10 Takeaways: Josh Manson Had a Career Night; Nelson Keeps Impressing (+)

Josh Manson’s dad, Dave, was in the crowd on Thursday when the Avalanche crushed the Ottawa Senators 8-2. Manson had two goals, two assists, a +5 rating, and a fight. It was the first four-point game of his career.

“I don’t think [my dad] has ever seen that before. He’s seen me fight. He’s maybe seen me score, but I don’t think he’s ever seen that. Well, actually, nobody’s ever seen that before in the NHL,” Manson joked. “So it was a first for everybody, including myself.”

From Manson’s performance, Samuel Girard’s fight, Brock Nelson’s continued dominance, and more.

The Avs unleashed two games of frustration into one night. Against a team that couldn’t withstand a smidge of what Colorado threw at them.

READ MORE: Postgame Wrap: Where Do We Begin? Avs Crush Senators at Ball Arena

10 Takeaways

1. Manson was so close to doing something that hasn’t been done in 24 years. In January 2002, Joe Thornton, while playing with the Boston Bruins, was the last player to ever record a Gordie Howe hat trick and a hat trick on the same night.

Manson got power-play time late to try to get there. But he was one goal shy. Still, an all-around epic performance from Colorado’s defenseman.

2. When Manson exited the box early in the second period, the Avalanche were in the middle of a line change. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas jumped on up front, while Cale Makar and Brent Burns were running the blueline.

Manson was supposed to change to let Artturi Lehkonen join the mix. Instead, he got the secondary assist on Makar’s tally, which completed the Gordie Howe hat trick. It’s one of those unique goals where three of the five skaters on the ice for Colorado were defensemen.

3. After the first period, Ilya Solovyov had already played 6:56. I was confused for a moment, given that Makar (6:57), Sam Malinski (6:39), Girard (7:22), and Burns (7:12) had all played a bunch, too.

Then I remembered that Manson’s early fight meant there was a five+ minute period of mishmash defense pairings. Manson played 4:54 in the first, highlighted by the fight and, of course, the opening goal on his only shot.

By the time Manson was at 7:59 of ice time, he already had three points. He finished with 19:25.

4. Whenever I get a chance to assess a sample size, I often like 27 games as a gauge for differentiating between a short spurt and a large enough sample to be genuinely impressed. Twenty-seven games is right around a third of a regular season.

Anyway, over the last 27 games, Brock Nelson has 18 goals, 14 assists, and 32 points. This is more than just a hot streak. It’s a genuinely incredible season he’s putting together, and it’s fascinating that he was able to just flip a switch after starting the year so slow offensively. When you extrapolate that over a full season, it’s 55 goals, 43 assists, and 98 points from your No. 2 centerman, who also just so happens to carry a ton of defensive responsibilities.

I’ll keep shouting it until the season ends. Nelson is putting together first-line center games on the second line behind the NHL’s best goal-scorer and points leader.

5. Over these past 27 games, the Avalanche have scored just 14 power-play goals. Nelson has half of them.

6. Killer quote from Jared Bednar when I asked him about Nelson. Bednar was aware of what people were saying about the centerman over the summer when the Avs gave him three years and $7.5 million AAV.

“We took a lot of heat when we signed him for his number around the league, if I remember correctly,” Bednar said. “And now you see what guys are signing for, that play that position, that are, in my opinion, not as good as Brock.”

7. Girard didn’t want to fight Tim Stutzle, but the Sens centerman was frustrated and tried to take it out on Colorado’s defender. Neither was landing significant blows before Girard caught Stutzle with a right that dropped him.

8. Speaking of Girard, it’s quite interesting to me that Nick Cousins decided to go after him instead of Manson. Really makes you think.

9. Ilya Solovyov deserves credit for that incredible pass to Nelson. What an unbelievable play and an even better one-timer from Nelson.

10. MacKinnon had four points and it felt like th quietest four-point game of his career. That’s how much had gone on in this one.