After a devastating loss last night to the Winnipeg Jets, the Colorado Avalanche were looking for a redemption game. Losing their Norris Trophy defenseman in Cale Makar was obvious last night. It is essential to begin by hitting the ground running. The San Jose Sharks are warming up themselves, being 6–3–1 in their last 10 games. So, if the Avalanche wanted to get things going, they would need to strike first and fast. Nathan MacKinnon would have a record setting night for the Avalanche as he moved up the franchise leaderboard in multiple ways. Here are the takeaways for the 6–2 victory over the Sharks.
Takeaways
— The Avalanche got off on the right foot when they took advantage of a five-minute major against former Colorado defenseman Jacob MacDonald. As Sam Malinski went to the corner to play the puck, he lost his edge and MacDonald boarded him hard against the glass. The referees gave MacDonald a game misconduct and ejected him from the game. In the ensuing power play, Jonathan Drouin connected with Valeri Nichushkin for the goal.
Val Nichushkin guides Drouin's backdoor pass home on the power play, opening up the scoring for Colorado!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/697jzTv2OF
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 18, 2023
— Colorado’s defense gave Alexandar Georgiev a fighting chance. He put up a .931 save percentage for the night with 27 saves. But the defense blocked an amazing 21 shots toward the net. This kept the overall shot total just under 30 (with 29) and lowered the stress on Georgiev for the night.
— The offense did not give up on any plays even with a big lead on the Sharks. Toward the end of the game, with a score 5–1, the Avalanche never gave up. They showed a hunger for the net that just was not there in Winnipeg.
Miles Wood rips one off the post and in, extending Colorado's first period lead to 3!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/tPpTS9ECH2
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 18, 2023
— MacKinnon had four points for the night with two goals and two assists. He extended his season-opening home point streak to 16 games. In that timeframe, he has accrued 43 points with 12 goals. With the four points, MacKinnon is now up to 806 career points and passes former captain Milan Hejduk on the franchise points leaderboard to fourth place.
Nathan MacKinnon assisted on two of the @Avalanche's three first-period goals and extended his season-opening home point streak to 16 games.
Catch the second period on @Sportsnet. #NHLStats: https://t.co/Q9BfQCqwGo pic.twitter.com/Ed5lBzDkJ5
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) December 18, 2023
Nathan MacKinnon steals the puck and rips one off the post and into the net by way of Blackwood's back!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/rTVbZW4ing
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 18, 2023
Conclusion
The Avalanche definitely had to prove themselves tonight. Even if the opponent was the nine-win Sharks. They functioned as a single entity with a specific aim in mind. Compared to the previous game against San Jose, they were being forced to shoot from the edges of the offensive zone. Tonight, the Avalanche were crashing the net and pushing the play forward. Malinski has made a significant difference in how the defense has been pushing the play forward as well. Next up, the Avalanche travel to Chicago to take on the Blackhawks on Tuesday.