Colorado Avalanche Getting Scoring Across the Lines
Colorado Avalanche players have been contributing across the board to the team’s scoring.
The Colorado Avalanche have played three games, all on the road, and they’ve scored nine goals. There are only five teams in the NHL that have more goals than the Avalanche.
Let that sink in. The Avs have scored goals. They are in a good position.
What’s good, too, is that the team has been getting goals across the lines. This isn’t a case of Alex Ovechkin scoring seven of the Washington Capitals’ 10 goals. This is eight players scoring.
Right now, winger Nail Yakupov leads the Avalanche in scoring with two goals and one assist. Center Matt Duchene — who is still with the Avs no matter what some greats think — is second on the team for scoring with one goal and two assists.
Yakupov is the only Avs players with two goals, both in the game against the Boston Bruins. Well, the second one was credited to him, even if it’s a little difficult to see why:
His first goal of the game — and of his Colorado Avalanche career — was equally unbelievable:
Oops. Here’s what Boston Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask had to say about that goal:
"“It’s a split second decision. You see that you have a chance for the puck and you go for it and try to make a play and get the puck to your own team. I didn’t do it, obviously. So that’s all you can say about that.”"
Well, it was pretty fun from the Avs’ perspective.
Matt Duchene — he of the three points three games into the season — is the one who got the scoring started for the team back in New York. In the first quarter of the first period he banged in a rebound:
It’s not the prettiest goal Duchene has ever scored, but it was probably one of the most satisfying.
Another satisfying goal, though it didn’t result in a win, was the lone tally against the New Jersey Devils. Forward Carl Soderberg scored this goal, and it’s particularly satisfying because he had been scratched in the previous game.
Here’s the goal:
It was also a power play goal. That felt good on a night when the other special team, penalty kill, was atrocious (three goals on four attempts).
Speaking of the bad penalty kill, satisfaction came when Colorado got over that, too. Here’s forward J.T. Compher going top shelf with a short-handed goal:
Compher also has an assist on the season.
Some players are back to their old, good habits. Barrie loves to pinch in, and we love it when it works out well for us:
Alexander Kerfoot earned his first NHL point, an assist, on that play.
The other goal scorers have been Sven Andrighetto, Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog. If you look at that list overall, you’ve got newbies, established stars, rookies, and journeymen all contributing to the Colorado Avalanche.
Thus far, center Nathan MacKinnon has been quiet on the goal-scoring front, but he’s earned two assists. Newly-acquired defenseman Patrik Nemeth also has two assists. Center Tyson Jost has earned his first NHL assist, too.
Next: JT Compher is Ready to Contribute
This all bodes well for the Colorado Avalanche. They’re playing a run and gun game, and that suits their speed and skill. It’s hard to say the Avs will be able to maintain a three-goal-a-game pace, but it would be ideal if the scoring kept happening across the lines and even defensive pairings.