The Colorado Avalanche just put together a 4-0 shutout over the Detroit Red Wings, and the power play had a hand in it. Even with that strong showing, Colorado’s man advantage still sat 11th in the league entering Sunday, which tells you there’s room for more.
The bigger concern sits on the other side of special teams. The penalty kill was ranked 15th, right in the middle of the pack, and that’s not where a team with the Avalanche’s ceiling wants to live. If Jared Bednar, Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and the rest of the core want to push toward the top of the Western Conference, those numbers have to move up.
Colorado has long been known for a power play that can strike at any moment, and it flashed in the win over Detroit. Still, being 11th is only solid, not elite, and the Avalanche should be aiming higher. A top-10 finish would make sense for a roster built this way, and a top-five unit is the kind of standard this group believes it can reach.
The penalty kill needs the same kind of attention. At 15th, it’s not bad enough to be a disaster, but it’s not good enough to be a separator either. That’s the kind of area that can quietly swing games over the course of a season.
Bednar’s group also needs more from the depth pieces. The first unit gets the spotlight, but players like Brock Nelson, Nazem Kadri and TJ Hughes are all capable of finishing chances and adding offense on any night. Right now, though, the Avalanche’s depth hasn’t done enough to match the firepower at the top of the lineup.
One possible answer is a reshuffle. Spreading the talent around more evenly could help both units create more shots and more goals, instead of leaning so heavily on the usual names.
Colorado has the pieces to do it. Now it comes down to execution.
In Other News...
Cale Makar Just Gave The Avalanche A New Reason To Worry
Cale Makars exit from Avalanche practice with an apparent lower-body injury was enough to send a jolt through a team already trying to manage a tricky stretch. Colorado has been dealing with roster challenges tied to other injuries and cap constraints, so even a precautionary issue with its top defenseman lands with extra weight. The coach framed the move as cautious, with more evaluation to come before the next game.
For a club built around Makars impact at both ends of the ice, any uncertainty around his status immediately changes the conversation. The Avalanche do not have much margin for error in the lineup right now, which is why even a brief scare at practice becomes a storyline worth watching closely as game time approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Mackenzie Blackwood Is Already Writing A Special Avalanche Story
Mackenzie Blackwood keeps adding to what is becoming one of the more intriguing goalie chapters in recent Avalanche history. In the 4-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings, he picked up his seventh shutout in Colorado, tying him for sixth on the franchises all-time list and reinforcing how quickly he has settled into a prominent role in Denver. His season line, a 9-3-1 record with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage, reflects a starter who has given the Avalanche a chance to win most nights while also delivering those game-flipping blank sheets.
What makes the story feel a little different is the personal layer underneath it. Blackwood has said he takes pride in representing the Avalanche, the team he grew up supporting, and that connection gives his run here a little extra weight beyond the numbers. He has already put together multiple notable shutout streaks in an Avalanche sweater, and with his name now climbing a franchise list that includes some familiar goaltending company, this early stretch is starting to look less like a hot start and more like the beginning of something memorable. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Face A Tough Lehkonen Decision Before It Gets Harder
Artturi Lehkonen has become one of those Avalanche players whose value is easy to see and harder to keep. If Colorado decides his next contract would be too expensive to fit into the future, the front office could be forced into a difficult choice before the offseason even arrives, especially with a player who brings the kind of two-way reliability contenders tend to covet.
The market could make that decision even trickier. Chicago is reportedly looking for offensive help and might be willing to part with high draft picks for a player like Lehkonen, but there are no confirmed talks or deals between the clubs right now. Any potential move would also have to navigate Lehkonen's no-trade clause, which gives Colorado another layer to consider as it weighs whether to hold on or cash in. [Read more 🡒]