Avalanche Game 41 Recap: The Halfway Point

Seems like yesterday that this season started, yet here it is, Game #41 of the Colorado Avalanche's 2023-24 season. Game #40 did not go well for the Avs, as it saww the Florida Panthers thrash the Avs and put up eight goals on the team. For this game, the Avs were facing the Boston Bruins, a team who the Avs have a very good history with for the last quarter-century.

The goaltender matchup was Alexandar Georgiev against Jeremy Swayman, and the Avs were in control quite early. The first power play went to the Avs, after Brad Marchand went to the box. That was killed off, however, Boston's first power play was successful, and of course, it was Brad Marchand. The Bruins captain (in his first year wearing the "C") made it 1-0 for the Bruins on the man advantage, but despite this, the Avs remained in control of the shots. This was followed by another power play for the Avs, and this one tied the game; Mikko Rantanen's 21st from the usual suspects, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar.

1-1 was the score after 20 minutes, and in the second, Logan O'Connor stole the puck and put one in to give the Avs the lead. The lead was holding for a good bit until Johnny Beecher tied it up in the period's midpoint. Despite all of this, Colorado was still outshooting Boston, and was pressing to get the lead back. Sam Malinski was successful in that mission, delivering a Cale Makar-esque shot past Swayman, making it 3-2 for the Avalanche. That was the score after two periods, but Boston would tie it up quite early in the third. Guess who? Brad Marchand. The Rat (I call him that respectively; he's actually my favorite player on the Bruins) netted his second goal of the contest, and it would be followed by some close calls on both ends before Colorado would receive a late power play. The chances were there, but nothing went through, and for the third time in 2024, the Avs went to overtime.

The Avs were in control of overtime for the most part, but the Bruins struck back and had good chances to win it. Good saves from both goalies during the period, but with 1:58 left in the overtime period, Valeri Nichushkin went to the box for holding. Bruins were on the power play, and the gang that was out there for Boston: Pastrnak, Marchand, Pavel Zacha, Charlie Coyle. Marchand wanted that hat trick, too, but the Avs would have a few chances with the puck. Colorado mostly used the possession to kill a lot of the clock, and it worked. Overtime came to a close, and for the third time this season, the Avs needed a shootout. Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle were shut down for Boston, while MacKinnon and Rantanen were also stopped. When Boston's third turn came up, I figured that it would either be Pastrnak or Marchand up next, and it was the former. However, Pasta delivered one of the weakest shootout shots I had ever seen, and that allowed Nichushkin to have the chance to win it, and he did just that.

The Avalanche won, 4-3, via the shootout, and at the halfway point, the team has a 26-12-3 record. This puts us on pace for 52 wins this season, which would be the Avs' third straight 50+ win season. If we accomplish this, it would have to be the best stretch for the Avs in the team's entire history in the NHL, which dates back to 1979. The game saw MacKinnon's home points streak continue with his 66th point of the season, and Makar added a point of his own. Both are definitely thick in the race for their respective targeted trophies: the Hart (MacKinnon) and the Norris (Makar). Right now, the Avs are trying to keep up with a Winnipeg Jets team who is on fire right now, but there's still 41 games left for Colorado--plenty of time to move to the top of the Central Division.

A few more tidbits. Logan O'Connor's goal gave the Avs our first in-game lead in 2024, while the Avs are getting more and more overtime this season; with three of our last four games needing extra time. The brief homestand concludes on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights, with TNT set to air this matchup featuring the last two Stanley Cup Champions.

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