The Colorado Avalanche won a tight-checking 2-1 contest against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night. The game felt more like a playoff matchup in which two highly talented teams gave little in the way of turnovers and room on the ice.
The Washington Capitals (13-5-1) have been a resurgent team this season. They have overcome the turmoil that led the Caps to squeak into the playoffs last season, only to get swept by the New York Rangers in the first round. With some key additions, the Caps are now just one point off the lead in the Metro Division.
As for the Avalanche (11-9-0), what can we say? This season has been a rollercoaster ride of high highs and low lows. But Thursday night’s win, in particular, signals the Avs have gotten through the early season woes that plagued them.
For the first time this season, the Avs are nearly at full strength. As such, the talents of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen are amplified. The support cast around them makes these stars even more dangerous. We saw Rantanen strike on the power play, with Miles Wood getting the game-winner.
While there were few offensive fireworks, the Avs passed the eye test. They were able to get plenty of scoring chances. The game could have easily been 4-1 or even 5-1 had it not been for Washington netminder Logan Thompson’s brilliant performance.
But there was one other goaltender that shined on Thursday night.
Alexandar Georgiev had his best game of the season
It’s been a tough campaign for Alexandar Georgiev. He’s essentially lost the starting role to Justus Annunen this season. While Annunen has played well at times, he hasn’t been lights out. However, there is a chance that Georgiev could reclaim his former starting job.
Georgiev’s outstanding performance on Thursday went a long way toward reclaiming the starting role. Now, are we ready to declare Georgiev as the starter now? Not quite. Georgiev would need to string a few solid outings before he could reclaim the starting role.
Unfortunately, Georgiev’s season has been mired with inconsistency. But Thursday night’s outing against the Caps seems to be an indication that Georgiev still has what it takes to be a successful NHL goaltender.
If that’s the case, the Avs could have solved their goaltending issues internally, at least for the time being.
Ultimately, Thursday night’s game proves the Avs are the real deal. They are a team built to contend this season. Georgiev’s performance is an encouraging one signaling the Avalanche could have one of the league’s best tandems heading into the middle of the season.
The next major signpost is Christmas. If the Avs can solidify their playoff position by then, the club could be on the verge of a strong second half of the season.