Colorado Avalanche: 5 Awesome Defenseman Goals
Colorado Avalanche defensemen jumped into the play a lot last season, contributing goals along the way.
The Colorado Avalanche like their defensemen to jump into the play. While the team might have a shut-down defenseman on the roster, their d-men who can score get more ice time. As such, they score.
Last season, the Colorado Avalanche had a true offensive defenseman in Tyson Barrie as well as his heir apparent, Samuel Girard. Erik Johnson and Nikita Zadorov are solid two-way defensemen. Along with the other d-men in the lineup, they produced 41 goals for Colorado.
As always, some of those goals were more noteworthy than others. Some were meaningful to the team or the player. Some were just pretty.
Here are the top five (in no particular order) defensemen goals from the 2017-18 season.
Erik Johnson’s Game Winning Overtime Goal
Cornerstone defenseman Erik Johnson matched his career high in game-winning goals this season with three — he hadn’t had that many game-winning goals since his rookie season in St. Louis. Those three game-winners also tied all Avs defensemen — Barrie also scored three.
Unfortunately, Johnson spent a lot of the time out of the lineup because of injuries. He missed a total of 20 games. If not for those missed games, he may have enjoyed a career season.
In any case, three game-winners for the Colorado Avalanche is pretty special. Here’s the overtime goal that defeated the Central Division rival Winnipeg Jets:
This goal also gave the Colorado Avalanche their first win of the 2018 calendar year.
The goal itself is one of my favorite styles, the breakaway. Erik Johnson is a dream to watch skate. And when he takes off with that long, smooth stride of his, it’s obvious why he’s called the Condor.
His finish on that goal, the little snapshot at the end — what a way to beat the goalie.
Duncan Siemens’ 1st NHL Goal
I’ve always had a soft spot for out little serial killer, Duncan Siemens. I’ve simply always wanted him to do well.
So, I don’t know what his future is with the Colorado Avalanche, if he even has one. But at least he got his first NHL goal with the team. The goal happened in late February against the Calgary Flames.
The goal wasn’t a pretty skill goal by any means. Rather, the Avalanche were up 4-2 late in the third. The Flames net was empty. Siemens flicked the puck into the empty net:
The reaction of the team tells you everything you need to know about how much chemistry the Avs had this season. J.T. Compher‘s smile alone could light up the arena.
Sam Girard’s 1st Colorado Avalanche Goal
The Colorado Avalanche acquired defenseman Samuel Girard as a central part of the Matt Duchene trade. He’s scouted as being a small, puck-moving defenseman with some offensive acumen.
Last season, the then-19-year-old rookie hadn’t really found his scoring mojo yet. For the Avalanche, he scored three goals in 68 games with the team. Defensemen take a little longer to develop, although, strangely, Girard’s defensive game was already taking shape better than Tyson Barrie’s!
In any case, 36 games in, Girard’s first goal as an Avalanche came. The goal came halfway through the second period after fellow d-man Nikita Zadorov had already scored to put the Avs up by one.
Colorado was on the power play because defenseman Darnell Nurse had crosschecked Gabriel Landeskog. During the power play, he passed the puck to Mikko Rantanen, who lobs it toward Girard. Sam unleashes his slapshot:
Can we celebrate how Mr. Cool as a Cucumber barely even reacts?
Fun fact: Sam Girard’s second goal as an Avalanche came three weeks later — against these selfsame Oilers:
Some players just like scoring on specific teams. (Like Jost on the Wild.)
Tyson Barrie’s 1st GWG of the Season
I pick on Tyson Barrie so much. And he just scores goals. Last year was a career season for out little rover. He earned a career-high 57 points and scored a career-high 14 goals.
The goal below was the first of his game-winners of the season. It wasn’t the first goal of the season — that distinction went to Matt Duchene. However, this goal won the season opener for the Colorado Avalanche.
The team drove up the ice with Alexander Kerfoot in possession of the puck. He passed the puck to Barrie — we’d later learn he’s a passing kind of guy — who settled the puck and unleashed a slapshot:
This goal also got Kerfoot his first-ever NHL point.
Nikita Zadorov Opens Playoff Scoring
At the other end of the season, we had Nikita Zadorov. He didn’t score the final goal of the year for the Avs — that honor belongs to Sven Andrighetto. However, he did open scoring in the playoffs.
The goal came toward the beginning of the first period. The rush started in the Avalanche zone with Jonathan Bernier lobbing the puck to Mark Barberio. Nathan MacKinnon takes possesion of the puck, and the team drives the Predators net. MacKinnon sends it to Mikko Rantanen, who drops it back to Nikita Zadorov. Big Z beats Pekka Rinne with a nifty wrister:
Unsurprisingly, MacKinnon and Rantanen earned assists on the play.
Next: Plan for Getting MacKinnon a Cup
The Colorado Avalanche are going to continue with their smallish, speedy, puck-moving defensemen. With the exception of Siemens, all the players on this list are returning next season. They’ll be joined, at least at some point, by high-scoring defensive prospect Conor Timmins. (Side note: His noggin is reported to be fine. Everyone breathe a sigh of relief.) Cale Makar will also be joining the group, likely within a year’s time.
We might have to start making this list longer.