Gabe Landeskog made sure Colorado didn’t walk into the dressing room down a goal after a rough opening 20 minutes against the Devils.
The Avalanche were pinned back for long stretches in the first period, spending far too much time in their own end and surviving mostly by way of Scott Wedgewood. New Jersey came out of the gate fast, fired seven shots on goal in the first five minutes and never let Colorado get comfortable. By the end of the period, the Devils had a 14-4 edge in shots, but the scoreboard was locked at 1-1.
Colorado’s troubles started early and looked a lot like the defensive issues from its game against the Flyers. Nathan MacKinnon had a rough sequence of his own when Dawson Mercer knocked him to the ice in the Avalanche zone while he was away from the puck, and no interference call came.
Landeskog answered for Colorado with 5:28 left in the period. Cale Makar worked free from a defender and slipped a backhanded pass to Landeskog at the top of the right circle. Landeskog fired, stayed with it after the initial shot, and finished his own rebound to make it 1-1.
The Devils kept pressing before the break, and Colorado added another problem when Artturi Lehkonen was called for delay of game after sending the puck over the glass with 1:38 left. New Jersey swarmed the crease on the ensuing pressure, but Wedgewood made several tough stops to keep the game level.
The second period opened with the same pattern. Colorado still struggled to create much offensively, while the Devils kept dictating the pace and throwing pucks at Wedgewood. Seven minutes into the frame, New Jersey held an 8-1 advantage in shots on goal, and the Avalanche goalie continued to absorb the pressure and keep his team in it.
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Avalanche Fans Should Keep An Eye On This Rising 2026 Pick
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Hamiltons production for Red Deer has given Avalanche fans a reason to track his progress closely, even if his eventual NHL path is still far from settled. Colorado views him as a possible depth piece who could someday fit into the organization, but the exact shape of that role is still a work in progress. For now, the intrigue is less about what he is right now and more about how much more room there is for him to grow. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Suddenly Have An Early Problem Fans Cant Ignore
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Colorado also had trouble making its special teams count, going 0-for-1 on the power play while killing off its only penalty. None of that is panic territory this early, but it does put a spotlight on a team that needs to clean up the details quickly if it wants to avoid letting a short skid turn into something more troubling. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Cup Chase Keeps Coming Back To One Uncomfortable Question
The Avalanches push to stay in the Cup mix keeps circling back to the same old pressure point in net, a reminder of how much of the franchises identity was shaped when Patrick Roy arrived in the 1995-96 season and helped transform the teams fortunes. Even now, the conversation around Colorado rarely gets far without landing on goaltending, especially after a playoff run can turn on whether the position looks steady or uncertain from one night to the next.
Connor Hellebuyck is the latest name to pull that issue back into focus, with his contract holdout in Winnipeg adding another layer to any possible pursuit. Colorado can dream about upgrading at the most important spot on the ice, but the current salary-cap landscape makes a move of that size far from simple, and thats what keeps this question hanging over the Avalanche as they try to chase another championship. [Read more 🡒]