In the first of four consecutive games against the Minnesota Wild, the Avalanche made a statement to take Game 1.
Logan O’Connor made his season debut to replace an injured Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and scored on the first shot of his first shift Saturday as the Avalanche defeated the Wild 5-1 at Xcel Energy Center.
Forwards Joonas Donskoi, Mikko Rantanen, Brandon Saad and J.T. Compher also scored for Colorado and goalie Philipp Grubauer made 19 saves to help the Avs win their third straight game for the first time in 2021.
“We’re getting opportunities and guys are finding the back of the net,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of the past three games.
The Avalanche flexed their depth muscles. Each of the four lines scored as injuries continue to pile on. Bellemare and defenseman Devon Toews recently joined an injury list that includes forward Matt Calvert and goalie Pavel Francouz.
Colorado also lost defenseman Erik Johnson, an alternate captain, in the first period Saturday.
“I have a high standard for these guys and they do for themselves,” Bednar said of his bottom three lines. “They set the bar. They go play their best game and I’m expecting 85-90 percent of that every night and we weren’t getting that early. So it’s my job to remind them of some of the things that are missing from their game. I know what they can do and I had a healthy belief that they could break out.”
Rantanen’s goal, his seventh of the season, ties him with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the league lead. Rantanen is the first Avalanche player to score in each of the team’s first five road games of the season, though he was unaware of the record.
Grubauer also leads the NHL in a major category. His six wins are the most. Grubauer had another relatively easy night. He faced just 20 shots and has seen more than nine shots in a period only once over the past four games.
“I love the way Gruby’s playing,” Bednar said. “It’s not just about shots, it’s about getting mentally prepared and being sharp and all the things that come with being a starter.”
Colorado’s defensive game is also highlighted by its strong penalty kill. After going 2-for-2, the Avs have now killed off 19 straight penalties and lead the NHL in PK percentage (90.9). Their power play has been just as productive. They drew seven more penalties and scored twice to reach a league-high 14 goals on the man-advantage.
Their 45 power-play opportunities also lead the NHL by a wide margin. And according to Bednar, it’s also played a role in Colorado’s strong defensive game.
“We were skating well, checking, using our legs,” he explained. “We caught them with our legs and were skating pretty well early in the game, then they got undisciplined and we earned a few more powerplays. When you get seven power plays you’re going to spend less time in your zone. And in turn, you’re going to give up fewer shots. If teams are going to keep putting us on the power play then we got to take advantage of it.”
Hunter Miska will make his second career NHL start Sunday in Game 2 against Minnesota.
Heating up: Saad has three goals and six points during the Avalanche’s three-game winning streak, where they have outscored the opposition 15-4. Saad recorded two points in each game after starting the season with one goal in six games.
Other notes: Superstar Nathan MacKinnon is tied for second in the NHL in assists (10) and fifth in points (12). … Rookie defenseman Bo Byram, 19, will play his seventh game Sunday night and burn the first year of his entry-level contract. Bednar says Byram is an NHL defenseman and “won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.” … There was no update on the status of Johnson’s injury after the game.
