Coming into Sunday night’s matchup with the Seattle Kraken, the Colorado Avalanche had begun to heat up. A 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks made it two wins in a row and the Avalanche are looking to capitalize on a softer schedule heading into the new year.
The Avalanche didn’t squander their opportunity, sending the fans home happy with a 5-2 win over the Kraken. There are a few takeaways to glean from this, so let’s get right into the most relevant talking points from the Avalanche’s third straight win.
Kiviranta On a Heater
The first thing we have to talk about is Joel Kiviranta. The man is on a heater, tallying a hat trick to propel the Avalanche to the win. He had a pair in the win over the San Jose Sharks four days ago and followed it up with a performance like this.
Kiviranta is now up to 10 goals on the season, a nice contribution for a bottom-six forward. Granted, two of his three were empty net goals, but they don’t ask how, they ask how many. He got the job done when things were tight and gave the Avalanche breathing room.
Makar Gaining Steam
Cale Makar had a very short stretch after an absolutely torrid start where it seemed like he was coming back to earth. It could have been argued that Makar was starting to wear down after carrying the back end and it’s no secret that the Avalanche are hoping to figure out their bottom pairing.
Related: Dear Santa: Colorado Avalanche’s 2024-25 Wish List
Makar is fully back, much to the chagrin of the rest of the league. He tallied a power play goal and two assists against the Kraken, making it his third consecutive multi-point outing. He has points in five straight games and six of his last seven.
Makar is the best defenseman in the game and makes an impact offensively that very few others can hope to match. When he plays like this, the Avalanche are extremely difficult to deal with. There is a lot of season left to play but Makar will be a serious threat to join the 100-point club for defensemen.
The Goaltending Situation Is So Nice
Mackenzie Blackwood didn’t have a ton to do on Sunday night but came through when he was most needed. He stopped 17 of 19 shots and made a few timely saves that gave Kiviranta the chance to add his empty netters.
Since the trade for Blackwood (and Scott Wedgewood), the goaltending for the Avalanche has done a total 180. Confidence in Alex Georgiev and backup-du-jour was at an all-time low, easily understandable given the Avalanche’s place at the bottom of the team save percentage rankings.
The Lumber Yard has been solid since showing up in Denver and that confidence is visible in the way the team plays. They now know that they can take a few extra chances because they have someone behind them that will make the big save when they need it.
On to the Next One
The Avalanche are off for the holidays before heading to Utah to tangle with the Hockey Club on Dec. 27. The coming stretch – Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, and Chicago Blackhawks comprise three of the five games after Utah – is manageable and can set the Avalanche up nicely for what comes after.
This team is different than the one that began the season. They are deeper, seem to be energized by their resolve, and now have goaltending they can count on. They are just two points back of the Minnesota Wild, who have been slumping lately. The goal coming out of the new year will be to overtake them and hope to track down the division-leading Winnipeg Jets.
