The Colorado Avalanche have been one of the hotter teams in the NHL of late, even as a six-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Minnesota Wild. With the second seed in the Central Division still attainable, the Avalanche needed to get right against the Calgary Flames.
The Avalanche needed to hold on against a late push, but got the job done. The 4-2 win comes at a critical time, especially with the playoffs approaching. These are the three most important takeaways from the Avalanche win, their seventh in eight games.
Goaltending Was Again Solid
It has been talked about ad nauseam at this point, but the goaltending situation has really been a revelation. Recognizing the massive issue at hand, the Avalanche didn’t wait for the trade deadline to rectify the awful goaltending situation with Alex Georgiev and Justus Annunen.
Getting Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood has been one of the biggest differences of the Avalanche this season. Even though he plays in spot duty, Wedgewood has continued playing well. With this win – in which he stopped 22 of 24 shots – he has allowed two goals or fewer in his last five starts.
Goaltending is going to be vital down the stretch and in the playoffs, so it is nice to see that both netminders continue to deliver. With 15 games remaining in the regular season, the Avalanche are going to need every point they can get, and goaltending will be a driving factor.
Secondary Scoring to the Rescue
It can feel alarming when two games have gone by and Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t scored. But the catalyst behind the trade deadline moves by the Avalanche was to make them a deeper team and take the pressure off of MacKinnon and the other top scorers on the team.
Related: 5 Teams Who Improved Their Stanley Cup Chances at the Trade Deadline
When the Avalanche get contributions from throughout the lineup, it just establishes what those moves were for. Against the Flames, the Avalanche were carried by secondary scoring. Parker Kelly hadn’t scored in 20 games but managed to net a pair in a game where the big offensive stars couldn’t seem to find their groove.
Even new addition Ryan Lindgren chipped in from the point. If the Avalanche are going to make a deep run and live up to their contender status, these are the contributions that will be necessary. As good as MacKinnon is, he can only do so much when room on the ice is disappearing in the playoffs.
Team Defense Feels Much Different
The big additions at the deadline – Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle – got the most attention, but the peripheral deals may have just as big of an impact. They brought in Lindgren and former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson to shore up defensive depth and add a little bit of veteran leadership.
It has also transformed team defense as a whole. The Avalanche were really good defensively in this one, getting a lot of pushback in the third period, but mostly held off the Flames. If it weren’t for a late power-play goal by Jonathan Huberdeau, this game wouldn’t have even felt as close as it was.
It’s unclear what’s going on with Josh Manson (he played just 8:52), but the rest of the group has been solid. Everyone is blocking shots, Johnson and Lindgren are providing a bit of physicality, and things just feel stronger than they had been prior to the deadline.
A Critical Matchup Is Next
Next up is a matchup on home ice against the Dallas Stars. The Stars are three points up on the Avalanche, with two games in hand. A win would be massive, as the Avalanche hope to take over the second spot in the division in what will undoubtedly be a first-round war between the two teams.
The Avalanche are staring down an unfavorable first-round matchup whether they like it or not. The best-case scenario is the second or third spot in the division and a date with the Stars. The worst-case scenario involves falling into a Wild Card spot and having to battle the Winnipeg Jets or Vegas Golden Knights. No matter how you cut it, the playoffs will be as challenging as possible for the Avalanche.
