There is plenty to worry about when the NHL returns to action Feb. 25, but for now the attention of the hockey world is on Milan, Italy. The Avalanche sent a whopping eight members of their roster to the Games, some with significant expectations.
While members of the front office remain in Denver to prepare for the trade deadline, the action across the pond has shifted to the knockout stages. Here’s how the Avalanche players in Milan are faring so far and what they will be realistically looking at as the tournament unfolds.
Aiming for Gold
All eyes are understandably on the United States and Canada. They were favorites coming into the Games and that has not changed in the least. Canada is 3-0, sporting a daunting +17 goal differential across those games.
Though a lot of attention is being paid to Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini, the Avalanche trio of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Devon Toews have more than carried their weight. MacKinnon has a pair of goals and five points, Makar a trio of assist and four points, and Toews even has a goal and is tied for the tournament lead in plus/minus at +8.
For the Americans, they have played nearly as well. They also won all three games they have played, sporting a goal differential of +11. Brock Nelson has turned in an excellent two-way performance so far. He was expected to be a shutdown middle-six center but has contributed three points as well.
Looking to Land on the Podium
Finland and Sweden both have hopes of not only making the podium but stirring up chaos with an upset. The Finns, represented by Artturi Lehkonen and Joel Kiviranta, had an early setback from the Slovaks but have since rebounding, even defeating their rivals, Sweden, 4-1.
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Lehkonen has again been an underappreciated standout, similar to his role in Colorado. Lehkonen is tied for the team lead with four points through three games, keeping pace with Finnish star (and former Avalanche member) Mikko Rantanen. Kiviranta has contributed a pair of goals, playing solid bottom-six minutes for the Finns (and Avalanche, as it turns out).
The rival Swedes haven’t had their usual Olympic output. Both the team and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog have had a disappointing tournament. They beat Italy 5-2, but it was a tie game late in the second period. Losing to Finland 4-1 definitely didn’t help. Even then, they could have won their group if not for a late goal from the Slovaks.
Landeskog, with one goal, has been a minor contributor so far. He is far from the only
Just Happy to be Here
The Czechs were on the radar of some to pull an upset and make the podium in Milan. Unfortunately for them, it hasn’t quite turned out that way. They were summarily handled by the Canadians 5-0 in their first game of the tournament. Beating France was fine, but losing to the Swiss put them in an unfavorable position.
Martin Necas has very good for Czechia so far with a pair of goals and five points through three games. He added a goal and an assist in the playoff against Denmark. Their reward? They’ll get the Canadians again in the quarterfinals.
The Quarterfinals Will be Interesting
The quarterfinals will feature all of the usual suspects. The Finns are starting to play well, and the Czechs have their backs up against the wall. The Swedes need to show that they aren’t going to be an early exit but must beat Latvia first. The Canadians and Americans both have the weight of massive expectations.
The Olympics, particularly these Olympics, carry with them greater weight than normal. The Avalanche are almost certain to have an impact on all three medals, and someone – or maybe a few someones – will come home happier than the rest.
