On Friday night, the Colorado Avalanche faced a critical matchup with the Edmonton Oilers. Heading into the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Avalanche won’t suit up to play again until Feb. 22 when they continue their road trip against the Nashville Predators. Entering the extended break with a win is something the Avalanche desperately needed.
In one of the most exciting back-and-forth regular season games so far, the Avalanche bested the Oilers 5-4 thanks to a late goal. There are three important takeaways from the Avalanche’s second straight win heading into the 4 Nations break.
Nathan MacKinnon Is a Monster
Nathan MacKinnon doesn’t really slump. He has just two games in his last 13 where he’s been held without a point, including the 3-0 loss to the Vancouver Canucks that began this road trip. He’s otherwise contributed to some degree, which is why he leads the NHL in points.
MacKinnon has turned it up. In a win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night, he had assists on all three second-period goals. Against a premier team like the Oilers just a night later, he was somehow even better. He kicked off the scoring with a power-play goal and added three assists, including on the game-winner with just a handful of minutes to go.
Though he isn’t quite on the scorching pace that saw him net 140 points a season ago, he isn’t far off. On his current pace, MacKinnon will finish with 125 points – the second-best of his career. We are seeing something truly special every time MacKinnon steps on the ice.
Martin Necas Is Catching Fire
It took a few games, but Martin Necas is proving that he is a fantastic fit for this team. His skating is an improvement over the departed Mikko Rantanen, but there were concerns that he couldn’t come anywhere close to Rantanen’s production, something many felt was necessary for the Avalanche to get back to the Stanley Cup Final.
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Though he may not be producing at the same torrid pace, Necas has found his groove with the Avalanche. He now has points in five of his eight games since coming to Denver. He had a three-point night against the Flames and followed it up with a huge game-winner against the Oilers.
At 26 years old, it looks like Necas is playing his best hockey ever. Now that he’s on a line with MacKinnon, there is no telling where his ceiling is. Not to mention the fact that Mack finally has someone who can keep up with his blistering speed.
Avalanche Offense Is Top-Heavy
If there is one complaint to be made, it is that the offense feels top-heavy of late. The Avalanche are winning games, so it’s hard to nitpick, but it has become noticeable. If it’s not MacKinnon and Necas, it’s Cale Makar and Artturi Lehkonen. The problem is that’s it in terms of scoring. The middle of the lineup has completely disappeared.
Casey Mittelstadt is without a goal in 10 games. Ross Colton is without a goal in 13 games. Joel Kiviranta has one goal in his last 21 games. Logan O’Connor hasn’t scored in 11 games. Some of these guys not scoring isn’t that big of a deal. But when Mittelstadt is your second-line center, it starts to paint a picture that is troublesome for the Avalanche.
Part of that is Valeri Nichushkin being absent from the lineup. Part of it has to do with Jonathan Drouin being in and out of the lineup. But the simple fact of the matter is that the team needs more out of some of these guys. The Avalanche can contend if their lineup shows good scoring depth, but it just isn’t there at the moment.
A Long Break
It will be two weeks before the Avalanche step on the ice again. Starting on Monday, the league will be on break for the 4 Nations Face-Off, giving teams like the Avalanche a chance to rest up. It is hoped that the Avalanche will return ready to go on a run and surpass the Dallas Stars for second in the division.
The Avalanche should be angling for a first-round matchup with either Dallas or the Minnesota Wild. The Winnipeg Jets are 13 points up and have won eight in a row, showing no signs of slowing down. The last thing the Avalanche need to do is land a wild card spot and have to play either them or the Oilers. The time is now to make a push up the standings.
