Avs-Panthers Game 41 Studs & Duds

The Colorado Avalanche finished off their four-game homestand with an impressive 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. These are the Avs studs and duds from the game.

Studs

Devon Toews

It was another good night for a member of Colorado’s top defensive pairing, but this time it was Toews who stole the show. He notched both of the Avalanche’s “real” goals and added an assist on Mikko Rantanen’s empty-net goal.

It wasn’t just the goals, but it was mainly the goals, and we can look at Toews right now and start feeling like the dominant defenseman we’ve gotten in the past is more of the player we have been seeing lately.

He battled injury right at the start of the year and his offense had been slow to come around with only seven points in his first 21 games. Since then, he has 13 points in his last 16 games. Yes, that is buoyed by two three-point games in the last week, but this is how it goes for players who have been underperforming and start turning it on.

The defense has remained excellent this season and the Panthers saw that firsthand last night as Toews went head-to-head against both of Florida’s top lines and posted strong results. His one-on-one defense was outstanding. With his offense rounding into form, Colorado might be looking at four elite players again.

Sam Girard

One of the biggest knocks against Girard is that he is too small to be effective in playoff hockey, especially against heavy forecheck teams. Teams don’t come with a much heavier forecheck than what Florida brings and Sam Girard ate them up last night.

He was quick and elusive and make great decisions with the puck throughout the game. He was moving his feet and creating for teammates like a madman. By the end of the night, the numbers were a little shocking.

Girard led the Avs in 5v5 ice time with 20:42 but the shots on goal favored the Avs, 16-5, and scoring chances finished 11-8 for Colorado. High-danger chances are always a concern with Girard because he can’t move players away from his crease, but Florida only generated two against him at 5v5.

It was a strong night for most of the left side of Colorado’s defense thanks to the work of Toews and Girard.

Mackenzie Blackwood

Between all of the Panther power plays and empty-net opportunities, the Florida offense was at its best when it had an extra player on the ice. It wasn’t bad at 5v5 but all told they put 13 high-danger shots on Blackwood last night. Blackwood stopped all 13.

This is where we see a flaw in the stat-tracking because the goal that was scored went down as a “medium-danger” shot because of its location but the goal came from a 2v1 in transition, which Blackwood did what he could to stop but it was perfectly executed by both Panthers players.

Blackwood didn’t have the hero save in him there, but he did find plenty of them later when the Panthers were pushing. His outstretched pad stuffing Matthew Tkachuk was especially enjoyable.

Blackwood watched as Sergei Bobrovsky played outstanding on the other end and was keeping the Avs from running away in the third period and matched that performance. Once Colorado broke through with the eventual game-winning goal, their play kicked up another gear and Bobrovsky matched that energy.

In response, Blackwood slammed the door shut. It was precisely the kind of game the Avalanche struggled to win earlier this year. He was excellent once again. Since arriving in Colorado, he is 7-1-1 with a .938 save percentage.

That save percentage is far too high to continue, but so far he is everything the Avalanche hoped he would be.

Duds

The power play

In a tight game throughout, Colorado’s power play failed to score on four attempts. That isn’t to say they didn’t have strong efforts as their fourth try came in the third period and the Avs were great on it but just couldn’t finish.

The first three attempts, however, were a little more lacking. The lack of urgency was frustrating to see as they slid back into bad habits with more moving pucks around the perimeter and less trying to actually get the puck on the net in a dangerous spot.

The first three power plays combined for nine shot attempts, five shots on goal, five scoring chances, and two high-danger chances. The fourth attempt alone had five shot attempts, three shots on goal, three scoring chances, and two high-danger chances.

If the first three had been more like the fourth one was, they would have significantly improved their chances to score.

Sam Malinski

It’s been disappointing to see but Malinski’s play has taken a significant dip over the last two weeks and last night was no different.

He has been less effective moving pucks and his defense has not held up quite as well. He played 9:24 at 5v5 last night and the Panthers had the advantage in shot attempts (12-5), shots on goal (3-2), scoring chances (8-3), and high-danger chances (3-1).

Just to get ahead of this: the primary culprit for Malinski’s struggles was not Keaton Middleton. In 4:10 of ice time as a duo, they broke even in shot attempts (3-3) and only allowed one scoring chance, which was also the lone high-danger chance they allowed.

As far as third pairings go, it wasn’t bad. That limited ice time together is interesting, however, as neither player broke 10 minutes on the evening. That’s a heavy load for a game in January. Speaking of Middleton…

Keaton Middleton’s 2v1 defense

I don’t have a major problem with Middleton’s night overall, but he only played 7:02. He did, however, feature prominently in Florida’s only goal.

The combination of work between Josh Manson and Casey Mittlestadt in the neutral zone put Middleton in a tough spot coming off the wall trying to defend a 2v1 rush. Let’s just admit that upfront. The way he defended it, though, was terrible. Here’s the full play:

This was the moment I think he made the mistake. Defensively in a 2v1, you’re taught to take the shooter or the pass. Middleton did neither as he chose to instead chase the puck and leave Blackwood on an island.

It’s also not a great decision to just let that guy shoot on the goaltender without providing any resistance, but at least Blackwood could have squared up and had a shot at it. When Middleton chased the puck, he opened the passing lane and left his goaltender high and dry.

It was one thing when he allowed the pass across the first time, but allowing it a second time was a fiasco. When you’re a defensive defenseman, you cannot be blowing defensive coverages this badly.

Avs Unsung Hero

Jonathan Drouin and Casey Mittelstadt

I’m combining them here because they are pass-first players who got some kind of bee in their bonnets last night and attempted nine shots between the two of them (five for Drouin, four for Mittelstadt).

They also combined for six scoring chances and three high-danger chances. I loved both of their games for different reasons.

For Mittelstadt, it was a continuation of the strong play we’ve started to see here and there. He was dangerous throughout and he made an awesome pass to Ross Colton that would have iced the game had Colton finished the chance.

Drouin was dangerous with the puck on his stick and going to the net. The player he has become in Colorado runs counter to the player he has been elsewhere in his NHL career. He has bought into playing how the Avs want him to and he is showing how good he can be playing this style.

Mittelstadt ended up with the lone assist on Toews’s first goal and could have had more without a strong night from Bobrovsky on the other end.