We are witnessing GREATNESS in Colorado…

We are witnessing GREATNESS in Colorado…

We are witnessing greatness in Colorado as this team continues to put up ridiculous statlines early in this season, steamrolling every team in their path. In this video, we’re going to break out some of the standout players on the Colorado Avalanche, talk about their keys to their early success, and will they get back to the Stanley Cup finals. You’re not going to want to miss this episode of Hatrick HQ. But before we dive into everything here on the channel, we just want to say we’re on the road for 19,000 subscribers here on the channel. So if you’re new here or you’re returning and you’re not subscribed, it’s completely free. Go down below, hit that subscribe button to keep up to date on everything that’s happening all around the league. And soon we’ll be having some great Olympic coverage as well, so you’re not going to want to miss that. But with that said, we got to dive right into everything Colorado Avalanche as this team has proven to be the best team in the league. so far this season now having their league best ninth game winning streak uh you know beating uh some of these games very handedly winning uh in a big way for a lot of these games and we are going to talk about some of the players uh that have led to this success early on obviously without Miko Ranton a lot of people weren’t sure how the Avalanche were going to fare this season but I mean Mo rant and who at this point. I mean, this team is dominating a lot of key players that we’re going to talk about in a bit, stepping up in a big way, but of course, the big thing for the Colorado Avalanche this year from this compared from this year to last year has been their goalending. But before we dive into that, I do want to say the Avalanche are currently at top the league, clear by seven points of the Carolina Hurricanes for first spot in the entire league. Uh, and you know, like I said, they’re the hottest team in hockey right now. They are a wagon. Colorado’s always going to be uh, you know, they’re they’re always there every season. They’re, you know, when you have a player like Nathan McKennon, the Nate dog on your team, you’re always going to be in the mix. But the way they are beating beating teams and the way they are winning games this season is very different from what we’ve seen from previous Colorado Avalanche teams in my eyes. And like I said, a big part on that is some great goalending. And looking here early on uh in this season, McKenzie Blackwood, who they went out and traded for last season, who we all thought was going to be the clear number one this season. He is a a 30 and1 record with a 911 saber percentage, but the starting job has been taken over by Scott Wedgewood here with a 131-2 record uh so far this season with a 918 save percentage, which put puts him fourth among all goalies in the NHL. Having a almost 920 save percentage, you know, in across was it like 15 16 starts is absolutely ridiculous. These crazy numbers. I mean, Scott Wedgewood, I always thought that he was a solid goalie, and I always thought that he was a solid backup in this league, but now he’s really coming out and showing people that he can be the starter. He doesn’t need to be the number two option in net and we’ve seen him just, you know, absorb pucks this year. He’s just, you know, saving a a lot of saves that, you know, would be goals against other goalenders, but he’s also just been a anchor back there. He’s not letting very many weak ones in. And that’s what you need out of a goalender. You need a goalie who is going to just stop the the regular shots and, you know, stop the the the high danger scoring chances. And that’s what we are seeing out of this goalie. And that the good thing in in Colorado is that they also have another goalie there, Mackenzie Blackwood, who can do the exact same thing. So, if Wedgewood does start to dip and his play does start to dwindle, you can lean on McKenzie Blackwood, who is another top goalie uh in this league. So that is great to see as well for Colorado Avalanche fans. But I do want to take you back to last year here for a minute. As we see a year ago today, the Colorado had the Avalanche had the worst team save percentage in the entire NHL. But Chris McFarland, the GM of the Avalanche totally overhauled what they had in their crease by going out and trading for Mackenzie Blackwood. And now the ABS have the best save percentage in the entire league. If you guys uh you know don’t have the the best memory when it comes to trades in hockey, this is what it took to get the tanm that they have right now. It took uh Jus Anunan, Alexander Gorgv, who you know wasn’t very good last year. Like I said, they had the team wor Saber Sange at that point. A second round pick, a fifth round pick, and a sixth round pick and Nikolai Kovaleeno. That’s what it took for the ABS to get uh Blackwood and Wedgewood. And that’s I mean when you look at that that is some great work by uh Chris McFarland. You know he’s not really giving up a lot. Yes, a second round pick but you know he didn’t have to get rid of a first. It’s basically just some lower end picks. You know a guy like Gorgiev who you know ABS fans and the team wanted to move away from because obviously he got that horrible nickname of forge letting four goals in a game. Uh so you know they got rid of him. They got a better goalender back in return and then they also got rid of a prospect in a nunan who I think will shape up to be a decent goalie in this league but not on the level that what this team is. Obviously this team right now is in win now mode. They want to win another one before the Nate Dog retires. So they went out solved their problems and you know a lot of other GMs around this league could really take a page out of Christmas Chris McFarland’s book. I’m looking at you Oilers because you know their their crease situation is like what the Avalanches was last year. So it’s great to see some great GM work here from Chris McFarland and just really showing what this team can do and you know what you know a few trades and a few tweaks to the lineup can do to a team and you know we’re seeing it this season. They’re the best team in the league. They’re probably the best goalending tanm in the NHL right now. Uh you know depending on who you ask. So, very interesting. But I do want to get to the big dogs here, obviously with Nathan McKennon. And Nathan Mckennon has had a tremendous, tremendous start to the season uh for this Colorado Avalanche team. 37 points in 22 games, 17 goals, 20 assists. I mean, well over a point per game at this point. And has really always, I mean, Nathan McKenna has always done this, you know, put this team on his back in clutch scenarios. He’s very clutch and it’s just great to see him, you know, even though he’s getting older at at at the age of 30, which, you know, it seems like he’s been in the league forever. So, we’ll take 30 for Nathan McKennon, he still continues to, you know, be the player he is. He’s like the Crosby’s, he’s like the Malcans, he’s like the Ovetkin. As they get older, they sometimes even get even better. And that’s what we’re seeing out of Nathan McKennon. But, you know, obviously these numbers are great and puts him amongst in the elite company. He’s, you know, the top point scorer in the NHL a as I’m recording this video with 37 points, uh, three points above Mlin Salibbrini. Love to see the young kid there in second place behind Nate Dog there. Uh, obviously having a great season in San Jose. But back to Nathan McKennon. He’s also leading the league or tied for first with Morgan Geeki in goals. So, he’s getting it done on both ends of the ice. Obviously, from what we know from Nathan McKennon, he’s a guy who’s not afraid to get back and get it done this defensive zone as well. Uh, but, you know, he is, you know, a great goal scorer. He is a great playmaker. He is just an allound talent in this league. One of the league’s best over the last decade, uh, or even two decades, I guess you could say. Uh it’s just great to see him, you know, every season come out, do what he does, and he comes out, does his job, and you know what you’re going to get out of Nathan Mckennon, and it’s great to see him kind of carry this team again, um, you know, on his back. But it’s not just him. There is a, you know, a sneaky little defender there in Kale Mar who is also the best in the league. I mean, Nathan McKenna definitely top three player in this league. I would say maybe arguably, I would say top three in my eyes. And Kell Macar obviously clearly the number one defenseman in the league at least in my opinion. There’s no defender like him out there. 29 points, nine goals, 20 assists. And uh also, you know, he’s logging 25 minutes a night. He’s always been a stud back there for this Colorado Avalanche team. And something about Kale Mar that is very interesting is uh how good he how he leads the stat category among defenseman in goals, assists, and points. He’s number one in all categories. So, he’s just dominating the defensive position like he does year in and year out. And obviously with, you know, the Olympics coming up, these guys are just trying to secure their spot. I think McKennon and Mar are clear clearly going to be on this team Canada team. There’s no doubt about it. But it’s good to see these guys continue to play well and continue to help this team win games. And I mean Kale Mar, he like I said, he’s one of a kind. He’s a guy who can just make a play out of nothing. He can take the puck go up the ice end to end with it if you wanted him to. He’s also great at, you know, quarterbacking their power play. And he’s just he you need a guy like Hill Mer on your team to win. and you we see what it does. You know, you have one of the best forwards in the league, the best defenseman in the league. You know, it’s only going to get better. And uh we just want to look at the stats for this the point leaders for this team this season. Like I said, McKenna Mara, Marty Nis Nas, hey, this guy has had a tremendous season for this team. 28 points, 15 assists, 13 goals in 22 games. I mean, really showing that this trade is working out. We don’t need Mo Ranton. We got Marty Nash who’s just gonna come out here and, you know, be the player that uh we want him to be. And being over a point per game at this point is great. Our Tur Lechin playing up on that top line with Nate Dog has really uh shown to be a top winger in this league in my eyes. I think I mean during his time in Montreal, I really did like this player. Obviously, me being a Montreal fan, but now seeing him, you know, finally get those minutes, we can see what he’s doing with them. you know, every year he’s been on this team and especially in the playoffs, he’s definitely a clutch player as well. And Victor Olivesson was an acquisition that I really liked. I think Victor Olivesson was overlooked a lot during his time in Buffalo. Obviously, you know, Buffalo kind of being cursed. They can’t make the playoffs. They, you know, they’re always in a rebuild. You get Victor Olivesson or Goliffson as people like to call him. Get him on a good team. you know, even if he’s he’s on the third line right now, you get him on this team, he goes out, he succeeds, and that’s what we’re seeing right now with 15 points, six goals, nine assists for him in, you know, the bottom six. And if you know, god forbid, something happens and there’s an injury on that right wing side and, you know, players out for a week or week to week, Victor Olivesson’s a guy who can easily slide up this lineup and he will continue to contribute on that second line. And Brock Nelson, another great acquisition last year. and Val Valerie Nushkin obviously he’s been a stud for this team for many years and before we wrap it up here I just want to take a look at you know their the full core for this team like I said that top line of of Nash Nathan Mckennon and Turkin has been lights out for this team maybe one of the best top lines in this in the league today and Brock Nelson Landisk you know not having the best you know point season but he has you know he’s coming off that big injury So, it’s great to see him get back out there. He’s clearly leading this team in the right direction on a nine-game win streak. And it’s just great to see him back playing hockey. And the bottom six, I mean, they look good at this point in time. I mean, you need a bottom six. I’ve always been a clear guy of you need a bottom six to go out and win a championship. And we’re seeing offense come through that bottom six, but it doesn’t need to solely come from that. Obviously, we’re getting the big numbers out of the big guys like Mar Cash Mckennon and even the goalending being as solid as it is at this point in time. If you had to ask me who’s winning the Stanley Cup, I’d have to say the Colorado Avalanche because this team has looked lights out. There isn’t a team in this league that can stop them right now in a sevename series in my opinion. So, Avalanche fans, you have a lot to be excited for. I think this might be a year where you guys should come out of the West, get back to the Stanley Cup final, and then in the Stanley Cup final, anything can happen. But I want to hear your guys thoughts down below in the comment section. What do you think of the team so far? What do you think of Chris Chris McFarland’s great um GM work over this past year to get this team to where it is. Love to hear you guys thoughts down below. And trade deadline, if you’re Chris McFarland, what are you doing to make this seem even better than they already are? Let me know down below if you enjoyed. Leave a like, subscribe to the channel. We’ll be here keeping you up to date on all everything around the Colorado Avalanche, everything around the league and the Olympics coming up. So, you’re not going to want to miss out on that. But as always, I’ve been your host, Casey. We’ll catch you in the next

On this episode of Hat Trixk HQ KC breaks down the Colorado Avalanche’s insane start to the season and touches on Scott Wedgewood’s, Mackenzie Blackwood’s, Nathan MacKinnon’s, and Cale Makar’s stellar play.

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