Avalanche Turning Point: Great Defense Turns Into Dazzling Offense (+)

In the Turning Point, we’ll take a look at one moment in the previous Colorado Avalanche game that changed the momentum of the game.

A coach will always say that if you focus on defense, the offense will eventually come. To start the game against the Buffalo Sabres, the Avalanche completely locked them down in the defensive zone. It took the Sabres 18+ minutes to register a shot on net, and once the Avalanche got their offense going, it was pretty lopsided.

On the opening goal of the game, Cale Makar’s hard work in the defensive zone allowed Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to do what they do best off the rush.

Kyle Okposo (yes, THAT Kyle Okposo) tried his best to beat Cale Makar one-on-one heading into the offensive zone. That’s typically not going to work, and in this case, it did not. Makar gets his stick on the puck and then uses his feet to corral the puck. Makar loses the puck, then gets it back, then loses it again (while getting tripped). He doesn’t stop working, though. Okposo thinks he’s about to come away with it, but Makar takes it off his stick, feeds MacKinnon, and heads off the ice.

Nathan MacKinnon coming at you with a full head of steam is not an ideal sight if you’re a defenseman, and that’s what Connor Clifton has to deal with here. Because of MacKinnon’s speed, he has to skate with him, which completely takes away any gap a defenseman would like to keep.

By the time MacKinnon drops the puck to Rantanen, they’re already at the top of the circles. Does MacKinnon get away with a little interference here? Maybe, but if it’s not called, you keep playing.

Erik Johnson is stuck in no-mans land here. Rantanen waits out everyone, including Luukkonen. When EJ commits to his side, and Luukkonen commits to the near post, the Finn’s high hockey IQ kicks in. Instead of forcing a shot, he just wraps it around into an empty net, and the party for the Avalanche has officially started.

Great stuff by MacKinnon and Rantanen off the rush, but it all starts with some hard work in the defensive zone by Makar.