Takeaways from Avalanche’s 5-3 win over Flames: The crowd was rockin’, and so was Mikko

Mikko Rantanen’s shot certainly wasn’t rusty after missing mostly all of training camp, was it?

“I had some extra time to work on it, I guess,” Rantanen quipped after scoring twice in the Avalanche’s 5-3 opening-night victory over the Calgary Flames at a rockin’ Pepsi Center.

Rantanen was grrrr-eat in his first real game since early May. Two goals, five shots on net, a patented one-timer from the right circle, wicked backhander to the top shelf. He will take off every training camp from now on, right?

“Don’t think I’m allowed to. Probably get fired,” Rantanen chuckled again.

Seriously, Rantanen was superb, and already that contract is looking like a bargain. I thought he was the best Avs forward overall, actually, and this is a guy who only started practicing this past Sunday.

“It’s all happened quick, but I felt surprisingly good today,” Rantanen said.

NOTES, OBSERVATIONS, TAKEAWAYS