The Colorado Avalanche have faced more adversity through 17 games than most NHL teams do in an entire season. Coming off a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators, they faced another stiff test in the form of the Los Angeles Kings. On a night where Jared Bednar set the record for the most games coached in franchise history, the team needed to continue the momentum.
Things started on the rough side, but the Avalanche ultimately righted the ship. There is a lot to process from their 4-2 win over the Kings, their third consecutive victory. Let’s get into the main takeaways from their latest victory.
The Mikko Rantanen Show
A lot of things have garnered the attention of fans and critics alike this season. One of the things that doesn’t get enough talk is the performance of Mikko Rantanen so far. He was an absolute maniac in this one, carrying the Avalanche offense in every conceivable way.
He assisted on Artturi Lehkonen’s third goal of the season to even the score just under four minutes into the first. He picked up his 10th of the season to tie it yet again just a handful of minutes before the second intermission. In the third, he scored his 11th and 12th (an empty netter) to secure the hat trick and the victory.
In 17 games so far this season, Rantanen has a dozen goals and 25 points. He’s now in a four-way tie for third in the league in points with teammate Cale Makar, Jack Eichel, and Martin Necas. With multi-point games in three of his last five, Rantanen deserves far more love than he’s gotten this season on a national level.
Team Defense FTW
When Adrian Kempe scored just 0:32 into the game, it felt like Alex Georgiev had regressed back to his early season form. He had finally gotten out of his slump to put in a couple of solid performances over his last handful of outings. It was a goal that should have been stopped.
Team defense was the issue when Kempe struck again, this time with just over four minutes left in the period. Even still, it had to have been frustrating and Avalanche fans no doubt were worried about the remainder of the game given how his season has gone.
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That’s when the Avalanche decided it was time to lock things down. The Kings didn’t register a shot in the second period and managed just six in the final frame. It was as dominant an effort defensively by the Avalanche as could be remembered in some time. It helped calm Georgiev down but also didn’t give him enough leeway to screw things up.
MacKinnon Continues Torrid Pace
Nathan MacKinnon should be everyone’s unquestioned MVP at this stage. He is starting to put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack in the scoring race, currently leading the NHL in assists (26) and points (33). He assisted on three of the four goals, his third multi-assist effort in five games.
The Avalanche are now tied with the Dallas Stars for third in the division with 18 points (the Stars have three games in hand, to be fair). A lot of that has to do with the Herculean efforts MacKinnon has put forward this season.
Things could have been so much worse if he had merely been above-average. He, Makar, and Rantanen have dragged the team through the injury muck and seemingly to the other side. With so many important pieces coming back to the lineup, MacKinnon’s presence will only make his teammates better as the season goes on.
Here Come the Avalanche
That makes three wins in a row for the Avalanche. Given how this season began, it is shocking that they are just five points back of the red-hot Minnesota Wild for second in the division. The Winnipeg Jets are off to a historic start as well, making it feel unrealistic for the Avalanche to get back into the race for the division crown.
At this stage, it has to feel good to be on the Avalanche roster. At one point, six of the top nine forwards were out of the lineup. They are starting to return, and the Avalanche are making the most of it. They’ll need the goaltending to be better and a few guys to get healthy sooner than later, but don’t be surprised if the Avalanche become the team no one wants to play.
