Mittelstadt's Arrival Ignites Avs in Comeback Win Against Canucks

The Canucks have scored 20 goals in the opening five minutes of a contest this season which is the most among all teams. Vancouver sought to capitalize on a tired team on the second leg of a back-to-back, but there’s one thing they didn’t prepare for: Colorado’s relentless will to win.

The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 4-3 in overtime over the Vancouver Canucks.

Their start to this game isn’t without criticism. The Avs were caught in transition and J.T. Miller used his speed to ambush them. Some poor netfront coverage on the second goal put Colorado down by two before the three minute mark.

Nikita Zadorov wristed a puck past Alexandar Georgiev from the top of the left-circle just minutes into the second period and issued a swift wake up call to the Avs.

It was all hands on deck and Colorado launched a terrific team effort to bring about victory with the new guys looking better and better every game.

The Avs jumped into a tie with the Stars for the Central Division lead. It was Colorado’s 42nd win, giving them a share with Vancouver for the most wins in the Western Conference this season.

They recorded their third three-goal comeback win of the season, with all three instances coming on the road – that’s 21 comeback games on the year.

Mittelstadt’s Immediate Returns

Casey Mittelstadt has recorded a goal and an assist in his first three games with the Avs. His quick thinking and slick hands helped them get on the board with seconds left in the period.

Mittelstadt slid the puck across the slot wall-to-wall. Devon Toews settled it and immediately wristed it to the net. Mikko Rantanen angled his stick at the top of the crease to send it in and extended his point-streak to eleven games. 

It was impressive from start to finish and it unfolded in a split second. Vancouver chipped the puck out of their end but Cale Makar and Toews helped reset and re-enter with a dump-in.

Mittelstadt beat Elias Lindholm and snatched the puck away. In one swift motion, he found a seam through Lindhom and Zadorov to get the puck to Toews.

Mittelstadt’s contributions didn’t stop there. His line was made up of entirely new guys with Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen out of the lineup.

Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin were dogged puckhounds all night. Together they were the best possession line and great on both sides of the puck.

Colorado’s new guys accounted for ten of Colorado’s 34 shots with Brandon Duhaime and Yakov Trenin doing the heavy lifting of that shot share. Vancouver was heavy shot-blocking, so a lot of Colorado’s OG’s were being shut down defensively – Cale Makar in particular.

Ross Colton’s goal in the third period was born, in part, thanks to an extended shift from Mittelstadt’s line just before it. Mittelstadt handled the puck to evade Vancouver and Duhaime and Trenin helped to cycle the puck in search of a play. It built momentum in Vancouver’s end and set Colton’s line up for success.

Colton’s line pushed further and caused a net-front scramble. Miles Wood tried to bang the puck in and the rebound made it behind the net. Wood retrieved it and tried for the wraparound. DeSmith dove to punch it away with his glove, but Colton was there – on his belly – to sweep the puck across the goal line.

Starts From the Top

Mikko Rantanen’s goal with three seconds to go in the middle frame shouldn’t be overlooked. Rantanen has earned a knack for finding those late-period goals when the Avs need him most.

Colorado probably doesn’t find much out of reach, but that goal to get them on the board put the comeback in focus.

Each of Colorado’s goals came from the top line: Val Nichushkin, Rantanen, and MacKinnon.

With a goal and an assist, MacKinnon extended his multi-point streak to five games. It was his 37th multi-point game of the season breaking the Avalanche single-season record in that category.

Rantanen also tied his single-season career-high for assists with 56.

So maybe it comes off his visor in overtime, but it’s Nichushkin, MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Makar as the guys on the ice to get the job done.

Despite Vancouver’s best efforts to stifle Makar, he still walked away with two assists in the contest.

The difference between two very good teams came down to how they handled pressure and seized opportunities. Colorado swallowed the punishment of their early mistakes, kept a level head, and got to work.

On their first powerplay of the third period, Rantanen forced Casey DeSmith to make a huge save. MacKinnon drew a hooking penalty shortly after, and on the subsequent five-on-three, Makar tried a wrister from the slot. The Avs reset and Makar set MacKinnon up for a one-timer from the left-circle.

The top guys provided two goals and gave the Avs a chance. Colton’s motley crew finished the job with the right dose of chaos and a nose for the net.

The contrast between both teams was most evident on Vancouver’s man-advantage opportunity in the third period. Trenin won the d-zone faceoff and shaved a good amount of time off the top. Josh Manson even snuck in a net-front chance before Vancouver even had a chance to set up in Colorado’s end.

Georgiev made a big save on a Nils Hoglander chance in close and the Avs kept that door slammed shut.

Carson Soucy’s delay of game sealed Vancouver’s fate. Colorado’s mistakes came early and they were able to overcome them and the Canucks’ came far too late.