{"id":561115,"date":"2026-04-27T21:00:15","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:00:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/561115\/"},"modified":"2026-04-27T21:00:15","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T21:00:15","slug":"ageless-wonder-brent-burns-cranks-up-his-play-and-physicality-for-avalanche-evans-take","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/561115\/","title":{"rendered":"Ageless wonder Brent Burns cranks up his play (and physicality) for Avalanche | Evan’s take"},"content":{"rendered":"

After dispatching the Los Angeles Kings in four games, the Colorado Avalanche now get some well-earned rest before the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.<\/p>\n

Everyone could use it, some more than others.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019ll be good for everybody to rest up here for a few days, but especially a 41-year-old,\u201d Gabriel Landeskog said with a smirk on his face.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) and defenseman Brent Burns (84) in the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, March 30, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo\/David Zalubowski)<\/p>\n

That 41-year-old is Brent Burns. The veteran of over 1,700 NHL games averaged over 18 minutes per game during the first round for the Avalanche. There\u2019s also a very good argument to be made those four games against the Kings were four of the best he\u2019s played in an Avalanche uniform, as he finished second among Colorado blue liners in expected goals-for percentage, behind only Cale Makar.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche next meet the winner of a Stars-Wild series that entered Monday in a 2-2 tie.<\/p>\n

Burns averaged over 3 minutes per game on the penalty kill, a unit that played very well in the first round, provided the Kings hadn\u2019t pulled their goalie to make it a two-man advantage. Burns was smart with the puck in all situations and played with a bit more bite.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard for anyone to play a physical brand of hockey for all 82 regular season games, but for the 6-foot-5 Burns, he would pick and choose when to throw his body around. That wasn\u2019t so much the case in the first round. He played physical and had some nastiness to his game.<\/p>\n

And if you\u2019re an opposing forward, that can\u2019t be fun to deal with.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s scary too, because that\u2019s a man\u2019s man, right?\u201d Scott Wedgewood said of Burns\u2019 increased physicality. \u201cHe might get mistaken for Sasquatch a couple times in his life. When he gets angry, you don\u2019t want to be on the wrong side of it, but he\u2019s still smart with it. I think he hits properly. He knows how to use his body, knows how to box guys out and he can still move and play the game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood, bottom left, makes a save as Edmonton Oilers\u2019 Matt Savoie, center top, and Vasily Podkolzin (92) are knocked down by Avalanche\u2019s Brett Kulak, top right, as Avaanche\u2019s Brent Burns (84) looks on during second-period NHL hockey game action in Edmonton,Alberta, Monday, April 13, 2026. (Jason Franson\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/p>\n

Twenty-two years into his NHL career, Burns is still in search of his first Stanley Cup ring. If his play against the Kings is any indication, he\u2019s awfully motivated to get that ring.<\/p>\n

Toward the end of Game 2, Burns and Kings icon Anze Kopitar both went for a puck in the corner, like they have dozens of times against each other over the course of their careers. In a regular-season game, Burns might have just sealed him off looking to make the safe play.<\/p>\n

This isn\u2019t the regular season, though. Burns tossed Kopitar, a large man himself, down to the ice, separating him from the puck entirely and sending the Ball Arena crowd into a frenzy.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love it,\u201d Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. \u201cIt\u2019s easy to pick him out of the pack because that\u2019s what it is: it\u2019s physicality. He\u2019s still playing the same way, moving the puck the same way, but there\u2019s an engagement level from the physical side of it that really stands out when you watch it. That, to me, is Burnsy\u2019s way \u2014 his urgency, desperation, understanding I know I can play this way and I\u2019m going to do it right now to help our team win.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re on the Avalanche bench, how can you not be inspired watching someone like Burns still going all-out at this stage in his career? In many ways must be inspiring.<\/p>\n

A large chunk of the core on this Avalanche team has already won, having experienced the highest of highs by reaching the top of the mountain in 2022. The desire to get back on top is high from this group, and the added motivation of helping Burns get his first ring doesn\u2019t hurt either.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s incredible that he\u2019s competing as hard as he is,\u201d Makar said.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado Avalanche\u2019s Cale Makar (8) brings the puck across the blue line against Los Angeles Kings during the first period of Game 4 in the first round of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup playoff series Sunday, April 26, 2026, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo\/Scott Strazzante)<\/p>\n

\u201cIt goes a long way,\u201d Landeskog added. \u201cI think everybody feeds off that. Somebody (that\u2019s) been so consistent for so long and obviously we know what\u2019s at stake for everybody but especially him. To see how badly he wants it and be a part of this and what an impact he makes on a nightly basis, it\u2019s huge.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Avalanche will take a few days off before returning to practice on Wednesday at Family Sports Center.<\/p>\n


\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n
\n
\n
\n <\/a>
\n <\/p>\n