5 takeaways from the Avalanche’s 2-1 victory over St. Louis
Former Avalanche standout Ryan O’Reilly inadvertently contributed to the game-profitable intention in the remaining minute of regulation Saturday evening as the Avs defeated O’Reilly and the St. Louis Blues 2-1 at Ball Arena.
Colorado will not observe and only travel to Minnesota on Easter Sunday and get started a two-game established in opposition to the Wild on Monday in St. Paul, Minn.
5 takeaways from Saturday’s sequence-clinching gain in excess of the Blues:
Inadvertent aid. O’Reilly, the 2019 Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP for the Stanley Cup-profitable Blues, collected a free puck close to the remaining wall in the defensive zone and attempted to chip it off the boards and out of the zone. Instead, he threw it proper at Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, who fired in the profitable shot with 40.1 seconds remaining in regulation.
Different directions. Colorado swept the Blues in the two-game established and St. Louis has now missing 6 consecutive online games, slipping to sixteen-fifteen-6 and tied for fifth in the West Division with San Jose. The Avalanche (25-8-4), in the meantime, extended its points streak to 14 online games (twelve–2) and is now 4 points forward of Vegas for initial spot in the West. The Golden Knights (24-10-2) are on a two-game losing skid and just five-4-1 in their previous 10 online games.
Gru, Gru. Avs goalie Philipp Grubauer made 27 will save for his twenty third gain of the time, tying Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy for the league-higher. Grubauer sales opportunities the NHL with a 1.76 objectives-in opposition to common and his .929 help you save proportion is 2nd to Vasilevskiy (.932).
Clearly, the Avalanche likes its No. 1 goalie, and in comparison to his two backups this time — Hunter Miska and Jonas Johansson — “Gru” performs to a substantially diverse, successful conquer.
Grubauer has now backstopped the Avs to at the very least a point in twelve consecutive online games, tying a club record. Peter Budaj (2006-07) and Patrick Roy (1996-97) also performed twelve consecutive online games in main Colorado to a gain, tie, or overtime/shootout loss.
Liam the lion. Ahead Liam O’Brien, 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, performed his 2nd game with the Avs and fought Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo in the 2nd time period. O’Brien appeared to decide on the struggle, jawing at Bortuzzo on the ensuing faceoff. Bortuzzo attempted to struggle Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin in the initial time period.
Preventing isn’t for absolutely everyone. But the Avs may well have observed a forward eager to deter opponents from having liberties in opposition to their competent gamers.
“That’s element of it,” Bednar mentioned when questioned about O’Brien playing the enforcer role. “He’s hugely aggressive. Our professional scouts watched him and seriously like him. It is that grit and willpower and you can see the effect he’s obtaining on the forecheck.”
MacKinnon and company. The Avs’ top line of middle Nathan MacKinnon and wingers Gabe Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen have sixty points (25 objectives) for the duration of the Avs’ twelve–2 stretch, with seven game-profitable objectives.
MacKinnon had Colorado’s initial intention in the initial time period on Saturday off a neutral-zone feed from Landeskog. It was MacKinnon’s 3rd intention in 4 durations and Landeskog extended his points streak to 4 online games (three objectives, seven points).
MacKinnon has points in 5 straight online games (three objectives, 8 points) and has 21 points (8 objectives) in 14 outings since returning from injuries on March 10. Rantanen, in the meantime, led the NHL with points (25) and objectives (thirteen) in March — the 2nd-highest every month totals in Avs background.