Deen's Notebook
Good & Bad: Avalanche Overcome Third Period Rally, Defeat Ottawa 5-4

DENVER — In what began as a low-scoring game on Sunday ended with a crazy amount of late third-period goals. And in the end, the difference was an empty netter for Nathan MacKinnon to lift the Avalanche to a 5-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators at Ball Arena.
Colorado entered the third leading 2-0 before the onslaught began. First, two goals from the Senators, then two goals from the Avs to regain their two goal lead. But after Ottawa answered back again with 3:12 remaining to make it 4-3, MacKinnon thought he iced the game with an empty netter with 1:15 remaining. He technically did, but I don’t think he expected his goal to wind up as the game winner. Ottawa’s final tally with eight seconds remaining made it 5-4.
For the Avs, winning five straight after losing the first four games is a great sign, especially when you consider that none of their missing forwards have actually returned yet. Head coach Jared Bednar has made several decisions with his lineup that have paid off immensely. Whether it was shifting Ross Colton to wing and putting him on the top line, trusting Parker Kelly as the third-line center, or combining Nikolai Kovalenko and Logan O’Connor with Casey Mittelstadt, almost every decision he’s made since falling to Boston has worked.
O’Connor and Kovalenko both scored their first goals of the season. Kovalenko’s was also the first of his career. Josh Manson also had his first while Mittelstadt finished with three assists. In goal, Justus Annunen made 26 saves. For most of the night, it seemed like he might let in zero or perhaps one goal. But, thankfully for the Avs, they were able to hold on. With another home game on Monday, the expectation is for Annunen to get the night off after shouldering the load for a week.
Mittelstadt’s three assists give him 12 points through nine games. And this is all while playing mostly with rookies and guys like O’Connor, who likely will slot in on the third or fourth line if the team gets healthy.
“He’s a super talented guy. He sees things that other guys can’t see, and he makes plays and other guys can’t make,” Bednar said of Mittelstadt. “I think if you get him with the right mix, whatever that chemistry is — to be determined. I’m open to anything in our top six, top nine, and hopefully at some point we’re going to get a bunch of guys that are going to make those decisions difficult.”
The production from Mittelstadt was much needed, especially on a night where Bednar openly talked about how his top line and top defense pair struggled. Offensively, Cale Makar had an assist, MacKinnon finished with two points, Colton scored again, and Mikko Rantanen added an assist.
Despite the big game from Mittelstadt, I felt another player was more deserving of the ‘Good’ for this one. Especially given when he scored.
Good: Logan O’Connor
Last season O’Connor scored three shorthanded goals in three games. He also had his first career hat trick in Philadelphia and followed it up with a two-goal game just two games later. Multi-goal games are a rarity for the hard-working bottom-six forward and he had two in three games for a total of five goals.
And until tonight, those were his last goals.
O’Connor didn’t score for the last handful of games he played last season before having season-ending hip surgery and was held entirely off the scoresheet in the first eight games this year. But when Ottawa fought back and scored twice in just over two minutes, it was O’Connor who restored the lead for Colorado — a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way, despite the fact that four more goals were scored before the final buzzer sounded.
The goal that gives a team a lead they don’t relinquish is one I hold in high regard. Even though MacKinnon’s tally on the empty net was the game winning goal, O’Connor’s tally was the one that gave the Avs the lead after giving it up. Colton added to it shortly thereafter which meant Ottawa’s third goal still kept Colorado ahead.
It’s always nice to see O’Connor get rewarded. He’s been excellent in his role on the second line and now he’s finally got the monkey off his back in the goals and points department.
Bad: Cale Makar
This one was a collectively tough night for both Devon Toews and Makar. Bednar even flipped Sam Malinski with Makar at one point because he felt his star defenseman was having a rough night. He was one of only two players on the Avs to finish with a minus rating. Makar also played a season low 21:46.
Fortunately for the Avs, they still came away with a win and Makar will look to bounce back on Monday against Chicago. The lesser ice-time is also good news going into a back-to-back.