The Colorado Avalanche are not exactly known for throwing bone-rattling hits. Hockey is often brutish and violent as sports go, but Colorado is typically thought of as a finesse team. When you are led by supremely skilled speedsters like reigning MVP Nathan MacKinnon, and probable two-time Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar, that makes sense.
The Avalanche are the fastest team in the NHL by every important trackable metric. With the blockbuster trade that sent Mikko Rantanen out of town, and brought in Martin Necas, the club only got faster.
Still, nobody can out-skate the inevitable nature of postseason hockey. Head coach Jared Bednar knows this fundamental truth as does general manager Chris MacFarland. The Avalanche have understood all season that they would need more grit and snarl to make a serious push for a fourth Stanley Cup.
So many of their mid-season acquisitions showed up to vindicate the front office in Game 1. Mackenzie Blackwood was brilliant in his playoff debut. The aforementioned Marty Necas assisted Artturi Lehkonen on the opening tally. Ryan Lindgren chipped in with a helper in the third as well, when MacKinnon scored on an empty net. But the capper that really made me smile was the fifth and final goal.
Not just because Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger was back in net, meaning it wasn't a 'freebie'. But more importantly it was scored by a trio of Avalanche forwards in their first season with Colorado. Deadline acquisition Charlie Coyle was assisted by Jack Drury and Parker Kelly. This is beautiful symmetry if you love hard-working hockey players.
It also speaks directly to some of my points when I graded the Avalanche trade deadline so highly. Or, soon after, when I wrote about the hidden impact of correctly aligned depth. Today though, I want to highlight how that depth can help flip the script and surprise opponents, even when they know you well.
Forget what you think you know
The Colorado Avalanche, as I said up top, are not thought of as bruisers. With the notable exceptions of a returning Josh Manson, who was himself acquired for the 2022 Cup run, and new Avalanche blueliner Ryan Lindgren, not many Colorado players have a rep for punishing hits. Still the boys in burgundy and blue know what time it is now.
In the regular season Colorado ranked all the way down at 25th in the NHL in hits per game. The club averaged just a hair under 19 hits throughout the 82 game schedule. By contrast, the league leader in that department was the defending champion Florida Panthers. They hit opposing sides almost 30 times a contest.
That is why Saturday's total jumped off the stat sheet at me after the game. Against the Stars in Game 1 the Avalanche leveled exactly 30 hits. Now, to be honest most teams do hit much more frequently in the postseason, this is true across the board. But to see Colorado make such a significant leap is a great sign. The Avalanche went from below average, to matching the pace of a league leader.
The team leaders in hits would probably surprise most fans too. Two Avalanche players tied with 4, Ryan Lindgren, and Martin Necas. One of those guys was expressly added for physicality, and it wasn't the flashy forward.
Obviously, Colorado did not make the big trade with Carolina thinking they would see our once beloved Moose, Mikko Rantanen in a Dallas sweater come Round One. But fate decreed it so, and the 'friend turned foe' is a lot more real than a cheeky Four Nations promo. It is the story to watch in the first round.
Marty Necas has his own demons to battle in his first postseason with the Avalanche. Necas is in the midst of a career-year offensively, but he's not known for playoff success. He has 11 goals and 20 assists in 60 playoff games. Measured straight-up against Rantanen, we know better than any fanbase how that looks. That is all the more reason to appreciate Necas showing he's ready to mix it up and throw the body.
Big-bodied defensemen like Lindgren, Manson, and Erik Johnson are all expected to separate some guys from pucks. They lowered the boom a few times to create memorable highlights. I do think those crushers matter for the mental game within the game. It's no secret that a big hit can stop a play and shift momentum on a dime.
However, when we are talking about this team specifically, I think it's only right to acknowledge the somewhat under the radar contributions of one Parker Kelly. Most fans would be forgiven for not knowing that it is Parker Kelly who led the Avalanche in hits this season. As has been established, hits are not this team's bread and butter, normally.
But for Parker Kelly and some of his bottom six forward teammates, its essential to earning ice. The top three Avalanche players in hits are Kelly (161), Ross Colton (145) and Joel Kiviranta (114). I'm sure that a fully healthy Josh Manson would normally have topped the list. Although the reality of this team being frequently beset by injuries resulted in some illuminating numbers.
In order to capture another Cup the Colorado Avalanche will need to be ready for that increased physicality and match it with some of their own. Most fans were anxious to see the return of captain Gabriel Landeskog. I wrote last week about how Game 3 might be the most logical, as it is the first postseason game at Ball Arena. Unfortunately, with Ross Colton exiting on Saturday, it might mean our captain gets pressed into service tonight in Game 2.
After witnessing the environment of the first tilt, you do begin to understand some hesitancy to start Landeskog. But alas Avs' Faithful, hockey has never been for the faint of heart or the weak-willed. I believe that every player up and down the lineup is more than ready to join the hit parade that is the Stanley Cup playoffs.