The Rookie Faceoff may not mean much to the fans, but it could mean everything to the players involved. Today, the Colorado Avalanche’s rookie team took on the Seattle Kraken’s rookie team in Los Angeles. It was a game filled with penalties and frustration from the Avalanche side as they fell 5–1. Jason Polin would be the only one to gain a tally for Colorado with the help from Ivan Ivan, Max Curran and Bryan Yoon. Although it may not be the desired result, the rookies can gain plenty of learning opportunities from these games. Here are the standouts from game two of the Rookie Faceoff.
Ivan Ivan faceoff win, Max Curran feeds Bryan Yoon and Yoon gets puck on net for Jason Polin to chip home. pic.twitter.com/wVZpkEn5MI
— Meghan Angley (@megangley) September 15, 2024
Ivan Ivan
— After playing the entire season with the Colorado Eagles, Ivan earned himself a NHL contract with the Colorado Avalanche. During game two of the Rookie Faceoff, Ivan flooded the slot and kept throwing rubber on net. During one power play chance, Ivan had three shots alone. He dug deep in the corners, something I know he has been striving to be better at, and caused a couple of turnovers. Ivan will be a sight to watch this year in Loveland with a real chance to fight for a spot on the Avalanche roster next year.
Ondrej Pavel
— Ondrej Pavel continued to show exactly why the Avalanche and Eagles love him. Pavel is extremely aggressive on the forecheck and it comes into play on the penalty kill. Today, Pavel did a lot of that. He pushed the forecheck hard and stole the puck to create breakaways. He plays a lot like Logan O’Connor and has the same speed bursts that O’Connor does. The Czechia native made his NHL debut last season and could be in the running for a call-up this season for depth.
Matthew Stienburg
After being originally drafted 63rd overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Matthew Stienburg did not join the Avalanche system until 2022-23. Today, Stienburg played to his strengths. He got around the corners and created chances and added physicality. Trying to turn the tide in the Avalanche’s favor, Stienburg dropped the gloves in the second period and won the fight. The Canadian has a reputation for being physical and using both his body and fists. He adds a bit of sandpaper whenever he is in the lineup. I do not see him making his NHL debut soon, but he was impressive today.
FIBIGR WHAT A SNIPE! 🎯 pic.twitter.com/FCvmJkiB1Z
— Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) September 14, 2024
Conclusion
It is important to remember that these games do not count. Colorado struggled on the power play without Oskar Olausson and Calum Ritchie in the lineup today. The hope is that by watching these games; it shines a light on some prospects. The few that I highlighted today were just a few who played well, but it gives some hope for the future.