Takeaways from Avs victory in Minnesota

The Avs spotted the Minnesota Wild a goal tonight but won 5-4, despite six power plays for the Wild, to just three for the Colorado Avalanche (one of the power plays was for 6.6 seconds, at the end of the game). And yet, one of the talking points for the Wild tonight was how they were jobbed on a call that cost them a big goal.

Let the Wild whine. The Avs again outclassed Minnesota when it mattered, blitzing them for four second-period goals to build up a 4-1 lead after two. The power-play parade continued in the third period for the Wild and they got within a goal with under a minute left. But that was that. Colorado is now 13-0-2 in the last 15 games, and they stay four points up on Vegas in the Honda West Division.

My thoughts and observations:

• Yeah, Brandon Saad did cross-check Jared Spurgeon before scoring the goal that made it 3-1 in the second period. I mean, technically anyway. The 5-foot-7 Spurgeon also went down like he’d just been run over by a herd of elephants. I thought he embellished it some, and, evidently, the referees did too. You can’t get every call in a game.
• Avs absolutely toyed with the Wild in the second period, outshooting them 20-5 and getting goals from Nathan MacKinnon, Andre Burakovsky, Saad and J.T. Compher.
• I think the Avs let up in the third, and it almost cost them. The Wild got a gift power play at the end on a Ryan Graves penalty and cut it to 5-4.
• The fourth goal came from Compher, who tipped a Cale Makar power-play wrister from the blue line. He’s always been a good tipper.
• “Our first period definitely wasn’t our best. But we were skating in the second period. We were keeping them in their D zone, and that’s why we were able to capitalize on their chances,” Compher said.
• Indeed, the Avs did look sluggish in the first period. They were outshot 11-6. Obviously, they weren’t happy with that. It showed in that second period.
• Kyle Burroughs won a fight against Nick Bjugstad, and it went over very well on the Avs’ bench. He was given a lot of high-fives on the bench when he came back. That was Burroughs’ first career game.
• Nathan MacKinnon’s goal, that tied it up early in the second period? Was that some speed, or what?
• “I think we’re right now, we’re supporting each other in the corners, winning the first touch. We’re playing with a lot of speed and when we do that we’re tough to play against,” Burakovsky said.
• The Avs are just too fast for the Wild.

The Sheet:

• Jared Bednar: “They outskated us in the first period. But MacKinnon’s line gets started right away, controlled breakout. That fired up our bench right there. … the guys went out and executed at a high tempo after that.”
• Another good showing from newcomer Liam O’Brien. He got his first point as an Av, on the Compher goal. He adds some needed toughness.
• The Wild had 11:14 of power-play time in the game, to 2:32 for the Avs.
• Sam Girard is having an all-star season. No, there is no all-star game this year, but if there were, he would deserve to be in it. Two more assists for La Tornade tonight, just solid overall.

More stuff: