After ripping off their 11th consecutive home win, the Colorado Avalanche headed out on the road for the first game in a series of home-and-away trips that make up the next half-dozen games. Their first mission? Beating a plucky Seattle Kraken in their own barn.
The Kraken looked game for much of the evening, bombarding the Avalanche net with 37 shots on the evening. Despite falling behind 3-2 heading into the third period, the Avalanche found another gear and walked away with their fifth win in six games, beating the Kraken 5-3.
Mackenzie Blackwood was Outstanding
You can’t talk about this victory without immediately mentioning how well Mackenzie Blackwood performed in net. During the first period especially, Blackwood was the difference for the Avalanche.
Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche (Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images)
The Kraken really pushed the pace of play in the first, maintaining prolonged stretches of possession in the Avalanche zone. Blackwood was the difference, standing on his head with more than a few impressive saves to keep the Kraken off the board.
He did more of the same throughout the night and was largely exceptional apart from traffic directly in front of him, which isn’t really his fault. It can’t be said enough how exceptional Colorado’s goaltending has been this season and Blackwood was an example of that on Tuesday night.
The Power Play Needs to Get Figured Out
The Avalanche have what is looking like an all-time great or two in Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar, not to mention a plethora of other talented players, yet still sit near the bottom of the league when it comes to power play success rate.
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Sure, the power play wound up being the difference today when Brock Nelson took a ricochet off the end wall and buried it behind Philipp Grubauer to give the Avalanche what would wind up being the decisive goal of the game. But the unit as a whole went 1-for-4 on the night and still can’t seem to find a groove.
The Avalanche have been so dominant in all other facets of the game that it hasn’t caught up to them yet. Having said that, a power play even in the middle of the league would likely mean a few less overtime losses and a few more points for the Avalanche. They need to figure it out and find some consistency as a group.
Net-Front Defense Was Lacking
The Avalanche have been quite good defensively this season, backed by what may be the best goaltending tandem in the league. On Tuesday night, the latter pulled its weight far more than the former because the Avalanche weren’t good in front of their own net.
Colorado Avalanche center Ross Colton and Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers collide while chasing a loose puck (Steven Bisig-Imagn Images)
The first two goals from the Kraken came from directly in the crease, while the third came on a funky bounce on what looked to be a pass from Chandler Stephenson. On all three goals, there wasn’t a whole lot that Blackwood could have done.
Good teams have off nights, so this likely isn’t indicative of any bigger issue. The Kraken came out and played a spirited game, but the Avalanche just found another gear and got the win in spite of it. That’s what separates the good teams from the rest.
Business as Usual
In the wake of the Quinn Hughes trade, there may come a point where the Avalanche make a move to shore up any perceived issues, but it is business as usual for right now. The Avalanche are perhaps the most complete team in the NHL, and it shows in games like these.
Next up is a home game against the Winnipeg Jets before a big showdown on the road with the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. The Avalanche will then finish out the calendar year with a game in Vegas and a trio of home games.
