Nathan MacKinnon returns to the Avs‘ lineup in the back half of the back-to-back series that kicked off the return of the regular season following the Olympic break. Despite playing in all games for Team Canada, MacKinnon looked worse for wear toward the end, whether due to injury, illness, or both, we’re unsure.
Mackenzie Blackwood, the rested goaltender in this series with Scott Wedgewood playing last night, got the start in net. On the opposite side, the Minnesota Wild give Team Sweden Olympian Filip Gustavsson the start.
This is Minnesota’s first game back since the break ended, so they’re the rested of the two teams on the ice tonight, not that the Avs gave them much to work with despite playing last night. Ultimately, Minnesota found the scoring edge in this game, but it’s not due to lack of trying from the Avs.
No goals were tallied in the first period. A few penalties, and the Avs got a single power play opportunity that looked okay but didn’t result in anything positive on the scoresheet.
Leave it to special teams to yield the first goal of the game. Despite the controversial nature of the call, Cale Makar is assessed a two-minute penalty for slashing, a penalty that Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek capitalizes on to start the scoring here at Ball Arena.
Martin Necas nets the response a few minutes later. He and linemate Nathan MacKinnon work together on the right side of the ice, and Necas fires a rocket from the right faceoff dot to even things up.
The Wild ultimately end the middle frame on top, Eriksson Ek finding his second of the night due to a deflected shot off of Mackenzie Blackwood’s skate.
2-1 heading into the third period, and Minnesota hammers it home. One goal from Mats Zuccarello, courtesy of another skate-deflected puck, this time from Sam Malinski, and two empty-netters from Matt Boldy. Martin Necas did score on Jesper Wallstedt, who came in as relief after Gustavsson got sick with 1:04 remaining in regulation, but it’s not enough to get the Avs back into the game, and this one ends at 5-2.
Martin Necas goes God Mode?
Who knew that all it would take for Martin Necas to find his edge again would be to highlight Team Czechia at the Milano Cortina Olympics?
Two games for the Avs since returning from the Olympic break, and Martin Necas has scored in both of them. Three goals in two games is… well, superstar stuff, to put it bluntly.
The Avs crew finished with 39 collective points at the Olympics. Necas, despite his team losing 4-3 in overtime to Canada in the semifinals, finished in fifth place among all skaters, with eight points (3g/5a) in five games played.
Seemingly, he’s picked up right where he left off in Milan. Everyone should be quite terrified (or pleased, depending on where your loyalties lie) if he keeps this pace up heading into the playoffs.
Goaltending showed up on both sides. BIG TIME.
The score is extremely misleading, so believe me when I say that this game could be featured on highlight reels for both Filip Gustavsson and Mackenzie Blackwood tonight.
It doesn’t matter which side of the ice you choose to look at tonight. Shots were 47-36 (in favor of Colorado), and two of the five goals scored by the Wild were on an empty net. Two of the goals also came via deflections off a skate in the crease.
Gustavsson finished his night with a .978 SV%, while Blackwood posted a .912%.
Mind you, these percentages came with the previously mentioned shot totals, and with high-danger chances finishing 13-8 in favor of Colorado.
Avs postgame pod
Upcoming schedule:
The Avs have an off day tomorrow, but they’re right back at it on Saturday, February 28th, with a 4:00 pm MT puck drop against the Chicago Blackhawks.
