Avs-Wild Game 19 Studs & Duds

Studs

Alexandar Georgiev

We’ve talked a lot recently about how the Avalanche needed more from their starting goaltender. Tonight, they got it. Georgiev rose to the occasion in the third period as the Avalanche had some defensive zone breakdowns and opened the door for the Wild to tie the game.

It was nothing doing for Minnesota, however, as Georgiev refused to budge. He was very impressive in the final frame as Minnesota generated seven high-danger chances on just nine scoring chances. That suggests a strong overall defensive performance but one that was prone to the big mistake, which we’ve seen far too much of recently.

For my money, Georgiev stood tall tonight and was Colorado’s MVP of this game.

Kurtis MacDermid

The game-winning goal was scored on MacDermid’s first of two shifts in the third period. He played just 3:30. Yet it was still enough time for him to make that nasty move and deke out Filip Gustavsson that badly. Where did that come from?

Good for MacDermid.

Ross Colton

He scored Colorado’s first goal but also brought the intensity and physicality all game. It’s easy to point and Dallas and Vegas and say that Colton was brought in for a playoff series against those teams, but don’t overlook Minnesota.

The Wild have been utterly miserable to play against in recent years and Colton provided the Avalanche a little more natural resistance to their rough-and-tumble playstyle that has left teams bruised and battered when leaving Minneapolis.

Colton was all over the ice with dominant shot metrics but also a high-skill goal to get the scoring started in the first period. He set a tone that the Avs were able to fall in line and follow for much of the game. There were some mid-game shenanigans, but otherwise Colton was a man the Avs were able to take the lead from as they held their own against Minnesota’s bruising ways.

Duds

Officiating

Way too many ticky-tack penalties, including the final two of the game. First, Bowen Byram is very technically hooking, sure, but he doesn’t impede the player in any way and even the guy he’s got his stick involved with doesn’t say anything about it. Everyone was fine with it except the official who felt the need to call it.

That interference call on Matt Boldy with a little over two minutes to play is…bad. I know we’ve seen similar calls on Cale Makar over the last season or two but every time it happens we all get up in arms about what a frustrating call it is. This was less egregious and in a big situation in the game, which usually inspires a little more reticence to call a penalty.

That wasn’t the case tonight and it ruined any chance of a Minnesota push at the end. Good for Colorado, obviously, but watching the rules be enforced in confusing ways only leads to frustration.

Colorado’s discipline again

Once again, I am writing about the Avalanche getting themselves into trouble.

All of them could have been game-altering. Colton’s double-minor started the fireworks in the second period, which concluded with the second straight game of Bowen Byram being unable to keep a puck within the confines of the playing surface as he put the Avs at a 5v3 disadvantage with a delay of game call.

I’ll give Byram a free pass for the late-game call because my goodness was that thing soft. The rest of it, though? The Avs need to calm it down with the penalties. They are having to kill four penalties per night and that’s a tough recipe for success.

Unsung Hero

Andrew Cogliano

Were I not significantly under the weather myself, I’d do a little more video work on this but tomorrow night when the Avs take on the Calgary Flames, keep a close eye on Cogliano on the PK.

Even without his running mate, Logan O’Connor, Cogliano is a one-man chaos machine for opposing power plays. He reads plays well and is as disruptive as one can be in that spot. Any time a Wild player wanted to make a more aggressive play with the puck, Cogliano had already sealed off the passing lane. His hockey IQ really popped tonight.

Add in the assist to MacDermid where he makes the easy play to the wide open guy in the middle of the ice? Pretty solid night for Cogliano.