Avalanche news: Home winning streak, MacKinnon misses PS, Girard concerns

The Colorado Avalanche continued their winning ways, cruising past the Florida Panthers 6-2 on Thursday at Ball Arena. The game was close for the first 20 minutes, but then the Avs pulled away.

Colorado scored five unanswered goals, as they pulled away for good. The game was 6-1 in the third period until the Panthers got one back. MacKenzie Blackwood had another fantastic start, stopping 23 of 25 shots.

It was a great all-around game, with Gavin Brindley being a standout. The 21-year-old had a goal and an assist in his first game back since November 20. Nathan MacKinnon added two more points to his total, while Martin Necas racked up two more assists.

With that in mind, let’s dive into the latest edition of the Avalanche news and notes.

Avalanche home winning streak extended

The win over the Panthers marked the 10th consecutive home win for the Avalanche. The streak is tied for the third-longest in team history, dating back to the Nordiques days.

The Avalanche’s 22nd win of the season also pushed the club past 50 points in the season. That milestone marks the sixth time a team has gotten 50 points in less than 31 games. The last time that happened was in 2022-23, when the Boston Bruins reached 50 points in 30 games. Interestingly, it’s that 2022-23 Bruins’ team record the Avalanche are chasing this season.

MacKinnon missed penalty shot

Thursday night’s matchup featured a rather rare in-game penalty shot. During the third period, MacKinnon got a breakaway that led to a hooking call on Panthers’ defenseman Aaron Ekblad. The call on the ice was a penalty shot, one that MacKinnon missed.

Missing the penalty shot in itself was no big deal. The game was well in hand at that point. But kudos to Panthers’ backup goalie Daniil Tarasov. He made a great save in what was otherwise a regrettable night.

Girard raises concerns

The game was an overall smashing hit for the Avalanche. They took out the defending Stanley Cup champs, pounding them in a decisive victory. But beyond that, the Avalanche gave up two. Both goals, however, do raise some concerns about Samuel Girard’s defensive game.

Let’s take a look at the first Panthers’ tally:

The replay, as shown on the Panthers’ official X channel, shows Noah Gregor, a fourth-liner, beating Girard to the puck. That situation forced Devon Toews to cut across the ice to try and stop Gregor from getting the shot away. The Panthers’ forward deserves credit for beating Blackwood with a good shot.

Now, here’s a look at the second Florida goal:

This time, it was Josh Manson who didn’t quite field the 2-on-1 cleanly. But he managed to prevent the shot and the pass from coming back. However, Girard was far too late getting back into the play. That allowed Mackis Samoskevich to put the puck into the yawning cage.

The goal came on a bit of a broken play. However, that last goal shows why splitting up Manson and Girard makes sense.

The Avalanche will look to make the home winning streak 11 games when they host the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Avs will have revenge on their minds after dropping a 4-3 shootout decision last Tuesday.