Who’s Hot, Who’s Not on the Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche saw the return of three key players in their last home game before heading out on the road. Despite a full-team collapse, they fell 5-2 to the Washington Capitals. However, they quickly bounced back with a 3-2 win against the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday and will face the Capitals again on Thursday.
The Capitals will be without Alex Ovechkin, who is sidelined with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss several weeks. While Ovechkin is not the sole driver of the team’s success, his absence could give the Avs a slight edge.
“Regardless of the situation, you never want to see players go down. It’s a physical game, and injuries are part of it, but the competitor in me always wants to face the other team’s full lineup. I want our team at full strength too,” said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar after practice on Wednesday.
Bednar also provided an update on Alexandar Georgiev, who had light practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday, adding that the goaltender “looked good” and could be available for Thursday’s game.
Cale Makar was the standout player in the win over Philadelphia, but a few others also made their mark. Casey Mittelstadt scored the game-winner and took home a big hat, while defensemen Sam Malinski and Samuel Girard were solid throughout the game.
Nathan MacKinnon had a relatively quiet night, with just two shots on goal after averaging 3.45 in 11 games during October and 3.9 in eight November games. His production is key to the team’s success, and while he didn’t have a major impact on the scoresheet, he did earn an assist on Makar’s opening goal.
Justus Annunen, who struggled in the loss to the Capitals last Friday, made a strong rebound in Philadelphia, delivering a solid performance to help secure the victory. Bednar was pleased with his recovery, showing confidence in both the goalie and the coaching staff.
Valeri Nichushkin’s return has been relatively low-key, but that doesn’t mean he’s not contributing. Though he hasn’t found the scoresheet yet, he recorded two shots on goal and played on both special teams, logging nearly two more minutes than his second-line center counterpart.
“Valeri (Nichushkin) was good tonight. He was solid in his first game back, and I thought he was even better tonight,” said Bednar after the win in Philadelphia.
Jonathan Drouin, who returned from injury last Friday, has shown flashes of his potential. He recorded an assist on Mittelstadt’s goal and has played alongside MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen or Mikko Rantanen on the top line.
As the season progresses, it’s only a matter of time before the team’s chemistry improves and their collective talent begins to gel. And with Ross Colton and Gabriel Landeskog still on the injured reserve, their eventual returns will certainly make an impact.
Around the NHL
- Buffalo Hockey Now: Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made a successful return from a lower-body injury with a 1-0 shutout against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Luukkonen, who had missed two games, is now 7-4-1 in 13 starts this season.
- San Jose Hockey Now: The Sharks showed some promise early against the Dallas Stars, entering the second period tied at 1-1. However, their play faltered as the Stars took control, eventually winning 3-1 with Jamie Benn scoring the game-winner. According to Sheng Peng of SJ Hockey Now, the Sharks struggled with careless puck management, lacked intensity on the forecheck, and made critical defensive mistakes.
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