After a devastating (and frankly, confusing) ending on Thursday against the Nashville Predators, the Avs got their opportunity for revenge and capitalized in a 4-2 win over their division rivals.
Nathan MacKinnon (because who else?) starts off the scoring at Ball Arena just 1:26 into the first period. Jack Drury got Colorado‘s second goal of the period 11:47 in, a stellar goal scored during a 4-on-4 opportunity. While the Avs won the first, Nashville got on the board before the period’s end, thanks to a beautiful power-play goal made possible by a pass behind the goal line by Ryan O’Reilly to give Jonathan Marchessault his seventh goal of the season.
Victor Olofsson was the lone goal-scorer of the second period, which came off a 6-on-5 opportunity due to a delayed penalty.
The third period was a fairly low-event affair, but Colorado did hold Nashville to just two shots on goal through the first 10 minutes. At least, until there’s 3:34 left in regulation, Valeri Nichushkin gets an insurance goal with an empty-netter. Tyson Jost gets on the board with just over a minute left to cut the lead in half, but it won’t be enough to rally back.
That’s where things end, with the Avs taking the win against their division rivals 4-1.
It’s been a while, Victor Olofsson
In a slow offseason, Colorado set out to fill the very few holes they had to fill to begin the season. One of those was found in Victor Olofsson, who is a notorious sniper and was viewed as a valuable addition to the middle six.
Through 31 games, he only tallied six goals, three of which came during an 8-4 win over the New Jersey Devils, and the last of which came on 11/16 against the New York Islanders.
Today, he got his seventh goal.
Scott Wedgewood raced off to the bench for the extra attacker on a delayed penalty, and Colorado persevered through a choppy Nashville zone and converted on the opportunity with an extra man on the ice.
Not a “true” power play goal (sorry power play believers), but it gives you hope that something can be made out of the man-advantage moving forward.
A matchup in the creases
On November 4th, 2024, the Avs made a move that the entirety of the fanbase was hoping they’d make, going out to strengthen their crease.
Enter Scott Wedgewood, who had just signed with the Predators before the 2024-25 season. The Avs acquired the “Wedgewall” – the first half of the lumberyard, as it’s been so popularly called here in Colorado – and, in return, sent away goaltending prospect-turned-backup Justus Annunen.
Guess who’s in net tonight for the Predators?
Jusse Saros got the start against the Avs in their matchup on Tuesday, but Annunen got the nod against his former team tonight.
Since joining the Predators, Annunen hasn’t had stellar numbers (24/25: 3.17 GAA, .888 SV%; 25/26: 3.83 GAA, .851 SV%)
On the opposite side of things, Wedgewood has put up phenomenal numbers, even earning himself a one-year extension that keeps him in Colorado through the 2026-27 season.
- 24/25: 1.99 GAA, .917 SV%
- 25/26: 2.11 GAA, .919 SV%
