche walked away with a 5-4 victory, their fifth in a row. This game began quietly but finished with a crazy flurry of goals to end the night. Let’s get into the takeaways.
Annunen Looked Human
Through two periods, Justus Annunen looked like he was going to have another very good night. He’s been excellent in three starts so far for the Avalanche, allowing a total of four goals in that span, including just one in the most recent win over the Utah Hockey Club. Heading into the third period, he had to be thinking about a shutout.
About halfway through the third, the Senators quickly closed the gap, going from being down two to tying the game in the span of 2:08. Claude Giroux would score twice in the final 3:12 as well, though it wasn’t enough for the Senators to overcome.
Annunen was nowhere near “bad” in this one. The Senators have a good offense and are capable of pouring it on. Down 4-2 late, they had no choice but to become more aggressive, which resulted in a couple of goals. Annunen is clearly the guy, and it’s positive that the team still wins even when giving up four.
Mittelstadt Had Himself a Night
The focus may have begun with Nathan MacKinnon playing his 800th game, but when the night was done, it became more about Casey Mittelstadt. Coming into the season, it was imperative for the success of the Avalanche that Mittelstadt establish himself as a legitimate second-line center.
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He led the way in the win over the Senators, picking up three assists (the first three goals of the game for the Avalanche). That puts him up to 12 points in nine games with the Avalanche this season, setting him up to totally crush his career-bests nearly across the board.
Mittelstadt has been a pivotal piece of the offense so far this season. MacKinnon had multiple points yet again but Mittelstadt was crucial in helping the team get the lead in the first two periods. Who knows how the rest of the game would have gone without him?
Cale Makar Starts Season with 9-Game Point Streak
With an assist on Ross Colton’s eighth of the season, Cale Makar upped his point streak to nine games to start the season. For any player, let alone a defenseman, it is unreal to begin the season on that kind of tear. Makar is approaching territory that hasn’t been seen of a defenseman since the early 1990s.
As stated in the section about Mittelstadt, it had to be nice for Makar to not need to dominate. Logging 21:46 of ice time, he was able to turn in a complete performance without having to feel like he had to do everything.
Makar now sits at 16 points through nine games. He trails only Mark Stone of the Vegas Golden Knights for the league lead, who now has 17 points. If there is one criticism of Makar, it has been his overall defensive game. He’s cleaned it up over the last five games but he had some major lapses in the early losses. Even still, he’s gained a huge leg up in the race for the Norris Trophy.
Avs Continue to Roll
That makes five straight wins for the Avalanche. They look like a completely different team from the first four games. With Annunen taking over and the emergence of scoring from the middle of the lineup, they suddenly look quite formidable each night.
There is still a lot of work to be done but the Avalanche are gaining ground. They’re now fourth in the Central Division. Divisional games against the Chicago Blackhawks, Winnipeg Jets, and Nashville Predators are on the horizon and will all hold major implications for the remainder of the season.
