The Colorado Avalanche may have a dozen games until the end of the regular season, but the playoffs have effectively started already. Battling the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild for the second spot in the Central Division, every game matters.
Losing a disappointing 2-1 decision to the Toronto Maple Leafs their last time out, the Avalanche needed a rebound against the Ottawa Senators. They responded emphatically, crushing the Senators 5-1 on the road. Here are the most important takeaways from the win.
Welcome to the Lineup, Brock Nelson
The biggest addition for the Avalanche at the trade deadline, Brock Nelson came with quite a bit of fanfare. Offensively, he has been a bit quiet since suiting up in his first game back on March 8 against the Maple Leafs.
Nelson has had just two assists in six games as a member of the Avalanche, though he has played a solid two-way game. Against Ottawa, he finally got unburdened and got on the scoresheet not once, but twice. He made a subtle play to lift the stick of the defender before roofing a shot against Linus Ullmark to give the Avs the 2-0 lead.
In the second period, with the Avalanche leading 4-0, Nelson had an excellent deflection to make it 5-0 just under two minutes into the period. It was the kind of effort we have been waiting for. He’s not a dynamic scorer and will make his bones by getting into the tough areas and causing chaos in front as he did in this one.
This Team Can Pile it On
When you look at this lineup (on paper), they should be able to compete with anyone. That’s why it was so disappointing to lose by only putting up a single goal against the Maple Leafs the other night. This team feels like it should be scoring a half-dozen goals per game.
Nathan MacKinnon, who hadn’t scored a goal in his previous five games, finally got on the board. Nelson got a pair, and Cale Makar continued his chase of Mike Green with his 26th goal of the season. Everyone got involved in the action, and it felt like the most complete offensive effort in a while.
Related: Avalanche’s Makar Chasing Green’s Salary Cap Era Goals Record
When the playoffs begin and space comes at a premium, the Avalanche aren’t going to be scoring six goals a game. Having said that, it is nice to see contributions coming from throughout the lineup, taking the pressure off the big guns in the process.
A Night Off for Wedgewood
You couldn’t possibly ask for an easier night on the job as an NHL goaltender than the one that Scott Wedgewood had. He was there when needed but had faced a meager 14 shots on goal by the time the Senators got a power play with just over four minutes remaining.
The Avalanche completely shut down the Senators on the night to the point that Dylan Cozens’ late goal didn’t even really register. It illustrates how dominant the Avalanche can be at both ends of the ice when everything is clicking.
Adding guys like Nelson, Charlie Coyle, and Ryan Lindgren to the lineup has made them better defensively at the most important time of the season. The Senators have a lot of young offensive talent, and they were completely shut down by the Avalanche from the opening faceoff.
That’s a Statement Win
The Avalanche needed to rebound, especially with the way the game against the Maple Leafs ended. This is the kind of emphatic win that puts other teams on notice, especially with how well the Senators have been playing of late.
The Avalanche have one more on the road against the Montreal Canadiens before heading home for four in a row. They are focusing on the second seed, but it would be nice to put together a healthy winning streak before the playoffs start in earnest.
