Aarif Deen
You’re not supposed to bounce back that quickly after seeing a lengthy winning streak come to an end. Traditionally, it takes teams a few games to get back to their stride.
The Avalanche’s 10-game streak ended late in the afternoon in Minnesota on Friday. Less than 24 hours later, they lit up the Montreal Canadiens for seven goals and quickly got back in the winning column.
They even led 5-1 at the second intermission but still managed two more goals, while outshooting Montreal 12-6 in the final 20 minutes.
“I’ll go back to focus and determination of the group,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “It’s the leadership focus of our group that, right now, is what’s helping us through some of those.”
Gabe Landeskog and Brock Nelson had breakout performances. It was Landeskog’s first 3+ point game since 2022, and Nelson’s first four-point performance since 2021.
We also saw multiple points from Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas. And two more goals from the blueline.
From my exclusive with Nathan MacKinnon post-game, to big performances from Landeskog and Nelson. Here’s how things shook out at Ball Arena in a vintage game between Les Habitants and their old rival, the Quebec Nordiques.
READ MORE: The Aftermath: Brock Nelson Has 4 Points, Avalanche Rout Habs 7-2
10 Observations — Inside The Locker Room
1. We’re seeing Landeskog blossom back to form before our very eyes. These past two games have been vintage Landeskog.
Starting in Minnesota, Landeskog had a shot in the third off the setup from Lehkonen that looked like a sure bet. That was Landeskog in his wheelhouse — the goal he’s scored so many times in his career, including in the playoffs last year.
That came after he already had one. The way he battled for the first goal — the strength to outmuscle Brock Faber for the loose puck and the power to be able to elevate the puck up rather than just whack away at it. That was vintage.
2. Back at Ball Arena, Landeskog had two goals, both of which went in off his skate. There’s something great about being able to have those types of goals bank in off of you. It means you’re battle for positioning — you’re in the dirty areas surrounded by opposing defensemen and fighting for positioning.
Both times on Saturday, along with the goal in Minnesota, were vintage Landeskog using vintage Landeskog strength to score vintage Landeskog goals.
The captain has four goals, four assists, eight points, and a +9 rating in his last nine games.
He’s nasty. He’s a hell of a leader, hell of a player. Everybody in here loves that guy,” Mackenzie Blackwood said of Landeskog. “We’re all so happy for him.”
3. I caught up with Nathan MacKinnon post-game, and he had some pretty great MacKinnon-quality quotes. Starting with this one:
“When you create like a hundred chances, you’re gonna get five or six, probably. Every night we’re creating a ton,” MacKinnon told me. “It’s the quantity, and then in the laws of averages, it just kind of goes in. I thought we left a lot [of offense] on the table tonight, too. We played really well. Everyone was buzzing.”
4. I asked MacKinnon about Nelson and Landeskog, and how they both broke out in a huge way. Both guys are riding high lately after slow offensive starts to the season.
“They’ve been such good teammates that you’d never know. It sucks. We’ve all been in droughts. It sucks,” MacKinnon said. “You want to help the team, and you put a lot of pressure on yourself to be a good, good-producing player. It was just a matter of time, especially with Landy, getting goals disallowed. I think he’s been playing awesome. I mean, he looks great.”
5. Insane numbers from the Avalanche this season. Their 18-1-6 record ties the 2013 Chicago Blackhawks for the most games to start a season with just one regulation loss. The Avs ended Chicago’s run at 24 games that year.
On Tuesday, they’ll have a chance to get ahead of them when they host the Vancouver Canucks.
6. There was about 45 seconds left in regulation when I left my seat in the pressbox to make my way back down to the locker room. I caught the end of the game as I was walking out, and Colorado had Montreal pinned in their zone, and was getting good looks until the end.
The focus this roster has right now is unmatched. Brent Burns commented after the second period about how their mindset is to play the third period like it’s a 0-0 game. There’s no complacency. No sitting back.
Colorado outshot the Habs 12-6 in the third, and outscored them 2-1. That’s after already leading 5-1 through 40 minutes of play.
7. Blackwood is up to 5-0-1 on the season, with a 1.98 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. In his last three starts, he’s surrendered just two goals on 84 shots. It’s safe to say he’s feeling like a No. 1 goalie again. He and Scott Wedgewood form one of the league’s best tandems.
The Avs have been able to alternate goalies on a nightly basis for six games now. And the relationship between the two of them makes it much easier. They’re both bought in.
8. I asked MacKinnon about the goalies, and halfway through his response about their friendship and chemistry, he points up and says, “Look at them hugging over there right now.”
And they were. By Blackwood’s stall, where Wedgewood was congratulating his teammate for another impressive victory.
9. Blackwood’s personal shutout streak ended at 174 minutes, 31 seconds. That’s a career high.
10. Martin Necas was flying around the entire game against Montreal. This was one of his better finesse performances, and he was rewarded with three assists.
That setup on Nelson’s second goal was a high-IQ and highly skilled play. Bednar was asked postgame about whether he’d like to see Necas be more of a playmaker or a shooter. I thought the response was worth reading.
“It’s gotta be a balance. Like if he’s seeing guys open and he can make the play and they can shoot it, great,” Bednar said. “He’s such an elusive skater that he can take whatever ice is given to him. If he gets into the interior of the ice with his skating, and we’ve got good traffic at the net, I don’t think you need to look for much more than put it there. Because I think he can score from distance. He’s got a great shot. He plays it where he wants it. If you have any type of screen in traffic, sometimes the best play is just deliver it to the net.
“I want him to continue to be creative. I want him to continue to use his skill and his instincts, but I want to kind of try and change him a little bit. When he does use all that, he gets into the interior of the ice and into areas where I think he can score, then I want him to shoot it.”