Colorado Avalanche Players Pour it on in World Cup Openers
By Mark Kinz
The Colorado Avalanche made their presence known in three of the World Cup of Hockey openers, and show no signs of letting up.
If there was any doubt members of the Colorado Avalanche deserved to be in the World Cup of Hockey, those doubts were officially put to bed as the tournament officially opened this weekend.
Matt Duchene
Matt Duchene made the initial Colorado contribution in Canada’s 6-0 blowout of the Czech Republic. After generating several chances, Duchene wasn’t going to take no for an answer.
When the Czech team attempted to exit their zone, Dutchy’s relentless forecheck forced multiple turnovers, which eventually led to him assisting on Joe Thornton’s goal.
What I really love about this play is Duchene’s persistent aggressiveness. Canada was already up 3-0, and already dominating the Czechs all over the ice, but Duchene still wanted to stomp his foot on their throats for good measure.
If the Avalanche had trouble finishing games last season, Dutchy’s tenacity on this goal shows he’s determined to solve that issue going forward. If he can bring that same level of aggression to Denver in a few weeks, that could help elevate the Avs to true contenders.
Gabriel Landeskog
While Canada’s opener was nothing short of a clobbering, Sweden’s opener against Russia was a true nail-biter to the very end. When you’re playing against a superstar like Alex Ovechkin, that’s bound to happen. Despite Ovechkin’s last-minute heroics, it was Team Sweden who came away with a 2-1 win.
Gabe “The Babe” Landeskog opened up the scoring for Team Sweden on the power play with a devastating one-timer from just above the faceoff circle, leaving Sergei Bobrovsky no chance to make a save:
In fact, from setup to shot, Landy’s goal was reminiscent of many Ovechkin one-timers, and honestly not a play we see too often from Landeskog. It will be interesting to see if Bednar decides to utilize Landeskog in a similar fashion next season.
While he can certainly be a strong presence in front of the net on the powerplay, Landy’s one-timer could definitely become a major weapon for the Avs going forward.
Nathan MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon has already been truly dominant through the pre-tournament games, and in North America’s 4-1 smackdown of Finland, he proved nothing has changed.
After a bad turnover by Finland in their own end, MacKinnon attacked the net, and was perfectly positioned to stuff home the rebound of Colton Parayko’s shot.
The goal for Nathan MacKinnon starts at around the 6:40 mark of the video, and ends around the 7:25 mark.
As one of the “older” players on this Under-23 team, MacKinnon has shown aggressiveness, leadership, and hockey smarts throughout his play, and this instance is no different. He is able to quickly adapt to a fluid situation, and make the best play possible.
Next: Takeaways from Day Two of Rookie Camp and Showcase
Kiddo MacK is definitely my favorite player of the current era, and his play in the World Cup so far just makes me even more excited for his future. This tournament is going to be a major confidence booster for him, especially if he continues his high level of play.
Related Story: Will Dutchy or MacK Play Wing for the Avalanche?
Conclusion
It’s already shaping up to be an exciting World Cup, and the Colorado Avalanche are not shying away from the spotlight. Our team has some elite talents, and even among other high-caliber players, they shine brightly. I, for one, am excited to see how their World Cup experiences elevate their game this coming season.