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Colorado’s high two strains
We’ve talked endlessly this season in regards to the high of Colorado’s ahead lineup and the way a second-line heart would tie the whole factor collectively and make the Avs considerably extra formidable up high.
That was actually the case tonight because the Avs bludgeoned the Flames with their high two strains. At 5v5, these two strains mixed to outshoot Calgary 28-12 (14-5 on purpose), outchance them 10-3, and outscored them 4-0. So, fairly dominant stuff.
It was the highest line of Valeri Nichushkin, Nathan MacKinnon, and Mikko Rantanen doing the heavy lifting, however Colorado’s reworked second line with Brandon Duhaime, Casey Mittelstadt, and Jonathan Drouin saved the foot on the fuel when the MacKinnon line received off the ice.
The scoring may have been much more tilted than it was because the Mittelstadt line had a number of high-danger scoring possibilities that didn’t end in objectives, too. This was a top-down demolition by the Avs in opposition to an outmanned Flames crew and it was encouraging to see the very best work from the forwards come from the highest two teams.
Valeri Nichushkin
Nichushkin was particularly superior tonight as we noticed the ability and velocity on show in open ice however he created the primary purpose by taking a rebound off Dan Vladar’s doorstep and discovering Rantanen alone on the backdoor for a straightforward purpose.
It was a rosy return to the lineup for Nichushkin when he received the extra time game-winning purpose in opposition to Minnesota final week, however this was a whole efficiency that reminds you why he’s such an important a part of this lineup. His two-way play is outstanding and the Flames had no reply for him.
It was good to see him get a purpose with a shot that beat a goalie cleanly from a ways. I’m not saying that all the objectives he scores on the doorstep are unhealthy, however just a little variance is sweet and nice for his confidence.
He was the second-best participant on the ice.
Mikko Rantanen
Nichushkin was second-best as a result of this man was unbelievable. Rantanen’s first purpose was straightforward stuff; he went to the online and the opposite guys round him fed him a straightforward tap-in purpose. He completed it. Cool. His assists have been the product of him being a puck-moving menace tonight.
Rantanen in transition was unstoppable on this sport. He was bulldozing any Flames participant who tried to muscle him off the puck, discovering Nichushkin and MacKinnon within the seams of their porous transition protection, and utilizing his playmaking to generate wonderful scoring possibilities.
That is the model of Rantanen that’s extremely straightforward to fall in love with. He bullies the opposition along with his measurement and power, dazzles along with his talent, and his second purpose was simply an extremely positioned shot that chased Dan Vladar on the finish of the second interval. Poor man received run as a result of MacKinnon and Rantanen picked corners on him from tight angles. Being a goalie is tough!
Anyway, MacKinnon’s two factors pushed him to a brand new profession excessive of 113 as he continues chasing a Hart Trophy and a brand new Avalanche report of factors in a season. In the meantime, Rantanen quietly hums alongside because the fifth-highest scorer within the league proper now and is on tempo to hitch MacKinnon as the one Avalanche gamers to ever report 100 factors in back-to-back seasons. Good lord these guys are good.
The fourth line
The trio of Andrew Cogliano-Fredrik Olofsson-Joel Kiviranta was a catastrophe on this sport and was a direct perpetrator in each of Calgary’s objectives.
Olofsson was simply recalled and changed Chris Wagner on the roster and this was not the type of efficiency that can encourage the teaching workers to rock with him far more this season. He was uncompetitive in a board battle behind the online that led to the puck popping out excessive and finally getting tipped by Cogliano and behind Justus Annunen to tie the sport shortly after the Avs had taken a 1-0 lead.
That’s unhealthy luck for Cogliano, however unhealthy work by Olofsson. He has to play a heavy sport to be efficient and that didn’t occur tonight. He was too tender and the teaching workers pulled again on the reins instantly. Olofsson didn’t get a shift within the second interval till the Avs had constructed a 4-2 lead after which had seven shifts within the third interval after solely combining for six within the first two durations. That’s a foul signal.
Cogliano is actually extra disappointing as a result of Olofsson ought to solely be within the lineup through the postseason as a result of one thing has gone fallacious. Cogliano might or might not be the fourth-line heart? We don’t actually know his position when the whole lineup is wholesome and Nikolai Kovalenko is added to the group, however we’ll see. Anyway, Cogliano had a foul sequence within the impartial zone and misplaced his footing and Calgary scored their second purpose.
This line received overwhelmed up all night time as a trio and Kiviranta was the one one whose sport didn’t bounce out to me as an actual downside. Cogliano’s issues are worrying as a result of his play has been on a gentle decline during the last month or so and that’s the wrong way of what you’d prefer to see his play doing because the playoffs strategy. Hopefully he’s nonetheless received one thing left within the tank for the postseason (I’m betting he does).
Justus Annunen
The child we’re lovingly calling “Juice” was sharp once more tonight. He allowed two objectives on the primary three photographs however the first purpose was a hard-luck one and the second, nicely, you’d in all probability like a cease there.
After that, Annunen stopped the ultimate 24 photographs that got here his method and the Avalanche rolled to victory regardless of the early hiccups. Whereas the crew in entrance of him saved their foot on the fuel and utterly dominated the Flames in scoring six objectives in two durations, Annunen made a lot of essential stops to maintain the Avs from getting down by a number of objectives or permitting the Flames to stem the Avalanche momentum in any method.
Essentially the most notable of these saves was Annunen stonewalling Jonathan Huberdeau when he broke out of the penalty field and received a clear breakaway alternative that might have helped Calgary get again into the sport. The large Finnish netminder stood tall and that was largely it for harmful possibilities.
Colorado performed a powerful defensive sport in entrance of Annunen however he made the saves within the huge conditions that might have swung the sport had he not. That’s not one thing the Avs have gotten sufficient of this 12 months however Annunen has given them in 4 straight begins. He’s constructing momentum.
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