The Colorado Avalanche shut out the New Jersey Devils 4-0 with a solid all-around effort on Sunday night. Scott Wedgewood made 25 saves to earn his first clean sheet in an Avs uniform.
The win on Sunday night is particularly encouraging after the Avalanche pulled off a gutsy win on Saturday over the Detroit Red Wings. The back-to-back wins pulled the Avalanche into a third-place tie with the Dallas Stars in the Central Division. However, the Stars do have three games in hand.
But beyond that, the wins on consecutive nights provided a glimpse into the real Colorado Avalanche team. Unfortunately, we have been unable to see the real Avs in action due to the irrationally high number of injuries this season.
Now that the club is practically back to full strength, fans can see what this team is really capable of. That potentially boils down to winning a playoff-style game one night and then shutting down another the next one.
It must be pointed out that New Jersey is no pushover this season. The Devils sit in second place in the Metro Division and look like contenders in the Eastern Conference. They’re a high-octane puck-possession team. That’s what makes the Devils so hard to play against.
Still, the Avalanche proved they have what it takes to be a serious contender this season. At this rate, we could be looking at a much different Colorado club by the time Christmas rolls around.
Ross Colton return huge for Colorado Avalanche
Ross Colton has recently returned to the lineup after missing roughly six weeks with a broken foot. But you wouldn’t know that just by watching him play.
Colton scored in his second game back, his ninth in 12 games this season. Sunday night’s goal was particularly special as Colton is a Robbinsville, NJ, native. Playing near his hometown was a unique moment for Colton, particularly as he’s dealt with a challenging season.
Colton’s return has everyone pumped up, especially Nathan MacKinnon. NHL.com quoted MacKinnon’s comments regarding Colton’s return. MacKinnon put it simply: “It’s huge.”
Indeed, Colton’s return was huge. As MacKinnon described, Colton “was leading our team in goals when he got hurt and he's picking right back where he left off. It's awesome to see."
Colton’s return has given the Avs a boost much like Artturi Lehkonen and Valeri Nichushkin did. While the Avalanche still have an unusually high number of injuries, the outlook is highly positive for the team.
The Avalanche are playing some of their best hockey of the season at near full capacity. We can only imagine what the Colorado Avalanche could do at full strength. The future looks good for the Avs this season. It’s just a matter of weathering what’s left of the storm.