This may turn out to be one of the defining weeks of the Colorado Avalanche’s season. The team has been slumping lately, playing .500 hockey after putting out a torrid pace. With the Minnesota Wild and Dallas Stars breathing down their necks, the Avalanche need to find the dominance that made them untouchable for the first several months of the season.
Facing a desperate team in the Los Angeles Kings, the Avalanche started hot and found a way to get the job done in the end, earning a 4-2 victory. Here are the most important takeaways from the latest Avalanche win.
Martin Necas is on Fire
The Avalanche often look to their superstars to carry them forward. While Nathan MacKinnon has had his ups and downs of late, the same cannot be said of Necas. After slumping into the Olympic break with just two points in five games, Necas has been playing with his hair on fire.
In the win against the Kings, Necas had a goal and two assists, giving hm his fourth consecutive multi-point game. He now has 71 points in 56 games, moving him into eighth in league scoring.
Necas’ play is important on its own but he has helped MacKinnon get out of his funk as well (Nate Dogg had a goal and an assist in the win). The Avalanche are so good because they get contributions from throughout the lineup but can typically be carried by stars like Necas.
A Strong Defensive Effort
Though they made an upgrade by adding Brett Kulak and likely aren’t done making moves, the Avalanche haven’t had a truly dominant effort defensively in a while. Despite this game being close inside the final five minutes, the Avalanche had pretty much locked down the Kings.
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Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 19 of 21 shots on the night, rarely looking tested. One of the goals – the first by Brandt Clarke – found its way through heavy traffic, not landing on Blackwood’s radar until it was buzzing by his ear.
The Kings were limited to just 21 shots on the night, which is even more impressive when you consider the Avalanche were handily beaten in terms of blocked shots and giveaways. The Kings, despite the tie, never really felt like a threat to win the game. When Devon Toews scored with five minutes left, anyone watching knew it was over.
The Captain Finding His Game?
Another player who has seemingly found another gear coming out of the Olympic break is none other than the captain, Gabriel Landeskog. He had been struggling finding regular production before an injury sidelined him for a month leading into the Olympics.
He had a decent Olympic tournament but has come back to Denver with renewed vigor. In four games since the NHL picked up play again, Landeskog has five points, registering a point in at least three of the four contests.
Part of what makes the Avalanche so scary is that they can score throughout the lineup. When Landeskog looks more like his old self, it makes the Avalanche that much more deadly to go up against.
A Critical Stretch
This is a critical stretch for the Avalanche. They face a red-hot Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday, and need to continue building momentum if they are to hold off the Stars and Wild, both of whom have been on a tear.
Additions at the deadline will certainly help, but the Avalanche are also focused on getting healthy and finding their game again. With the playoffs getting nearer, they have a singular goal to drive them: a Stanley Cup.
