10 Observations: Avalanche Are Trying To Break a Bad Habit but Keep Winning Games in the Process

When the Montreal Canadiens erased a three-goal lead in the third period, the Avalanche cleaned up their defensive act and found a way to be the better team the rest of the way and in overtime.

Despite not scoring on the power play in OT, and despite their goalie struggling in the shootout all year, Colorado came away with two points and returned home with a 10-1-1 record in its last 12 games.

It wasn’t the prettiest ending, but two points are all that matter. Especially before another crucial homestand.

Let’s talk about this one though. I have a lot on my mind.

I can’t believe the playoffs are 11 games and less than a month away.

10 Observations

1. Was this a case of Montreal imposing its will physically and then using that to mount a third-period comeback? I’m not sure if it’s that simple and directly correlated. But the Avs led 3-0 and 4-1 and were getting pushed around physically. Arber Xhekaj looked great in a fight against Keaton Middleton, too. The electric crowd in Montreal ate it up, the team built momentum, and the ice completely tilted in their favor.

Suddenly, it was 4-4 with six minutes remaining.

2. This is one of the more frustrating parts of this year’s version of the Avs. Before the trade deadline, they’d lose these games. At least now they still have the skill to come away with two points. But it shouldn’t have gotten to that. They were the better team and looked as great as they did in Ottawa two nights prior when the first period was all said and done. That stretch in the third period where Montreal took complete control was hard to watch.

3. Loved Charlie Coyle’s quote when he was speaking to Kyle Keefe post-game. Keefe asked him how he would explain this game to someone. His response: “We came for two points and we got two points and we’re going home with it.”

4. Coyle was the first shooter sent over the boards in the shootout for the Avs. Their top guys, Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and even Valeri Nichushkin have made a habit out of deking until there’s no more space to get a high-danger shot on goal. Bednar needed a change and found it with both of his new deadline acquisitions.

Coyle coincidentally dangled, but he let the puck go before getting to the blue paint and made it look easy.

5. Funny thing is, both MacKinnon and Nichushkin took my suggestion after the shootout loss in Minnesota. They skated in and used their skill to fire a shot on goal. MacKinnon’s was stopped by Sam Montembeault and Nichushkin narrowly missed his target.

Nelson came in and played clean-up in Round 4 after wristing it past the goalie to win the game.

6. On the bright side, Nelson had another productive game in general. That’s three goals and an assist in two games, along with the shootout winner. It’s still going to take a bit of time until the top-six is entirely figured out. These 11 games will be used for that.

Not only is Nelson a new addition, but we need to also remember that Martin Necas hasn’t ben here long. And the other three wingers — Jonathan Drouin, Artturi Lehkonen, and Nichushkin — have missed a combined 83 games. MacKinnon spent several parts of the season without most of these guys in the lineup.

7. I’m a firm believer that the playoffs won’t have a solid top-six. Bednar loves to make sure his wingers are comfortable with both centers and that’s why I’m all for Necas playing away from MacKinnon for the first time. When all is said and done, I’d like to see Necas and Nichushkin with MacKinnon and Lehkonen and Drouin with Nelson. But you can swap those sets of wingers and it would look just as natural.

That’s an advantage this team has had since winning the Stanley Cup. In the Final against Tampa Bay, Bednar would play Mikk Rantanen and Lehkonen with MacKinnon while Nichushkin and Gabriel Landeskog were with Nazem Kadri on the road. But at home, the wingers switched places.

8. Sam Malinski’s post-trade deadline redemption tour continues. He’s got a goal and four assists in the six games he’s played since March 8, while also posting a +7 rating. He’s making his case to be a full-time player in the playoffs even if everyone’s healthy.

But most importantly, he’s doing his part to not let the team panic at the thought that Josh Manson is mired in injuries right now. Malinski is needed on the right side to offset that loss and Ryan Lindgren is ensuring that Manson’s physicality is being picked up by another player. Erik Johnson is also pitching in with that.

9. That’s 100 career wins for Mackenzie Blackwood and 19 since joining the Avs less than four months ago. Something tells me the next 100 are going to come a lot quicker than the first 100 did.

10. I know Bednar is trying to keep all of his guys fresh, and I think it’s the right move. But the difference between Logan O’Connor and Parker Kelly compared to Jimmy Vesey and Miles Wood is a lot greater than I thought it would be. O’Connor and Kelly are much farther ahead on the deserve-to-play meter.

That’s not a jab at Wood or Vesey. It’s more of a compliment for those other two guys. I’m beyond impressed at what Kelly has brought to this team this season. He’s earned everything he’s gotten with the Avs. He’s very much one of those guys you can’t wait to see compete in the playoffs.