Evan Rawal
Technically, Ross Colton has scored a goal in a Colorado Avalanche uniform.
He just had nothing to do with the puck actually going in the net.
Colton was credited with the final goal in Colorado’s win over the New York Islanders a week ago. Coincidentally, that was the last time the Avalanche scored a goal. The Islanders put the puck in their own empty net after a missed pass, but Colton got credit for the goal because he was the last player on the Avalanche to touch the puck.
Needless to say, Colton didn’t exactly hunt down that puck to put in his home.
“I mean, they all count,” Colton said. “They don’t ask how, but I think I’m going to wait to keep one that actually goes off my stick for the first one.”
On Tuesday, Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said that he believes Colton is getting close. His shot generation has increased, and only MacKinnon has more individual expected goals at 5-on-5 than Colton. Unfortunately, none of those chances have found the back of the net.
Bednar did express concern that Colton and the other new players on the team might be putting too much pressure on themselves at the moment.
I asked Colton if that’s the case.
“I think any time you come to a new team, you want to have success right away,” he said. “We were winning those games, and obviously our line wasn’t producing as much as we wanted to. At times, I think we were trying to do too much and not playing within the structure, and then we kind of get away from playing the style that we want to play and that screws everything else up. I wouldn’t say we’re thinking about it too much. I just think we want what’s best for the team, and that’s obviously producing at times, but it’s not all about that. We’ve done a good job of playing well in other areas of the game. If we keep doing that, I think the goals will just come.”
The new additions have struggled to produce at even strength. There’s really no getting around it. Fredrik Olofsson is the only new player to score a 5-on-5 goal for the Avalanche, and it looks like Tomas Tatar and Jonathan Drouin may be scratched on Wednesday night.
It’s not all on the new guys, though. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen have combined for 8 of the 13 5-on-5 goals for Colorado, so the whole team has work to do.
Still, Colton thinks his line is getting closer to breaking through.
“It’s always tough coming into a new situation,” he said. “Still learning a bunch of the system stuff, and playing with two new guys for almost every game so far, they’re learning it as well. In terms of production, it’s tough. We’re just trying not to worry about it too much. I think we’ve actually had a good amount of chances these last three games. Definitely trending in the right direction, but I think we just got to do a better job of getting harder to the net, then they’ll start to go in.”
When the Avalanche traded for Colton this summer, I figured he would get a bigger role. That hasn’t necessarily happened yet, at least at even strength. He’s averaging a little less time at 5-on-5 than he did in Tampa, but he has gotten a chance to step in on the penalty kill. Through eight games, he’s playing about 50 seconds more per-game than he did for the Lightning last season.
After signing a four-year, $16 million extension, expectations are a little higher for him than they were in Tampa Bay.
The 27 year old forward gave a pretty honest assessment of his game, but stressed one thing – it’s still early.
“It’s been okay,” Colton told me. “I have more to prove, more to give. I’m not trying to worry about it too much. As time comes, it’ll get better. It’s only eight games, it’s a long season. Still getting used to it, still getting comfortable, but I think for the most part, starting 6-2 is awesome.”
Colton and the Avalanche take on the Blues tonight at Ball Arena, then head to Vegas this weekend for a big matchup with the defending Stanley Cup champs on Saturday.