The Colorado Avalanche have been through it all in this short season. The 6-3 win over the Seattle Kraken felt great on so many levels, something the team had desperately needed. If only it weren’t immediately followed by a game on the road against the NHL-best Winnipeg Jets. Playing in the Central Division, these tests will come regularly.
On the surface, the 1-0 loss was disappointing. That said, it’s hard to feel all that down losing to a team that’s lost just once so far this season, leads the NHL in goals, and is in the top handful in goals against. There are a few things to cover, so let’s get into the three takeaways from the Avalanche’s 1-0 loss to the Jets.
Georgiev Desperately Needed That Performance
Without a doubt, the best thing about this loss was the performance of Alexandar Georgiev. The embattled goaltender had been through it all so far this season, so putting up a strong performance is something that both he and the team desperately needed.
Georgiev turned aside 27 of 28 shots, giving up a goal to Gabe Vilardi just 1:06 into the game and not allowing another. It’s the first time this season that he has allowed fewer than three goals. It’s also the first time that he has posted a single-game save percentage higher than .875.
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Georgiev lost his starting job to Justus Annunen, and rightfully so. Annunen has been solid in his stead, only furthering the turmoil that Georgiev had to face. The performance may not have been enough to win him back the starting job, but it hopefully means that he isn’t the liability that most assumed him to be.
The Jets Are Just Really, Really Good
Sometimes you just have to tip your hat to the opposition. The Jets grabbed their NHL-leading 13th victory of the season, three more than anyone else so far. They now have a sizable six-point lead on the Minnesota Wild in the Central Division and the Wild are 9-2-2 to begin the season. The Jets have been ridiculous.
Connor Hellebuyck picked up his 40th career shutout, his second in a row. He turned aside all 35 shots from the Avalanche, including 17 in the final frame. He’s consistently been one of the best goalies in the league and it’s evident that he remains among the best this season.
The Jets are the epitome of a good team: when they aren’t scoring, they play strong defense and have even better goaltending behind them to mitigate mistakes. Top to bottom, they are a team to reckon with. It is going to be a tall task for anyone in the division to keep up with them given how they have started the season.
Streaks End
Both Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon have made history with their starts to the season, but all good things must come to an end. Both had their point streaks ended at 13 games, an incredible way to begin the season. Makar fell just two games shy of tying Bobby Orr for the longest streak to start a season by a defenseman.
Both have been on an incredible pace, MacKinnon especially of late. Coming into the game, he had multiple points in three straight games and four of five. That includes an unreal five-assist effort against the Kraken in the previous game. Given the intense competitor he is, no one is more disappointed in going scoreless than MacKinnon.
No one registers a point in all 82 games. The duo will no doubt shake it off and come back ready to impact the score sheet against the Carolina Hurricanes, another very tough test. The Avalanche will need them both to be at their best if they are going to navigate what looks like a very tough schedule for the rest of the month.
Reinforcements Coming
There is another piece of good news coming down the pike. Valeri Nichushkin is available to return beginning Nov. 15, and has been skating with the team. Jonathan Drouin is also apparently close to returning, something that the Avalanche’s top six has been desperately missing.
The Avalanche have been woefully thin for a few weeks now but getting key pieces back can be galvanizing. Just their presence in the lineup will be a boost until they can find their grooves and start to have an impact on the scoreboard. The division may be out of reach already, but the Avalanche can and should threaten to make the playoffs with everyone back.
