Takeaways from Avs 5-4 win over Islanders

Well, the final score is all that matters. Right? I mean, right, Avs fans?

I might overreact to the Avs allowing three goals late in the game to turn a 5-1 laugher into a 5-4 nailbiter, but I won’t do it. Well, not much anyway.

Yes, I do think that was a worrisome sign, how the Avs just almost collapsed and let the Islanders nearly send that game into overtime. I mean, it was 5-1 in the third period, and you had to sweat that out?

Not good, Bob.

But a win’s a win. The Avs’ top guys made all the difference tonight, especially Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon.

Jared Bednar was a little less than thrilled by those final few minutes. But, as I said recently, I think boredom is going to be a problem for this team in the final six weeks or so.

“A couple penalties, looked like the guys just let the foot off the gas,” Bednar said. “Those (top) guys paved the way, for sure. Just real good awareness. We stayed above pucks. But they made a push back.

THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS

• Andre Burakovsky was hurt in the game. Bednar said he didn’t know the prognosis. I’m going to bet he’s out for tomorrow though. Seemed like he was in some pain leaving the ice.
• Cale Makar was the No. 1 star in the game, no doubt about it. Two goals and one assist. He’s now got 20 goals on the season.
• Old friend Semyon Varlamov faced 49 shots in the game. He was really good at times. But he still ends up with five goals against.
• Zach Parise: wow, is he washed up. Islanders wasted a roster spot on him this year. Lou Lamoriello did not have a good year as GM of the Isles.
• For me, Pavel Francouz did not help himself if he wants to be the No. 1 guy going into the playoffs. You can’t allow three late goals like that, when the game is supposed to be over.
• It’ll be really interesting to see how Darcy Kuemper plays tomorrow in New Jersey. He is also slated to start Thursday in Carolina.
• The Avalanche scored four goals in the third period and continue to lead the league in third-period tallies with 86.
• Three of the Avs’ five goals were scored by defensemen, and Colorado now has 50 goals from its blueline in 2021-22, the most in the NHL and the club’s most since the 2005-06 season (52).
• Colorado is playing its eighth back-to-back set of the season and is now 5-3-0 in the first game of such sets.
• The penalty kill is still a problem with this team. Only 2-4 tonight on kills.
• Nathan MacKinnon recorded his sixth game of the season with 3+ points. He is tied for fifth in the league (Auston Matthews) with 1.36 points-per-game.
• Logan O’Connor skated in his 100th NHL game.