The Colorado Avalanche are sitting at .500 as we exit the month of October. They lost their first four games of the year then followed that up with five consecutive wins. In their last game, against the Chicago Blackhawks, they lost 5-2, but that game was closer than the score indicates.
Unfortunately, Alexandar Georgiev has had a very rough start to the season, winning just one of five games in which he started. He was pulled in two of those games.
The Avalanche rank 10th in goals for per game with 3.60. Additionally, they are second-worst in terms of goals against, at 4.10 per game. The team that ranks last in that category is the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Avalanche have been in a position in the past, similar to what they are now. This isn’t the first time they started out slow. They’ve managed to pull themselves together to make seven consecutive playoff appearances.
Let’s take a look at three players who have made tremendous contributions to the team’s season after the first month.
3. Justus Annunen, G
The last line of defense is obviously the most important position in hockey. That being the goaltender. I’ve felt that Justus Annunen has looked very good so far this season, while Alexandar Georgiev has looked quite a bit worse. Annunen has started off the year with a 4-1 record.
Annunen has pulled off four-straight victories. He also came into the first two games of the season in relief of Georgiev. The worst game of Annunen’s season so far was on Sunday against the Ottawa Senators. The Avalanche won that game 5-4.
It felt as if the losses the team suffered through got to them, especially evident by a comment made by Mikko Rantanen, saying that he felt as if the puck was going into the net every time the team was caught sleeping.
Annunen has definitely looked like the better goaltender of the two this season, which has created a controversy. Will the Avalanche move Georgiev sometime in the near future? Kaapo Kahkonen is slated to start for the Avalanche on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. That could seal the deal if he impresses.