DENVER — It’s been 108 days since the Avalanche captured the Stanley Cup and began their celebrations. But the party continued Wednesday, and so did the dominance of the reigning champions.
Colorado raised its 2022 Stanley Cup banner, had Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus lead a sing-a-long of “All The Small Things” and defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-2
This season's gonna be fun pic.twitter.com/0jVpqcdnzD
— Aarif Deen (@runwriteAarif) October 13, 2022
The Avs looked like the same team that breezed through the playoffs just a few months ago. Especially the top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen
“We’ve been playing the whole camp together for three weeks. So I think you’ll feel chemistry that way,” Rantanen said. “We had some games last year together so it was a pretty good start. But it’s gonna get tougher from here.”
Lehkonen scored two power-play goals in the second period and Valeri Nichushkin added two more. The game’s first goal came from Andrew Cogliano at 5-on-5.
MacKinnon and Rantanen, Colorado’s top two forwards, combined for six helpers. And in goal, Alexandar Georgiev made 15 saves, having a relatively quiet night in all.
“He had a pretty easy night,” head coach Jared Bednar said of Georgiev. “He made the saves he needed to make, it was a good performance.”
The emotions were high from the get-go. Following the warm-up skate, the Avs were introduced — as they are every year — to a loud sellout crowd on opening night. But what followed was another addition to a long list of moments this team will forever cherish.
First, captain Gabriel Landeskog lifted the Stanley Cup and skated a lap around the ice. Then, the banner was introduced and the players from last year’s team locked arms and watched as it was raised to the rafters.
What made the moment more memorable was the one Blackhawks jersey that joined the group. Veteran defenseman Jack Johnson, who signed with Chicago following a successful one-year stint with the Avs, was invited to the ice after sitting alone on the Blackhawks bench for the first portion of the celebration
Johnson joined Colorado on a tryout in 2021 and was rewarded with a contract. For most of the playoffs, the 34-year-old was a staple on the Avalanche’s blueline. He also was in town for Monday night’s private party when the team received its Stanley Cup rings.
For Johnson, it was one last chance to remember his time in Denver and all the memories that will likely last a lifetime. And for his teammates, it was another chance to enjoy another moment with an old teammate
“It was really great to have him here,” Lehkonen said. “He got to watch the banner being raised too. It was awesome to see him.”
Following all the pre-game theatrics, the Avs seemingly didn’t miss a step. They dominated the shot count 35-17 — at times holding Chicago without a shot for long periods of time — and cycled the puck in the offensive zone for lengthy periods.
Cogliano’s opening goal came off a MacKinnon shot from between the circles, which he tipped past the netminder. The power-play tallies that followed all came from Colorado’s top unit.
The Avs were 4-for-6 on the power play. But they also struggled on the penalty kill, allowing both Blackhawks goals while killing a penalty. Colorado killed just one of three Blackhawk power-play opportunities.