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Colorado Avalanche vs Arizona Coyotes: Late Night Howlings

By Nadia Archuleta

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The Colorado Avalanche met the Arizona Coyotes for the third and final time in Gila River Arena. The Avalanche won the game 5-2, and so they have swept the series with the Coyotes.

Game Summary

The game started out with the Avs, despite all their protests to the contrary, taking the ‘Yotes for granted. They sat back on their heels and eventually let that most offensive of defensemen, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, score first to put Arizona up 1-0.

Eariler in the year, that would have been enough to set the Avs on a period-long tailspin. But this is the actual New Age Avs, the “balls out all the way” boys. They came back strong and answered with not one but two goals.

The Avs added a third goal in the second period — more on that in a moment — before the Coyotes came out howling in the third. Luckily for the Avs, a video review by the NHL of Arizona forward Joe Vitale’s goal showed he had kicked it in — no goal. The Avs still led 3-1.

Unfortunately, Mr. OEL struck again. Toronto ruled the horn needed to sound to stop the game so they could review a play, which turned out to be a goal for the Coyotes. The Avs were leading by just one.

Colorado center Matt Duchene had been vehement in arguing with the referees that Ekman-Larsson hit the puck with a high stick. Since he didn’t get anywhere with that, he decided to put the Avs up by two again by scoring a goal off of a feed from Dennis Everberg.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog put the nail in the coffin by scoring an empty net goal with just seconds left.

Freddie’s First

That second period goal? The one that turned out to be the game winner? Well, that happened to be scored by Avalanche new acquisition Freddie Hamilton.

It also happened to be Freddie Hamilton’s first-ever NHL goal.

Hamilton talked to radio host Marc Moser after the game. Naturally, he was excited about his goal (well, presumably — he seems cool as a cucumber). He said of the goal:

"“I’ve been waiting awhile to do that, so it feels like a monkey off my shoulders, but exciting at the same time.”"

Hamilton had parked himself in front of the Arizona net. Defenseman Brad Stuart took a slap shot at the net. Hamilton just redirected it past Arizona goalie Louis Domingue. His goal celly was pretty understated, considering the Avs are on the road.

Mitchell’s 400th

Avalanche forward John Mitchell made a different kind of milestone in this game. It was his 400th in the NHL.

During an interview at intermission, Mitchell was typically modest:

"“As a kid growing up, you dream of even being in the NHL. You watch your favorite team, your favorite players. I never dreamed I’d be in the league, much less get to 400 games.”"

Mitchell recorded a respectable point during this milestone game, earning an assist on Jarome Iginla’s first period goal.

Danny’s Full Circle

17 years ago to the day, forward Daniel Briere made his NHL debut. He did it as a Phoenix Coyotes center, and he played against the Colorado Avalanche.

Tonight, in game 969 of his career, he played in a Colorado Avalanche uniform against the team that drafted him, the Coyotes (now Arizona Coyotes, of course.)

Interestingly, he earned an assist on that other milestone goal — Freddie’s first. But then, that’s why head coach Patrick Roy and GM Joe Sakic traded for him — so he could be a leader to the youngsters.

Color analyst Peter Mcnab had nothing but praise for Briere. He remarked that, when Briere broke into the NHL, a player of his diminutive size had an especially tough road. The 1990s were the heyday of big players and lax rules. Yet Briere fought and clawed his way into deserving a spot in this league.

The Colorado Avalanche fly out to Anaheim tonight to face the Anaheim Ducks tomorrow in the second of their back-to-back games.

Next: Grade for Freddie Hamilton

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