10 Observations: Poor Execution and Illness Couldn’t Stop the Avalanche (+)

DENVER — The Avalanche looked sluggish, turned the puck over a lot, and didn’t have their legs. But they still found a way to beat the lowly Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1 on Tuesday.

Make that three straight wins for Colorado as the homestand reaches the halfway mark.

Moves were made between games two and three. Given the off day the team has scheduled on Wednesday, you have to wonder if they’ll be working the phones to get another deal done before Thursday’s matchup against Alexandar Georgiev and the San Jose Sharks.

It’s that time of the year. But before that, here’s my in depth breakdown of the latest matchup between Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby.

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10 Observations

1. Artturi Lehkonen’s incredible goal-scoring season continued. After potting another two against the Pens, the 29-year-old has 26 goals in 50 games. He’s already well past his career high and on his way to the 30-goal mark for the first time in his career. Could he reach 40 goals?

2. What makes it all the more impressive is that he’s doing this after having missed all of training camp and the first chunk of the regular season. Lehkonen didn’t make his season debut until November and hit the ground running while playing heavy minutes. The 21:08 he averages per game is a career high. So are his four game-winning goals.

3. Scott Wedgewood was busy bailing out teammates with big saves. I counted at least four before Cale Makar turned the puck over and it led to the game-tying goal from Rickard Rakell.

4. Wedgewood has a nack for finding the good in everything. His glass-half-full response to my question about the turnovers and poor play from the team was very much on brand for the Avs’ backup goalie.

“Oddly enough, I actually enjoyed the work,” Wedgewood said. “I played the last two games with, I think, combined what I worked for tonight with the Nashville and Boston games. We had the puck a lot more in those two games.

He still referenced the team’s lack of offense. But in an insanely nice way.

“I guess, kind of unfortunate execution on the offensive side,” Wedgewood said.

5. The Avs played so well defensively in the first two games of the homestand but that just wasn’t the case here. New Jersey had 23 shots in regulation, the Minnesota Wild had 20. Pittsburgh — the worst of the three teams — had 24 at the second intermission and 33 overall. Kudos to Wedgewood for holding the fort down.

READ MORE: Good & Bad: Avalanche Play Sluggish, Still Beat Penguins

6. Ryan Lindgren’s debut was everything this team needed. He had some questionable decisions but in totality, he gave the Jared Bednar more than 20 minutes of solid hockey as a stay-at-home defenseman, who also flexed his physicality early in the first period. Lindgren was second only to Makar in PK ice time.

Getting more comfortable in a new environment is only going to do him well.

“As far as puck play goes and defending hard in the zone, I thought he was our best D tonight,” Bednar said of the 27-year-old.

7. Bednar also touched on Martin Necas’ game. The skilled forward played just 15:23, which was far and away the lowest ice time he’s had since joining the Avs. He played two shifts in the final 14 minutes. Was he being benched?

Technically, yes. But there was more to it.

“He wasn’t feeling good tonight,” Bednar said. “He was kind of struggling with naseau and everything all night, and he was having a rough night because of it. So I was trying to use him a little bit.”

8. Miles Wood and Oliver Kylington still seem to be the two pieces that don’t fit with what this team is doing. The blueline issue could be remedied with a healthy Josh Manson. But I do wonder if Jimmy Vesey gets in for Wood next game.

Also, even with Manson returning, I question if Sam Malinski is the sixth defenseman they want to enter the playoffs with at full health.

9. There’s a sense, at least to me, that Wood hasn’t been a healthy scratch because it wouldn’t look good for his trade value. We’ll see how it plays out, but I still think they’ll jump at an opportunity to get his contract off the books.

10. Crosby spoke to media before the game and, as expected, was very complimentary of all three Avs players he won Gold for Team Canada at 4 Nations with. He told me he was impressed with Devon Toews’ offensive instincts — something he wasn’t quite familiar with before the tournament.

Crosby was asked if he's aware of how many people in Denver would love to see him and MacK play together after 4 Nations.

"I'm sure there's a lot of hypotheticals out there," he said, closing out his presser.

Pens PR chimed in: "You'll see them together again at the Olympics!" pic.twitter.com/PdDhOY6EBF

— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) March 4, 2025