A Sunday matinee game saw the Colorado Avalanche face off against the Arizona Coyotes. Ultimately, it was Colorado that came out on top by a final score of 4-3.
Let’s break down all of the action from today’s game!
First period
The start of this period was mostly what you’d expect from two teams looking to get right against one another. Chances were exchanged on both ends, but Colorado ultimately broke the ice first. At the 4:10 mark in the first period, Miles Wood and Ross Colton ran a quick little give-and-go play in the offensive zone. Wood collected the puck behind the Arizona net, quickly got it out in front of the net to Colton, and Colton buried it.
Not too long after, Arizona responded and got on the board. At the 7:48 mark, Alexander Kerfoot just threw a puck on net. Alexandar Georgiev made the initial save, but a rebound popped out right to Matt Dumba, who quickly put it in the back of the net.
Penalties started to rear their ugly head during this period as well. Arizona got a powerplay opportunity about halfway through the first and converted on it. Lawson Crouse found himself alone in the slot in front of the Colorado net. Matias Maccelli found him, and Crouse buried the puck at the 12:20 mark.
Second period
As we’ve seen repeatedly with this team, they’re never truly down and out until the final buzzer sounds. The beginning of this period looked a bit like the first, with chances being exchanged on both ends of the ice. Colorado would eventually tie the game at the 5:20 mark, and Jack Johnson got the Avs back into this game. Ryan Johansen initially collected the puck at the top of the offensive zone and gave it off to Johnson, who walked the puck all the way to the net and buried it.
During a penalty kill later in the period, the Avs decided to take a bit of an aggressive approach, as the penalty-killing unit attempted a shorthanded opportunity. But Arizona was opportunistic, came back the other way, and scored at the 9:52 mark. Maccelli found Logan Cooley trailing as the Coyotes entered their offensive zone, and Cooley beat Georgiev clean with a wrist shot.
Colorado did not falter; however, they did the exact opposite. At the 10:13 mark, Nathan MacKinnon would extend his home point streak to 26 games. Bowen Byram initially fed the puck across the crease to MacKinnon, and Karel Vejmelka made the initial save. However, while Vejmelka didn’t possess the puck, MacKinnon took a few whacks at it, and it trickled through to the back of the net.
Third period
Early on in this period, it looked like Arizona might’ve scored the go-ahead goal to take the lead. Jack McBain lobbed a puck from the neutral zone to Kerfoot, who beat Georgiev through the five-hole. However, Kerfoot was offside on the play, so the goal came off the board. Right after that, it looked like Jonathan Drouin had scored on a backdoor play for Colorado to take the lead. However, Colorado was offside on that play, so the score remained 3-3 throughout the beginning of the period.
Finally, after both clubs battled to get their respective go-ahead goals back, Devon Toews put the Avs on top. At the 13:17 mark, MacKinnon shook off a check behind the Arizona net. He got the puck out to Drouin, who flew into the slot. Drouin then executed a one-touch pass to Toews, and his wrist shot found its way to the back of the net.
Toews’s goal would ultimately be the game-winner. Arizona pulled their goalie for a 6-on-5 advantage, but Artturi Lehkonen took a tripping penalty at the 18:39 mark. So the Coyotes ended up with a 6-on-4 advantage for the remainder of regulation. However, they were unable to find the equalizer as time winded down.
Yeti Takeaways
Not to focus too much on the negative, but Colorado ultimately took seven minor penalties throughout this game. That has to change. Colorado survived that last-minute 6-on-4 push by Arizona, but you can not be putting yourselves in that 6-on-4 scenario in the first place. On the more positive side of this scenario, Alexandar Georgiev locked it down throughout that two-person advantage. After giving up a couple of goals you probably want back throughout the game, he was lights out for the remainder of regulation.
Also, Jack Johnson, where did that come from? On a night where members of your defense are struggling to actually get pucks to go into the net, perhaps the guy you least expect to score on any given night steps up big time. You don’t expect Jack Johnson to score every single night, but you can’t squander those performances when they happen. And the Avs didn’t squander that performance tonight.
Next on the Mountain
Colorado gets to stay home for a little bit longer, as they are back at Ball Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks on February 20 at 7:00 p.m. MT.