Ball Arena went from eerily silent to incredibly loud.
The Avalanche took its home fans through an emotional rollercoaster Sunday in a 4-2 comeback victory over Anaheim. Here is a breakdown of how Colorado (18-8-2) made it happen.
Slow start. The first 20-plus minutes were painful to watch.
Colorado lacked precision in nearly all facets with sloppy passes and giveaways galore. Darcy Kuemper allowed a goal less than two minutes into the game. The Avs trailed 2-0 midway through the second period. Their 16-day break in between games appeared to take its toll both physically and mentally.
“We had three weeks off so just getting our legs underneath us (was difficult),” forward Nathan MacKinnon said. “I don’t think anyone felt amazing — timing-wise, physicality-wise, legs (or) lungs. … We haven’t had a rhythm in two years now with COVID. We’re not feeling sorry for ourselves, itap just hard as hockey players. We are creatures of habit.”
Toews time. The Avalanche rally originated from a predictable source: defenseman Devon Toews.
The 27-year-old dynamo scored his fifth goal of the season with a snipe past Ducks goalie John Gibson on a power-play chance. Toews ranks first among NHL blueliners in points per game (1.24). On Sunday, he scored one of his biggest goals of the season to get Colorado moving in the right direction.
“We didn’t want to be playing risky hockey,” coach Jared Bednar said. “We just wanted to be smart and stick to our game.”
Big Mac. A common thread over Colorado’s next three goals scored? All were the product of MacKinnon assists.
The Avs’ star center is riding a 10-game points streak — the longest active run in the NHL — with 17 points (two goals) over that span. The constant threat of MacKinnon’s scoring prowess creates opportunities for teammates.
“Coming back from 2-0 is awesome,” MacKinnon said. “No panic on the bench, guys stayed calm and composed.”
GW for OC. Perfect execution in transition allowed Logan O’Connor to score the game-winning goal.
Mikko Rantanen started the odd-man rush (with MacKinnon and O’Connor) after a mad scramble in the neutral zone led to Cale Makar poking out the puck. Rantanen controlled the puck at the point and sent it right to MacKinnon. He lasered it left to O’Connor — whose one-timer into the net made Ball Arena come to life.
“(O’Connor) has been huge,” captain Gabe Landeskog said. “He’s taken a big step this season and he’s been really, really good for us. … He contributes in so many areas of the game. I’m happy for him because he’s a big part of that locker room and he’s getting more and more comfortable.”
Cool Kuemper. It wasn’t an ideal start for the Avalanche goaltender. But Kuemper settled in to make critical third-period stops and 29 total saves.
“He was really good,” Bednar said. “They’re a dangerous team and created some good chances. We had some breakdowns and turnovers. … But (Kuemper) looked good to me. From start to finish, he had a good night.”
