The first game of the Global Series began after some time off due to the travel demands en route to Finland. Colorado last saw action on October 29th in their 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders on the final leg of that East coast road trip. They saw the New Jersey Devils the game before and were shut out 1-0. It gave the Avs almost a full week off after a slower start out the gate had them 4-4-1 and itching for points.
It set the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime moment for European fans and Finnish countrymen and women to see NHL teams up close in what could be statement games from an Avalanche team looking to jump-start their season in a classic rest vs. rust conversation.
Somewhere in that conversation was a hope for a status update on valued contributor, Val Nichushkin who has missed the last two, now three, games due to a lower-body injury. He traveled with the team and was classified as a game-time decision.
He skated in warmups and talked with the trainers before leaving the ice a bit early and ultimately missing today’s game. The hot start for this valuable left-winger (GP: 7, G: 7, A: 5), has made his absence noticeable especially in the absence of Gabriel Landeskog and Darren Helm.
The flexibility of this forward corps has left everyone wanting more from depth scoring as a whole. A Columbus Blue Jackets team on a three-game losing streak and a stifled 3-7-0 start also presented an opportunity for new faces to step up as impact players.
But make no mistake, this would also make for a hungry Blue Jackets team also chasing a chance at a statement weekend.
First Period
Less than two minutes into the first period, Alex Newhook came through the neutral zone with a burst of speed in transition and whipped the puck to Logan O’Connor skating in through the slot. O’Connor fired it in over Elvis Merzlikins’ shoulder stick side. It was a beautiful set up from Newhook to O’Connor – two players who have been searching for jump in their game.
At the midway point, a scary collision involving Andrew Cogliano and Vladislav Gavrikov left Cogliano on the ice to linger for a moment, favoring his head. He went down the tunnel and returned to the bench shortly after. Colorado received a powerplay opportunity and Gavrikov served an interference penalty.
On the ensuing opportunity, it was the second unit that was able to capitalize right as the man-advantage winded down. The Avs moved the puck around the perimeter and Devon Toews ripped a shot from the point, J.T. Compher was posted up down low and redirected the shot in.
The two-goal lead capped off a dominant first period for Colorado. Possession was in their favor with a CF% of 59.26% in 5v5 play. Shots favored the Avs 16-7, and they managed to kill the only minor penalty drawn late in the penalty.
Second Period
Though Cogliano didn’t take another shift in the first, he was on the ice and played in the second frame.
This period was filled with an entertaining fulfillment of storylines for Finnish players in front of their home crowd. At 0:35 into its start, an effective Nathan MacKinnon forecheck worked the puck away from Columbus and on to Evan Rodrigues’ stick. Colorado moved well between the hashmarks and Rodrigues found Mikko Rantanen skating through the slot.
Rantanen stickhandled his way to the side of the net and forced Merzlikins out of the crease. Rantanen’s patience granted him the angle and he forehanded the puck in behind Merzlikins from along the goal line.
It was an electric moment for Rantanen, but this was just not Colorado’s period. An early Sam Girard tripping penalty put the Avs in a precarious position. At 1:35 Jakub Voracek set up down low after the face-off win and redirected Patrik Laine’s pass from high above the right circle into the net. It would not be Laine’s last point of the game.
At 7:16, Laine received the puck from Johnny Gaudreau at the left circle and fired it in five-hole. Criticisms of officiating cropped up in this half. Generally, Colorado paraded to the box: a controversial bench minor for too many men, and a MacKinnon double minor after that early Girard call hemmed the Avs in their own end.
You could see some merit to the initial MacKinnon cross-checking call, but it was standard contact already observed several times throughout the course of the game. His disagreement with the call earned him an additional two minutes for abuse of officials which added insult to injury.
Columbus’ effort rallied ahead, outshooting the Avs 13-9 and controlled possession even at 5v5 with a CF% of 52.63.
Third Period
At 2:32, brother of Avalanche prospect Jean-Luc Foudy, Liam Foudy appeared to receive the pass from Eric Robinson posted behind the net. A falling Sam Girard attempted to block the passing lane, but it went between his feet. Both Sean Kuraly and Foudy motioned to take the shot, but it was the momentum and power of Kuraly’s shot that sent the puck in. Either way, it tied the game 3-3.
Colorado had to contend with killing another double minor as Dryden Hunt’s high stick on Voracek drew blood at 3:54. The penalty kill successfully weathered the storm.
At 7:44, Laine slashed fellow Finn, Artturi Lehkonen. As if to avenge him, Makar sent the puck to Rantanen parked at the right circle, and Rantanen scored his second of the game. Hard work from Rodrigues impressively kept this play alive. MacKinnon found Makar who found Rantanen and Colorado was back on top.
Laine waiting for the puck at the offensive blueline, came in all alone at 8:13 on the breakaway and Georgiev denied him impressively.
Shortly after, MacKinnon shimmied away from defenders and Rantanen redirected his pass to Makar posted up in the slot. Makar scored his first goal of the season and gave the Avs a 5-3 lead at 10:49. A wave of relief appeared to wash over Makar.
It was a classic Avalanche game: a dominant first period, an uninspiring second, and a third period wherein they applied just the right amount of pressure. The Blue Jackets pulled their goaltender with about two minutes remaining to try and come back, but Rantanen secured the hat trick with an empty net goal to deliver the final nail in the coffin.
Colorado won 6-3.
Observations:
It was a win that came about through a few things.
Depth and Special Teams: Quick depth scoring from Logan O’Connor with the set-up from Alex Newhook and the subsequent tip from J.T. Compher on the second goal provided an immediate jump in this game. Also a part of the depth was the solid defensive contributions of Martin Kaut in Colorado’s successful penalty kill particularly on the second double minor. The penalty kill as a whole withstood six of seven chances. With Compher’s goal and Rantanen’s second goal, Colorado also capitalized on two of their five power play opportunities.
Solid Goaltending: Alexandar Georgiev made 36 of 39 saves to include 10 of 11 high danger chances. The differential for high danger scoring chances allowed from Colorado compared to created was 18-7 favoring Columbus. This placed Columbus in dangerous areas and tested Georgiev in big ways as seen in the volume of chances allowed on every side of the net and up through the slot.
Star Talent: Another factor is the raw talent of the Avalanche. Stars showing up was important. Mikko Rantanen had a four-point night due to skilled play and patience. Nathan MacKinnon applied pressure on the forecheck, set up four of the goals scored, had one of the highest CF’s at every strength (69.70%), and tied the team-high in total shot attempts with Rantanen. Cale Makar had a goal and an assist and also was among the team-high in shot attempts as well.
The sheer skill of this Avalanche team is not to be understated. The Blue Jackets, out-hit, outshot, dominated at the faceoff circle, generated more high-danger chances, and created more scoring chances by a wider margin through the second and third period. The Avs won the special teams battle and their precision over a struggling Elvis Merzlikins lifted them over the Columbus in the end. The final shifts from Cale Makar after his goal unlocked something spooky we’ve been dying to see more of, and I hope there’s more where that came from tomorrow.
