The Colorado Avalanche grounded out a 4-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club on Friday night at the Delta Center. The Avs played a tough, tight-checking game that did not reflect the final score.
Artturi Lehkonen led the way with his first career hat trick, while Nathan MacKinnon added three helpers. The big night from both stars underscored the dominant performance by Colorado. Despite the score, the game was much closer.
The Hockey Club hung tough against the Avs who battled to get on the board. Lehkonen opened the scoring at nearly the 12-minute mark of the second period. The goal would stand until Nick Schmaltz tied it for Utah early in the third period.
At that point, the Avalanche were in control of the game, keeping the Hockey Club shotless for nearly an entire period. But then, Lehkonen notched his second of the night to give the Avs the lead. The goal would stand as the game-winner.
Colorado would go on to add two empty-net goals to seal the victory. It’s worth pointing out that Utah fought hard until the end. Lehkonen’s third goal of the night scored at 19:34 of the third, was a long-range shot that hit a wide-open cage to ice the game.
The score in this game was deceiving. Utah played a much better game than the score reflected. In particular, Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka played a solid game, giving the Hockey Club a chance to win the game.
In the end, the Colorado Avalanche won a solid, playoff-style game thanks to a good all-around effort.
Blackwood crucial in Colorado Avalanche win over Utah Hockey Club
MacKenzie Blackwood, fresh off announcing a contract extension, played on heck of a game. Like Vejmelka, Blackwood kept the Avs in the game long enough for his club to win the game.
Blackwood ended the night with 34 saves. But it was down the stretch where Blackwood shined. The Hockey Club outshot the Avs 17-14 in the final frame. In particular, the final three minutes were crucial as Blackwood had to be sharp to preserve the win.
One save stood out late in the game. With the game already 3-1 following Mikko Rantanen’s empty-netter, Utah captain Clayton Keller attempted to single-handedly get the Hockey Club back in the game. During the sequence, Keller cut into the Colorado zone, split the defense, and tried to slip the puck in the five-hole.
Blackwood shut the door, making a great stop on what could have been a highlight-reel goal. That save preserved the 3-1 lead as Lehkonen put the game away for good.
For Blackwood, it was his fourth win as an Avalanche. Most importantly, the performance showed how the team is playing with renewed confidence thanks to Blackwood’s reliable goaltending. Moving forward, Blackwood and backup Scott Wedgewood will be key to keeping the Avalanche in the hunt for the Stanley Cup.
Friday night’s game was certainly an encouraging sign as the Avalanche look to continue rolling against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday night.