Christmas is closing in, but for myself and other Colorado Avalanche fans, it’s been Christmas game in and game out! The Avalanche’s strong season continued with three more games to the schedule, coming after a road trip that saw the Avs go 2-1-1.
First off, the Avs faced off against the reigning, defending, undisputed, two-time Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers. And it was during that night that the Avs celebrated the 1996 championship; our first year in Denver after moving from Quebec, and it was amazing seeing the old legends out there. Mike Ricci, Adam Deadmarsh, Sandis Ozolinsh, and of course, Peter Forsberg and Joe Sakic, among others. Regarding the game, Sam Malinski struck first and early, that’s been a theme with us this season. Noah Gregor tied it up at 7:21, but at the tail end of the first period, Brock Nelson gave us the lead back.
After that, the onslaught happened. In the 2nd period, it was Gavin Brindley who started the fun and made it 3-1. Just a few minutes later, it was the man himself, Nathan MacKinnon, and then, at 12:31, it was Artturi Lehkonen. 5-1 lead after 40 minutes, and Our Captain made it 6-1 in the 3rd period. Avs went on to win it 6-2, continuing our home ice dominance, and delivering another beatdown to the team shining our Cup for us.
Our mini two-game homestand concluded against Nashville, and for the third time all season, I got Avs Twitter Psychic right. I picked MacKinnon, and #29 came through at 1:26 of the first. Again, we love scoring early. Jack Drury made it 2-0, but 50 seconds after that goal, Jonathan Marchessault put the Preds on the board. 2-1 was the score after 20, and it was 3-1 after 40 due to Victor Olofsson’s goal. The score held up the rest of the way, with Valeri Nichushkin sealing it with an empty netter. The Avs won 4-2, but only because our old boy, Tyson Jost, put one in for the hell of it.
Avs returned to the road and to national TV on Tuesday when we visited the Seattle Kraken, with the game on TNT. We struck first, but it wasn’t early this time. Artturi Lehkonen put it in, and the 1-0 score held up for the entire period. Seattle took over with goals from Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle and speaking of the latter, I have to mention this. It’s been three years damn near, and Seattle’s still booing Cale Makar. They still forget the fact that Jordan Eberle damn near broke Andrew Cogliano’s neck in that same series, yet Eberle wasn’t suspended because NHL Player Safety hates the Avs. Girard tied it, Chandler Stephenson gave Seattle their lead back, 3-2, but when the third period started? Three goals from the Avs, two of them from Nathan MacKinnon! Avs won it, 5-3, thanks to a third period comeback!
Avs later took it to the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, a 3-2, and next up for the Avs is the Minnesota Wild on Sunday. And just when you think that this quarter-century old rivalry can’t get any crazier than it already is, the Wild traded for Quinn Hughes recently. So the league’s two best defensemen are now in the same division together. Hell’s bells. And they’re pretty damn close in the Central Division standings as well.
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