No matter how this season goes the rest of the way for the rebuilding Avalanche, sweeping a two-game series against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions will be a glorious measuring stick.
The final measurement was taken Monday. Minus ice-time leader and alternate captain , the Avs pulled it off, defeating the 4-2 for the second time in eight days.
“We’re growing as a team. We’re getting better,” Colorado coach said. “We were a dangerous team and playing on our toes tonight. I think it just shows we’re gradually becoming more consistent at what we’re supposed to do.”
On consecutive Mondays, the team with last season’s league-low and franchise-worst 22 wins and 48 points upset the relatively healthy Pens, who fell 2-1 to Colorado on Dec. 11 in Pittsburgh. The Avs pulled off the two victories with just an empty-net assist from leading scorer , who had a combined four goals and five points in his last two games. Johnson began his two-game NHL suspension Monday at the .
Rookie center and his line were the heroes to complete Colorado’s three-game homestand. Compher clanged a shot off iron and had a disallowed goal before using a baseball swing for a midair, tap-in goal for a 3-1 lead, and the Avs held on to finish 2-1 on the homestand.
Compher and his wingers and combined for 12 shots, four apiece.
“I thought our line did a really good job of getting chances tonight,” Compher said. “‘Ghetto’ and Wils were great.”
Defenseman Tyson Barrie had Colorado’s first two goals and goalie was strong in the third period. Barrie broke a 1-1 lead with a power-play goal 5:56 into the second period, and Compher struck at 18:20. Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin got the visitors within a goal 1:35 into the third period, but Varlamov shut the door.
had the empty-net goal with 1:33 remaining, with the assist going to MacKinnon.
“Secondary scoring is really important. To be a good team, you need that,” said Avs captain , who plays left wing on MacKinnon’s line. “Tonight, guys stepped up. ‘Comph’ has been doing really well lately. We just did a lot of good things tonight. Everybody played the right way, which is a good sign.”
In Johnson’s absence, defenseman Patrik Nemeth logged a team-high 24:34 and Barrie had 24:31.
“I thought Tyson was outstanding tonight,” Bednar said of Barrie, who put five shots on Pittsburgh goalie Matt Murray. “I loved the way he was shooting the puck.”
Pittsburgh outshot the Avs 18-13 in a wild first period. Pittsburgh tied it 1-1 on a soft shot/goal by defenseman Chad Ruhwedel, his first of the season. Ruhwedel’s shot from against the side boards sneaked through the right armpit of Varlamov and leaked into the net.
The Avs scored first with a perfectly placed wrist shot by Barrie 5:04 into the game, and Colorado never trailed — in this game and the series opener a week earlier in Pittsburgh.
