3 takeaways from the Avalanche’s 3-2 win over the Flyers – The Hockey Writers – Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche have been struggling to get things back on track after a comfortable loss to the New York Islanders, which was only their second regular-season loss of the season. They bounced back with an overtime win over the New York Rangers and hope to continue their road trip with a win on Sunday afternoon.
Even though they fell behind early, the Avalanche responded brilliantly, taking a lead in the first quarter and never relinquishing it. Although it wasn’t the prettiest win in the world, the Avalanche defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to pick up two more points.
Mackenzie Blackwood
While Scott Wedgewood’s return may be imminent, they take comfort in knowing they have the net covered. Mackenzie Blackwood was solid in the win over Rangers, but Sunday could be one of his best games of the season.
Blackwood has been on a roll of late, winning four of their last five games. In fact, the only time he allowed more than two goals was in a loss to the Islanders, in which he took 41 shots.
It hurts to lose a goalkeeper who performed as well as Wedgwood did, but Blackwood mitigated his absence. While Wedgewood’s return to the lineup would have been ideal, the Avalanche barely missed a beat and continued to put the team in trouble along the way.
Brent Burns still has it
Part of what makes the Avalanche so great is that they have contributions from nearly every position on the roster. As the saying goes, “They don’t ask how, they ask how much,” and the Avalanche reflect that as one of the deepest teams in the league.
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One of the bright spots on the team is 40-year-old defenseman Brent Burns. The Avalanche signed him on the cheap, hoping to get 15-18 minutes a night of solid defense. They’ve got that from Burns, who looks well ahead of where he was last season overall.
This isn’t the 70-80 Burns he was in the San Jose era, but he has been a reliable third defender. This gives the Avalanche the flexibility to deploy their pairings and gives them veterans who can play in any situation.
Not doing your best
The Avalanche always seem to get better as the game goes on. They almost seemed to take their foot off the gas pedal during this quarter, especially in the third quarter. They got away with it as Blackwood blocked all 13 of the Flyers’ shots to seal the victory.
This is one of those games where a good team performs. They didn’t try their best but still managed to find a way to win. The Flyers aren’t a great team, but the Avalanche have a good chance of finishing with a B-minus and still winning.
This has been discussed before, but even with the best record in the NHL, the margin for error is still slim. The Dallas Stars are always on the clock and a win on the off night is imperative.
The life of a complete team
Compared to the teams on the other end of the floor, the Avalanche are entertaining even on their off nights. They have the kind of lineup that can contribute from anywhere, and the backbone that can sustain them 90 percent of the time.
The best teams know they can beat anyone on any night. The Avalanche are the kind of team that can beat you a million different ways, and that’s mostly been the case so far this season. If you’re an Avalanche fan, this is a great thing.
