Colorado Avalanche grab their first preseason win with close to full lineup

The Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights to notch their first preseason win on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Jonathan Drouin and Sam Malinski scored, with Logan O’Connor adding an empty-netter. Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights on the power play. The win was an encouraging full 60-minute effort that shows what the Avs are capable of.

With that in mind, here’s a look at some key notes from the Colorado Avalanche’s first preseason win.

Some notes from the Colorado Avalanche’s win on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights

The kids did very well

Calum Ritchie, Sam Malinski, and Ivan Ivan impressed in the game. Ritchie assisted on Drouin’s goal in the first period. Malinski scored in the second with a nasty wrister that made it through traffic. Meanwhile, Ivan did not register on the scoresheet but looked solid on the ice.

All three players have a chance to make the team out of camp. Malinski could push for a job in the bottom pairing while Ritchie could get a look in the top six at some point. As for Ivan, he could draw somewhere in the bottom six, especially if injuries become an issue.

The real Annunen showed up

Justus Annunen has had a couple of not-so-convincing outings this preseason. However, he was solid on Thursday night, stopping 21 shots. Annunen made a couple of key saves when needed, keeping the Avs in the game.

It’s worth pointing out that Annunen could push Alexandar Georgiev for the starting job if both goalies continue trending in their current directions.

The Avs could have scored a lot more goals

Kudos to Vegas’ netminder Ilya Samsonov. He looked sharp in the game, making numerous acrobatic saves to keep the game close. While he looked a little suspect on the Jonathan Drouin goal, Samsonov held the fort. Had it not been for the tremendous effort, the Avs could have scored at least five or six goals.

The lineup is close to ready

Thursday night’s lineup was about as close to ready as you can get. The Avs dominated, and provided a look at what fans can expect on opening night. If Thursday night’s game is an indication of what’s to come, the rest of the Western Conference could be in for a long season.