ANAHEIM, Calif. — Nathan MacKinnon continued to center Gabe Landeskog and Alex Tanguay on Friday against Anaheim, and he scored a goal just 53 seconds into the game.
He came into the night with one goal and four assists, including a pointless game in the home-ice loss to Boston on Wednesday, in the first three games.
MacKinnon, 20, has played center at times in his previous two seasons, but mostly has skated on the wing, where he had less defensive responsibility.
“It’s going OK, I think,” MacKinnon said in advance of the Anaheim game. “I’m working on my D-zone and watching video and trying to get better that way. I’m working on my faceoffs, stuff like that. I’ve got two really good wingers with Gabe and ‘Tangs.’
“We need to be better than we were (against Boston) if we’re going to win, but overall, I think it’s going pretty well.”
Avalanche has new wardrobe.
The Avs will wear their new third jersey — which stylistically at least pays homage to the old NHL Colorado Rockies’ design without duplicating it — next Saturday against Carolina at the Pepsi Center.
The Ducks wore their new orange (as in Orange County) third jerseys for the first time against the Avalanche.
Scratches in Anaheim.
After playing against Boston, defenseman Brad Stuart was back to a healthy scratch status in Anaheim. The other scratches were Brandon Gormley and Borna Rendulic. After sitting out the first three games, Mikhail Grigorenko suited up for the first time, replacing Rendulic, and had an assist on Jack Skille’s first goal of the season
PETA protest.
Anaheim defenseman Clayton Stoner missed his second consecutive game with a lower body injury that isn’t considered serious, but if the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals have their way, he will be out longer.
In a letter to the team Thursday, PETA asked the Ducks to suspend Stoner, who is facing charges tied to an illegal hunt and kill of a grizzly bear in 2013. PETA president Ingrid Newkirk asked the Ducks to also “send him to
Players well-traveled.
Chris Stewart, the Avs’ No. 1 draft choice in 2006 and their leading goal scorer (with 28) in 2009-10, was traded to St. Louis in February 2011 in the deal that brought Erik Johnson to Colorado. Stewart is in his first season with the Ducks after also making stops with Buffalo and Minnesota. He came into the night without a point.
Terry Frei, The Denver Post
