Avalanche lose the game, win the shootout in preseason opener versus Vegas

The Avalanche opened their preseason slate by both winning and losing in Vegas on Tuesday night. Colorado lost the actual game 4-3 in an oddly entertaining contest considering the lopsided rosters but then followed it up with a 2-1 win in the shootout.

The shootout was entirely for practice purposes as teams are allowed to participate in shootouts no matter the final score of the actual game just to get some extra work in. This is obviously for the preseason only but still a fun little wrinkle for teams and fans.

The Avs briefly held a 3-2 lead in the third period of this game as goals from Oskar Olausson, Bowen Byram and Jack Johnson helped them erase 1-0 and 2-1 deficits but they were unable to hold off an NHL-laden lineup from the Golden Knights as a late power-play goal pushed them ahead 4-3.

Colorado’s lineup was largely depth guys and was a combination of Pavel Francouz and Jonas Johansson in net. It was Francouz’s first game action of any kind since going down in the Dallas series in the Edmonton bubble in September of 2020.

Francouz’s start was a bit shaky as he gave up two goals in the first period but he settled in a bit more and him getting out of the game healthy was really the only thing that actually matters from this performance.

In a preseason game with such a lopsided talent disparity, that this was even a competitive game at all is a testament to both how much the Vegas veterans didn’t take this seriously and the Avs depth guys played hard.

The first preseason game is really only about getting guys some game action or giving specific players looks who might be fighting for jobs. Tonight was no different and that’ll be the main focus of the takeaways.

TAKEAWAYS

• No injuries. Mission accomplished.
• The spotlights tonight were, in my eyes, really on the two PTO players (Jack Johnson and Artem Anisimov) and Shane Bowers. Johnson looked rock-solid, scoring a goal and adding an assist before taking the penalty that led to the game-winning goal. It was mostly what you’d expect from Johnson as there was some solid defense (he bailed out Bowen Byram and perfectly defended a two-on-one) and some iffy decision-making (the penalty, though it was an iffy call) and a willingness to shoot the puck. If the Avs were looking for a facsimile of Ryan Graves, tonight’s performance from Johnson was pretty good.
• Anisimov was a different story. He simply looks like he physically cannot keep up with the NHL game anymore. It wasn’t all bad as there were some opportunities for him to make a difference in this game but he just couldn’t make a play. He might be competing for the exact same roster spot as Bowers and if so, that’s probably bad for Anisimov.
• Bowers wasn’t overwhelmingly incredible or anything but was more of the steady, smart player we’ve come to understand him to be as a pro player. He looks significantly stronger and more prepared to be a role player in the NHL but there were still some bumps in the road. While his hustle to get back and turn a two-on-one against into a two-on-two and erase the cross-crease pass was great, the play was created by his own soft work along the wall with the puck in the offensive zone. It’s great he worked to get back and break it up, but you want to avoid being in that position in the first place. He did have a great screen on Byram’s goal late in the second period and also created a scoring chance with his speed and vision on the penalty early in the game. Those things all stood out and he was even good in the fancy stats to boot.
• Byram was another player who really shined in this contest. There were some defensive lapses but his confidence with the puck was on a level we didn’t see at all in the NHL last year. He scored a gorgeous goal after walking into the zone and using the Bowers screen effectively but he also snagged an assist on Johnson’s go-ahead goal in the third period. With the Avs trailing late in the game with the extra attacker, he was not shy about trying to make a play to get the game tied and was all over the place. His defensive excellence and his lagging offensive profile were both surprises last season and tonight was much more of what we expect from the young defenseman.
• The other young defenseman out there was Justin Barron, who once again was a tale of two players. His defensive work needs a lot of refinement but the dynamic elements he shows with the puck really stand out as he comes alive with the puck on his stick. He’s a very good puck mover as he displays a natural feel for breaking pucks out but also finding the right options in the offensive zone. There needs to be significant work on taking care of his own end but he’s opening enough eyes through training camp and now the first preseason game that he as a call-up option is looking increasingly realistic.
• I couldn’t have been happier to see this kind of game from Olausson. He has badly struggled in the development camp, Rookie Showcase, and then NHL training camp. Badly. And then tonight, none of it mattered. It was such an encouraging night from him. His shot is nasty and he scored both in the game and in the shootout for good measure. He looked comfortable in his own skin for the first time all month. He was moving well, playing hard, and looking like a guy that could be a force down the road. When you can shoot and skate like that, it’s just a matter of getting the other pieces together to make the most of those tools. Tonight’s game was the kind of game that makes it easy to dream on a kid’s potential. He needed something to build on and he got it.