Avalanche look like Stanley Cup contenders in first game without MacKinnon, Makar

The Colorado Avalanche looked like Stanley Cup contenders on Saturday night in Montreal, as they downed the Canadiens 4-1.

The game marked the first contest that the Avs played without both Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. And the team did exactly what everyone expected it to. Everyone rallied to put together a solid effort, leading the way with solid performances from Nazem Kadri, Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Devon Toews.

The goals from Nelson and Lehkonen were critical to pulling out the win. But it was the opening tally by Fedor Svechkov that set the tone for the night.

The goal opened the scoring on the Avalanche’s first shot of the game. It was a big one, and gave the club some breathing room.

Later in the period, Brock Nelson scored to make it 2-0 on a highlight-reel goal.

Nelson’s goal was the Avalanche’s second in three shots. But beyond the tough outing for Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes, the goal silenced critics. The veteran center had come under some scrutiny for seemingly going quiet during the last batch of games. But that was not the case on Saturday night, especially with Nelson stepping up in MacKinnon’s absence.

Perhaps what made the Nelson goal so noticeable was that it came right after the Habs missed a wide-open net following an awful misplay by MacKenzie Blackwood. The Canadiens missed the net, took an egregious tripping call, and, well, the Avs scored during the delayed penalty.

The power play came through when most needed

On a night when the Avalanche needed the power play to step up, it did. After the Canadiens scored to make it 2-1, Lehkonen came through on a mad scramble in front of the net.

Kudos to Kadri and T.J. Hughes for moving the puck, getting it on net, and fighting for the rebound that eventually landed on Lehkonen’s stick. It wasn’t a pretty goal, but it counts just the same.

In the end, the Avs went 1-for-4 on the power play. It’s a great sign, and it shows that the Avs are quietly turning their play with the man advantage into a significant strength.

MacKenzie Blackwood was once again sharp

MacKenzie Blackwood continued his string of strong starts. Once again, the Avalanche’s netminder kept his team in the game. When the Canadiens could have tied the game in the second period, Blackwood held the line.

Blackwood bought the Avs enough time to open up a two-goal lead, and one disallowed goal helped Colorado seal the victory.

Now, the Avs will get to take a bit of a breather, as they’ll be off until Wednesday, when they close out their road trip with a divisional matchup against the Utah Mammoth. The rest in between games will help everyone catch their breath and recoup for another crucial showdown.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow