Has Justus Annunen’s growing confidence given Colorado something new to consider?

The first step to repairing their record on the road is to win one game at a time. The Colorado Avalanche picked up two points in Chicago with a definitive 5-0 shutout win.

Their formula for success continued to include contributions from their top players, a touch of secondary scoring, and another excellent goaltender performance.

In his fifth start this season, rookie netminder Justus Annunen made 24 saves to secure the shutout.

Has Annunen changed how the Avs should approach the goaltender position at the deadline?

Annunen’s Audition

His 62 starts last year were already considered a heavy workload, and Alexandar Georgiev is on pace to start 65 games for Colorado this season.

It’s no secret that Georgiev’s game has struggled at points this season.

His numbers won’t leap off the page among the Connor Hellebuycks and Jeremy Swaymans, but his wins still sit atop the league (tied with Thatcher Demko at 31).

Some have attributed the wins to the impossibly talented team in front of him – they’re just too good to lose, especially in some multi-goal games that required a lot of goal scoring.

But the defensive details in front of him haven’t always been good this year either. He’s made the fourth-most saves of any goaltender in the league and has faced the fifth-most high-danger chances.

Still, his display of frustration during some of the low points has warranted fair concern.

Can Georgiev handle the pressures of a starter? He’s reined some of that in – and frankly he needed to – but he could still use someone to push him and simultaneously lean on.

It was announced in November that Pavel Francouz would miss the season to rehabilitate a lingering lower-body injury. Nobody feels his absence more than Georgiev. They operated well as a 1A and 1B tandem.

Quietly in all this, Colorado has been developing a young goaltender right in their backyard.

A lower-body injury sidelined Justus Annunen for a month earlier this year after an impressive training camp. He’s come a long way in three seasons.

His first year on North American ice required some adjustment, but he solidly assumed the role of a starter for the Colorado Eagles in the AHL and no one has come close to dethroning him. 

Peter Budaj became his goaltending coach in his first year pro, and his game has steadily improved.

His 2022 Calder Cup playoffs showed promise under pressure, and there was a stark difference in the Eagles record once Annunen returned from injury this year.

He’s become quicker and makes good reads on net plays. He’s alert, he’s smart with his stick to cut the passes through the crease, and he moves well laterally.

He earned his first NHL shutout last night and his performance in Detroit deserves recognition too.

Anunnen saw the puck well whether at distance or in-close through a lot of bodies in Detroit. That’s NHL-sized defensemen and NHL-caliber shooters to defend against (Patrick Kane, Alex Debrincat, and a memorable J.T. Compher backhand.)

Though Chicago’s lineup is considerably weaker by comparison, Connor Bedard and Anthony Beauvillier made up a few high-danger chances.

The Hawks led the shots battle after the first period, so he was tested early and made important saves in time for the Avs to fully awaken. Colorado stifled them in the second period and didn’t allow them to get up from the mat after that.

Has Annunen’s growing confidence given Colorado something new to consider?

Yes. Colorado has a viable backup goaltender prospect in the system. They don’t need to outsource that position in the future.

But no, it hasn’t changed their needs for the postseason. Unfortunately there’s one thing Annunen doesn’t have that can’t be taught, and that’s time and experience.

His 2022 Calder Cup playoff performance was incredible and should be a feather in his cap, but he relied on the veteran presence of Jonas Johansson the next year against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the 2023 Calder Cup run.

Annunen allowed six goals-against in the first game of the series and Johansson assumed the net.

It’s a glimpse at the realities of the paper thin margin for error in a playoff series – especially at that position.

Johansson earned those starts because of his experience.

Colorado’s future in goaltending should still consider Annunen. He will become an arbitration eligible RFA this summer and lose his waiver exempt status, so they won’t be able to recall and reassign him so easily next season.

As his stock continues to rise, he’ll tempt other teams on the waiver wire next year. Annunen’s audition for future consideration as a backup between the pipes has gone well, but it won’t provide the support Colorado truly needs right now. It’s not about ability so much as it is about trust.

Goal Support

Two back-to-back five-goal games for Colorado certainly alleviated some of their scoring woes. Prior to their last two contests, the Avs were 21st in the league in goals for the month of February. They’re first in the league on the season (224) and finished at 11th in February thanks to the ten-goal boost.

Zach Parise has three goals and three assists in twelve games with the Avs and the revival of Jack Johnson has been a fun storyline to follow.

Johnson forced Beauvillier to turnover the puck in the Avs’ end and stole it up ice in the first period.

In a two-on-one with Parise on his flank, Johnson slipped the puck across the slot to Parise around Kevin Korchinski.  Parise wristed the puck past Petr Mrazek just between the hash marks.

Johnson’s efforts to spring the rush deserve proper recognition. Bedard had just slipped the puck to Beauvillier along the wall when Johnson charged him.

Johnson has collected 14 points this season – his highest total in a campaign since 2016-17 with Columbus.

Moose Muscles

Mikko Rantanen used his physicality to contribute too.

On the powerplay in the second period, Rantanen’s pass was blocked at center ice, but he wasn’t going to be stopped so easily. Jaycob Megna intercepted the pass, but Rantanen attacked him at the boards and got the puck back to Nathan MacKinnon up ice.

MacKinnon skated in alone and his first attempt was stopped. Parise picked up the rebound and helped the Avs reset out high. Devon Toews set up MacKinnon at the top of the left-circle and MacKinnon slipped the puck to Ross Colton in the low-slot.

Colorado is 30-7-2 when they convert on the man-advantage.

Then on Devon Toews’ goal with seconds left to go in the period, a late push and strong shift from the top line gave the Hawks hell.

Cale Makar’s snapshot was stopped and Rantanan wore contact along the wall to retrieve the puck. He won the battle and got the puck to Toews in the left-circle and he wristed it past Mrazek blocker-sider.

Mr. 100

With a goal and an assist last night. MacKinnon is the first player in Avalanche history to record consecutive 100-point seasons. Including the Nordiques era, he’s the fourth following Peter Stastny, Michel Goulet, and Joe Sakic. It was the fewest games (61) in Avs history a skater has needed to reach 100 points.

MacKinnon’s also assist pushed him past Peter Forsberg for sole possession of the third-most assists in franchise history (539).