The Colorado Avalanche battled their way through a sloppy first period to eventually take the win on their own ice against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A tough night for some of the Avs’ top guys opened the stage to some of their depth to shine through against Tampa Bay’s top-end talent, including superstar goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

A two-goal performance in the second period pushed the Avs over the edge. Brayden Point tried to put the Lightning within reach with a beautiful backhand goal in the third, but ultimately, it wasn’t enough to push them over the top, and Colorado came away with the win.

Win special teams, Win the game

Heading into this game, both teams sat in relatively similar places in the special teams standings.

Power Play

• Tampa Bay: 28th, 14.6%
• Colorado: 23rd, 16.3%

Penalty Kill

• Tampa Bay: 2nd, 90.0%
• Colorado: 3rd, 89.7%

Victor Olofsson got Colorado’s power play going tonight, a power play that has struggled to convert consistently this season. Still, the penalty kill is where this Avs team continues to show up and out, going a perfect 3 for 3 tonight.

Avs’ scoring depth rose to the occasion

Victor Olofsson contributed not one but two crucial goals in this win over Tampa Bay, proving to be the finisher this team had been missing in the first 10-game stretch of the season.

That’s just the third line.

Ross Colton finally got back on the scoresheet tonight as well, with a beautiful dangle around Vasilevskiy on a breakaway.

Colton was moved up to the second line a few games ago and has put up a few good performances. His process has been good enough to force Coach Jared Bednar to keep him there for the time being, and he proved today why he deserves that spot.

This is Colton’s third season with the Avalanche. His former team, tonight’s opponent in the Lightning, traded him during the 2023 NHL Draft, and he’s proved to be a solid middle-six addition to this team.

Avs Postgame Pod