After a complete beatdown of the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche opted for a more low-key game against the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, winning 3-1.
The first period was fairly skewed in shots, the Avs leading 14-8, but the Canucks led for most of it. Linus Karlsson, thanks to a beautiful pass across the low slot, found the first goal of the night just under 3 minutes into the first.
Colorado held on, thanks to a few great shifts and some timely saves by Scott Wedgewood. With just 37 seconds remaining in the period, Nathan MacKinnon cleans up a Sam Malinski shot and ties things up heading into the first intermission.
The second period was a little bland, honestly. That is, until Brock Nelson came in and made good on a scoreless almost 14 minutes of hockey.
Then, Nathan MacKinnon, just casually, goes on to score his second of the game with 34 seconds remaining in the period, cushioning Colorado’s lead heading into the final frame.
Nothing much to show for the third period, but the Avs held the Canucks to under 25 shots on the game to take the 3-1 win at home, capping off a positive homestand.
Brock Nelson is a star
That’s three goals in two games for #11.
And before you say, “Well, Nathan MacKinnon was named First Star of the Month for November,” yes. That part’s coming later, but I’d be a horrible reporter if I didn’t highlight the edge that Brock Nelson has found in the last month to become the 2C the Avs knew he could be.
In 13 games in the month of November, Brock Nelson tallied 12 points (5g/7a), which, compared to his four-point October, is a vast improvement.
Coach Jared Bednar, the players around him, and reporters across the Avs beat will tell you that, for the entirety of the season, Brock Nelson has been a phenomenal piece of this team mechanically. Something began to click for him toward the end of October, and his shots (23 total through the month of November) began to find the back of the net more.
Something else to note: Nelson only had one assist in October. He finished with seven in November, which has boosted his entire line as they went through some changes with both Valeri Nichushkin and Gavin Brindley going down in that span.
Nathan MacKinnon is a superstar
1st star for the month of November. In his last 13 games before tonight’s, he recorded 26 points (11g/15a). That is an insane number to fathom. MacKinnon is just one of two players to have already hit the 20-goal mark on the season, a number he boosted to 22 in tonight’s game to take the lead among league skaters in goals.
I almost named this point “late-period pushes won the game” because that’s exactly what MacKinnon contributed tonight. Two goals in the first two periods, both within the final minute of the period.
Two high-danger chances generated, seven shots through the game (led the team in that stat), and was just one of two players to record a multi-point night tonight.
