Olofsson’s hat trick leads Avalanche to 8-4 win over Devils – Hockey Writer – Colorado Avalanche
The New Jersey Devils travel to Ball Arena to take on the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday, October 28th. The Devils just hosted the Avalanche on Sunday, so the two are familiar with each other’s game. Unlike Sunday’s game, the Avalanche won 8-4, ending the Devils’ eight-game winning streak.
game review
Just 18 seconds into the game, Jacob Markstrom received a delay of game penalty for knocking the puck off the glass. The Avalanche were quick to capitalize on their early Superman advantage. Martin Necas is looking for scoring opportunities. He passed the puck to Karl Makar, who held it at the blue line. Makar passed the ball back to Necas, who found a scoring chance. He scored the first goal of the game.
Two minutes later, the Devils took a shot, but Parker Kelly picked up the rebound. He passed the ball to Gavin Brindley, who again passed the ball to Kelly. He discovered Zakhar Bardakov and passed it on to him. Unguarded, Bardakov skated toward the net and scored his first NHL goal.
Two and a half minutes into the second quarter, the Avalanche extended their lead. Jack Ahcan passed the puck across the center of the ice to Victor Olofsson. He skated the puck uncontested to give Colorado a three-goal lead.
Six minutes later, Stefan Noesen sat down to cross-check Brindley. Just 11 seconds later, Dougie Hamilton tripped into the penalty area. The Avalanche didn’t miss the 5-on-3 opportunity. Nathan MacKinnon fumbled for the first time in the faceoff circle. Olofsson collected the loose puck and passed it to Makar. He sent the ball back to McKinnon, who made another shot from the same spot. This time, the puck found the net.
One minute later, Brent Burns sent the puck to Ross Colton in the Colorado offensive zone. He passed it to Parker Kelly. With no one to guard him, he skated toward the goal and scored Colorado’s fifth goal of the night.
Midway through the second period, the Devils scored their first goal of the night. Paul Cote slugged Burns to keep the puck in the Devils’ offensive zone. Northam picked up the loose puck and tossed it over Scott Wedgewood’s shoulder.
A minute later, Luke Hughes passed the puck through traffic to Dougie Hamilton. He shot, but his first shot was blocked. He picked up the rebound and fired the second shot behind Wedgewood.
At 13 minutes and 42 seconds, Timo Meier passed the puck to Nico Hischier in the Devils’ offensive zone. He was in front of the net, but he passed the ball to Dawson Mercer, who scored the Devils’ third goal of the night.
Less than a minute later, Jack Hughes fired a no-look pass from behind to Jesper Bratt. He passed the ball back to Hughes for the Devils’ fourth unanswered goal in four minutes.
After the Devils’ fourth goal, Meyer came on for tripping Bardakov. Olofsson passed the puck to Makar, who passed it to MacKinnon in the faceoff circle. He scored his second power-play goal of the night with a one-timer from the exact same spot as his first.
Two minutes into the third quarter, Luke Glendening came on for a cut on Valery Nichushkin. In the Avalanche’s offensive zone, McKinnon passed the puck to Olofsson. At the faceoff point, he took advantage of a power play opportunity to score his second goal of the night.
With three minutes left in the game, Jake Drury stole the puck from a bad pass from Seamus Casey. Drury passed the puck to Olofsson for his third goal of the night. Olofsson scored a hat trick to secure the victory for the Avalanche.
Next step
The Devils will continue their West Coast road trip against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday, October 30 to end the season series. The Avalanche will travel to Vegas on Friday for a Halloween showdown with the Golden Knights.
