About Last Night: Avalanche dress like Nordiques, play like Globetrotters
Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood entered the game with a shutout streak that ultimately reached 173 minutes before it ended at 8:27 of the second period thanks to Juraj Slafkovsky connecting with Ivan Demidov for the latter’s sixth of the season, 4-1 Colorado.
The Avalanche regained their four-goal lead with 55 seconds left in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon continued his Hart-calibre campaign with his 20th goal in only 25 games, 5-1 Nordiques after 40 minutes.
Could the Habs cut into Colorado’s lead in the third? Well, there’s a reason the Avalanche are the best team in the league so far this year. Devon Toews completed the 6-1 touchdown less than three minutes in.
A couple of power-play goals before it was all said and done, starting with Lane Hutson’s fourth of the season. His shot, considered the weakest part of his game, is finding the back of the net more often of late.
With Jake Evans in the box for high-sticking, Landeskog deflected MacKinnon’s shot past Dobes for a 7-2 lead. That’s how it ended.
In acquiring Noah Dobson this off-season, the Habs likely envisioned a quick-countering defensive duo with Hutson comparable to Colorado’s twin magicians Cale Makar and Devon Toews, but there’s no substitute for the real deal, as Montreal fans witnessed Saturday.
Alexandre Carrier took a beating in his own zone with a minus-3 rating. He wasn’t alone, according to Hockey Stat Cards:
Thanks to the Liveblog commenters who chatted on the Hockey Inside Out livestream on YouTube. No doom and gloom after this loss: the Avalanche were just too good. That being said, there was a little extra sting to see them dominate in Nordiques colours.
3. “Dobes hasn’t played bad today, sounds strange in a blowout, but its true.” — Ryan Katz
2. “4 out of 6 on a western road trip … not a bad outcome … could have been worse … let’s take it to the Sens and Jets at home before knocking off the Leafs in TO next Saturday.” — Haari Meech
1. “Now I’m going to buy myself something. A little retail therapy after this loss.” — Marc Taillefer
