Avalanche news: Solid win, depth scoring, Brindley climbs

The Colorado Avalanche continued their winning ways on Saturday night with an uneventful 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators at Ball Arena. The Avs were in control for most of the night, outshooting the Preds 41-29.

The win upped Colorado’s record to 23-2-7, good for 53 points, and a decisive six-point lead over the Dallas Stars for first overall in the NHL.

With that in mind, here’s a look at this edition of Avalanche news.

Solid home win over Nashville

As mentioned earlier, the Avalanche pulled off a solid 4-2 win on Saturday night. The score suggested the game was closer than it really was. Valeri Nichushkin scored an empty-netter with about three and a half minutes left in the third to put the game out of reach. Nashville scored a late goal to make the game 4-2.

However, the Avalanche essentially cruised in the game. It was 2-1 after 20 minutes and 3-1 after 40. Colorado had built a 2-0 lead early, with Nathan MacKinnon scoring a beauty to open the scoring.

Here’s a look at the tally as shown on the Avalanche’s official X account:

MacKinnon essentially got past three Nashville players to bury the puck past former Avalanche goalie Justus Annunen.

It was that sort of night. The Avs kept their foot on the gas just enough to ensure their opponent didn’t get back into the game.

Depth scoring came through

While MacKinnon got the party rolling, it was the depth scoring that made the difference. Jack Drury notched his fifth of the year, about 10 minutes after MacKinnon got his league-leading 26th. Here’s a look:

The sequence started with an insane rush from Cale Makar. Makar dished to Drury, who channeled his inner MacKinnon for the goal.

The depth also stepped up as Victor Olofsson scored his seventh of the season in the second period. Check it out:

The goal came at a great time for Olofsson. He hadn’t scored in 12 games. So, getting off the slide was a good change of pace. The offseason signing now has 19 points in 32 games. He’s been a great pickup for the Avalanche and will hopefully continue to pile on the scoring.

Samuel Girard had two assists on the night. Brent Burns and Sam Malinski also picked up helpers, giving the blueline a productive night.

Wedgewood first star of the night

Scott Wedgewood won the duel with Annunen on Saturday night. Wedgewood, as you may recall, was traded for Annunen last season. His 27 saves on the night were crucial for the Avalanche. As such, the Avs veteran netminder got the game’s first star.

It was a deserved honor as he made several key saves to keep the Avs ahead. Particularly, in the first period, the Predators came out trying to take the game over. But Wedgewood stymied them. Whatever ailment sidelined Wegdewood a few weeks ago seems to have faded away.

Brindley climbs to top line

Another player who got a deserved honor was Gavin Brindley. The Avalanche rookie skated on the top line on Saturday night.

Necas got a bit of a night off due to an illness. He didn’t see his ice time dip significantly, skating for nearly 17 minutes. Brindley, meanwhile, was on the ice for over 15 minutes.

It is worth pointing out that Brindley hardly looked out of place. He looked fast, and scarily enough, he looked like he could keep up with MacKinnon. It’s only a thought, but the Avalanche may have an option on the wing to pair with MacKinnon if needed.

The Avalanche will hit the road for one game, facing the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday night at the Climate Pledge Arena. It will be a bit of a light week for Colorado. So, the extra rest should help the club bounce back from injuries and illnesses.