The Colorado Avalanche are number one in the NHL with a bullet. Saturday night’s annihilation of the Edmonton Oilers left little doubt that the Avalanche are the team to beat this season.
The win put the Avs one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first overall in the NHL. But beyond that fact, it was the way the Avalanche absolutely demolished the Oilers, one of the NHL’s leading Stanley Cup contenders, that erased any doubt regarding how good Colorado truly is.
The game was something like a 7-5 win. It wasn’t a slugfest. It was a complete and utter destruction of a team loaded with high-end talent. The Avalanche controlled the game from start to finish, with the Oilers visibly giving up toward the end of the game.
Moreover, the Avalanche now lead the NHL with a +21 goal differential. That’s five goals ahead of the second-place squad, the Carolina Hurricanes.
But beyond the offensive deluge, the Avalanche played solid defense. The Avs contained Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to just one goal. McDavid broke the shutout with his fifth of the season in the second period. If it hadn’t been for McDavid’s goal, the game would have been a 9-0 shutout. Such an outcome would have made the 9-1 pounding look even worse.
Colorado Avalanche got contributions up and down the lineup
While Nathan MacKinnon had four points on the night, most of the scoring was spread across the lineup. Jack Drury and Parker Kelly got two goals apiece. Gavin Brindley added another tally. Zakhar Bardakov also had a good night, getting two assists despite playing just over six minutes.
Meanwhile, the Avalanche’s defense got in on the act. Cale Makar had two goals, while Devon Toews had three assists.
But perhaps the biggest contribution of all came from goaltender Scott Wedgewood. He had a phenomenal game, stopping 23 shots. It was a shame he couldn’t get the clean sheet. But Avalanche fans will take his performance from Saturday night any day of the week.
Wedgwood’s efforts were crucial in keeping the Avalanche ahead. He shut the door when the game was still close. One or two bad goals would have changed the game’s entire complexion. Instead, Wedgewood kept the puck out and the Avalanche pulled away.
While we could chalk this win up to a bad night by the Oilers, it’s hard to overlook that the Oilers have been to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals. This win didn’t come against a rebuilding club. It came against a team that boasts the game’s best player, according to most analysts.
But when the final buzzer sounded, there was little doubt who prevailed this time.