The Avalanche's Historic Dominance Continues: A 4-2 Win Over the Predators
The Avalanche's home dominance continues, with a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday. This win extends their home record to 13-0-2 and a 13-game home winning streak. But it wasn't an easy game for Colorado.
Despite not playing their best, the Avalanche dominated with 41 shots and a strong penalty kill. Head coach Jared Bednar praised their performance, especially Scott Wedgewood's outstanding performance on the penalty kill, which helped them gain momentum.
The Avalanche's scoring started early with Nathan MacKinnon's wrist shot, assisted by Brent Burns. This was MacKinnon's 26th goal of the season, extending his home goal-scoring streak to six games. Bednar highlighted their early scoring as a key factor in their success at home.
The Avs extended their lead with Jack Drury's four-on-four goal, which was a result of a well-executed play. However, Nashville responded with a power-play goal, reducing the deficit to 2-1.
The second period saw Nashville create several big chances, but Wedgewood was up to the task. The period was marked by a parade to the penalty box, with Nashville taking penalties and Colorado capitalizing. Victor Olofsson scored to make it 3-1, negating the potential power play.
Despite the penalties, the Avalanche's power play struggled, going 0-for-4. Bednar acknowledged their efforts to experiment with new line combinations, a strategy that has paid off this season. He aims to find the best combinations for the playoffs.
One of the key strategies that worked for the Avalanche is spreading the wealth among their players. This is evident in the line swaps, such as swapping Gavin Brindley and Martin Necas, allowing the rookie forward to play with MacKinnon and Lehkonen. This approach has helped the team adapt and find secret weapons.
However, the power play remains an area of improvement. The Avalanche needs to figure it out before the playoffs, but Bednar's willingness to experiment is a positive sign. The team is trying new things, and it's intriguing to see how they will eventually reach their goal with the current players.
