The Colorado Avalanche took care of business during their 3 game home stand by winning them all. They are currently on a 5 game win streak, with a record of 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. The homestand consisted of some tough opponents, including the Florida Panther and New York Rangers. These teams have had great years so far, with both of them consistently being at the top of the standings all year. The Avs showed that they can compete at the high level that the fans have expected them to by beating both competitive squads.
The homestand started out against their old foe, the Detroit Red Wings, where the offense once again exploded for 7 goals. This was their 3rd game in a row where they have scored 7 goals. Darcy Kuemper played well, stopping 37 shots out of 40 (SV% 925). The offensive performance was well spread out, with 14 different players getting on the scoresheet. However, Captain Gabriel Landeskog left the game with an and would not return for the rest of the homestand.
The 2nd game was against the Florida Panthers, who are currently 2nd in the Atlantic Division and 3rd in the entire league. Andre Burakovsky demonstrated an elite offensive performance during this game by scoring his first career hat-trick. Mikko Rantanen assisted on all three goals, while Nathan MacKinnon assisted on 2 of them. Through great offensive contributions by these 3 and a great defensive effort, the Avs were able to come away with a hard-fought 3-2 victory. Erik Johnson and Darcy Kuemper both played amazingly late in the game to help stop the Panthers offense from tying it up. Erik Johnson had some timely blocks and even stopped the puck from crossing the line when it got past the goalie with under a minute to go. Kuemper had some clutch saves and played extremely well overall with a save percentage (SV%) of .935, stopping 29 shots out of 31.
The 3rd game was once again a tough battle against the New York Rangers, who are currently 3rd in the Metropolitan Division and 6th in the entire league, which just shows you how tough that division is. The Avs had a great team effort to come out on top with a 4-2 victory. Val Nichushkin led the scoring with 2 goals, including the game-winner. Nazem Kadri was reintroduced into the lineup for the first time since their last game against the Rangers, which was last Wednesday, the 8th. He came back strong by distributing the puck to his teammates, tallying 3 assists on the night. Darcy Kuemper once again was a force for his team, stopping 26 out of 28 shots (SV% .929). The night was special with a gutsy win in front of a great crowd and an NHL debut from Defenseman Justin Barron, who was called up in place of Devon Toews, who entered covid protocol.
The Avs have a lot to be excited about, considering that the offense is consistently playing well, and Darcy Kuemper has seemed to have found his game during the past 4 contests. However, they’ve continued to deal with injuries and covid issues, specifically with their defense. Devon Toews, Bo Byram, Ryan Murray, and Jacob MacDonald are all on the injured list. Luckily, Bo Byram and Jacob MacDonald are looking to return on Dec. 16th. They look forward to taking on their divisional rival, the Nashville Predators, on Thursday, at Bridgestone Arena. It’s a great opportunity for the Avs to beat a divisional opponent and further themselves in the race for first.
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