INSTANT REACTION: Avs keep their win streak alive with a 6-3 win over the New York Rangers

Make that seven games in a row that the Colorado Avalanche have won! The winningest team in the NHL now has 33 points on the season with a 6-3 win over a strong road team in the New York Rangers.

With that said, the score was not indicative of just how close this game was for 58 minutes.

The first period started and ended with a lot of excitement on the scoresheet for each respective team. Just under two and a half minutes in, J.T. Miller and Mika Zibanejad create magic on the power play, Zibanejad with a pass from the left circle, and Miller waits back-door on Scott Wedgewood to tap it in. Fear not, Nathan MacKinnon comes to save the day with a tap-in goal of his own, with a pretty passing sequence from Martin Necas and Sam Girard.

The second was much like the first, only yielding two goals, one apiece for each team. Sam Carrick capitalizes on a 2-on-1 opportunity on Wedgewood just under four minutes in.

In the third, second-line hero Brock Nelson found the Avs their first lead of the game with a power-play goal, on which Wedgewood notched the secondary assist (the first point of his career). JT Miller finds the equalizer with his second power-play goal of the game, but Nathan MacKinnon provides a quick response on Igor Shesterkin exactly 30 seconds later to regain the lead. Cale Makar and Ross Colton finishes things off with an empty net goal apiece for a 6-3 total.

Special teams kinda stunk

I say kinda because Brock Nelson did get on the board for the power play, but for the most part… yeah, both special teams‘ configurations sucked tonight.

After the man-advantage found a bit of a spark after a very successful night against New Jersey on October 28th, it seemed the Avalanche had solved one of the only glaring problems they had. Seems like they’ve fallen back in that hole.

What hole, you may ask?

When I asked Conor McGahey what was working for this Avs power play, his answer was very simple: “Shooting the puck. Shooting the puck is what’s working for the power play.”

In six power play opportunities, they totaled nine shots on goal. Not even a shot per minute pace for what, on paper, should be one of the most dangerous power plays in the league.

The penalty kill, on the other hand… yeah, it wasn’t great. The second-best penalty kill configuration in the league, currently, let in two goals in tonight’s game.

Another depth piece goes down

Gavin Brindley took a really hard hit behind the net in the middle of the first period. He hobbled up from the ice and went down the tunnel. He did not return for the rest of the period.

Second period, the entire team skates out, including Brindley. He doesn’t last long, though, and walks back down the tunnel before the puck is dropped for the middle frame.

Avs PR confirmed just minutes after the start of the second that Brindley (lower body) would not return to the game.

Bad news: Brindley has been a vital piece to the depth of this roster, elevating himself from the fourth line to the second when Val Nichushkin was injured.

Good news: if Brindley misses time, the Avs have some solid call-up options to fill his place until he returns, including guys like Tristen Nielsen, who looked solid tonight, Daniil Gushchin, and Taylor Makar.