In this original DNVR series, we take a look at some of the best Avalanche photography of the last week as well as the top picture in the game of hockey.
Defensemen and future Hall of Famer Zdeno Chara scores late in the first period to put ahead Boston 2-0 in the battle of the unbeaten Thursday night. Colorado scored four unanswered goals to win 4-2 over last season’s reigning Eastern Conference champs and start at 3-0-0 for only the second time since moving to Denver (2013-14). (photo credit: USA Today)Pierre-Édouard Bellemare celebrates the game-tying goal (Matt Calvert assist) with Colin Wilson and Mark Barberio in the second period to continue the streak of at least one goal in each of its first eight periods. The streak would reach nine periods, the top mark for the franchise since the move to Denver, before ending with a scoreless period to start Saturday’s matchup with Arizona. It’s the first time in franchise history that the club has opened a season by scoring in each of its first nine periods since 1992-93 when Quebec scored in each of its first 18 periods to begin the season. (photo credit: USA Today)Philipp Grubauer saves an attempt from Brad Marchand in the third period to preserve the Avalanche lead. The 27-year-old improved to 3-0-0 with a 1.32 goals-against average and a .959 save percentage in three career starts against the Bruins. “I don’t think we played our best game,” Grubauer admitted. “We dodged a bullet here. I don’t think the first half of the game was our best in terms of executing plays, but then we got going and we had like one shift in the last period where we were all over them and then we kind of started getting going. It was really good, really big game for us.” (photo credit: USA Today)André Burakovsky gets a collection of high-fives from teammates after scoring his first goal of the season in the third period at 12:54. Burky’s top shelf wrist shot pinged off the post for what would be just the start of a weekend filled with game-winners for the 24-year-old winger. (photo credit: USA Today)Pavel Francouz stops Phil Kessel early in the first in what marked the Arizona forward’s 1,000th career NHL game, making him just the 47th American to reach the century mark. In the first start of his NHL career, Pavel Francouz earned his first win, stopping 34-of-36 shots against the Coyotes on Saturday night. “I was thinking about it since the morning, you have it somewhere in the back of your head,” said the 29-year-old goalie postgame about the experience. “I was expecting to be more nervous actually. Once the puck dropped I was trying to be as focused as possible and trying to flow with the game.”Mikko Rantanen, Gabriel Landeskog and Cale Makar congratulate Nazem Kadri on his first goal of the season during a power play that put Colorado up 1-0 in the third period. Acquired during the offseason from Toronto with Calle Rosen for Alexander Kerfoot and Tyson Barrie, Kadri aided in puck control against Arizona by winning 15-of-22 (68.2%) on faceoffs, lifting him to 45-of-70 (64.3%) on faceoffs through four games. (photo credit: USA Today)André Burakovsky recorded his second game-winning goal in as many games, this one an overtime winner to knockout the Coyotes at the Pespi Center. The 15th game-winning goal of his career and the second overtime winner of his career provided the first homestand sweep of at least four games for the first time since Dec. 17-23, 2011. “We found a way to win the game,” the Swede added postgame. “I think we played a pretty good game, still we are giving up a lot of chances and when we went up 2-0 we should close the game there. It’s always good to find a way to win the game and be 4-0.” (photo credit: USA Today)
Picture of the Week
Connor McDavid carries the puck up the ice at Madison Square Garden in the third period against the New York Rangers just before scoring the game-winner to put Edmonton at 5-0-0 to start the season, making the Oilers the only other undefeated squad remaining in the NHL. McDavid added an assist later in the game for his league-leading 12th point in five games. (photo credit: USA Today)
