Devon Toews is turning into a real problem for opponents in the offensive zone, and Tuesday night in Toronto was another reminder.
The Colorado defenseman finished with a goal and an assist in the Avalanche’s 6-3 win over the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, pushing his season total to 18 points in 19 games. That puts him just a hair under a point-per-game pace, which is a pretty sharp turn from where he stood a year ago.
Toews scored Colorado’s third goal of the night and his fifth on the road this season. That road production stands out even more when you stack it against last season, when he managed just three goals and 24 points in 68 games. Before that dip, he had already built a strong offensive résumé in Colorado, including three 50-point seasons and three years with double-digit goals.
The Avalanche have also adjusted around him. Jared Bednar recently explained why he split up Toews and Cale Makar after Josh Manson’s injury, saying part of it was about getting some of the depth defensemen involved, but also pointing to Toews’ offensive surge. With Toews pushing so hard into the attack, Makar had at times leaned more defensive, and Bednar said Makar was deferring to give Toews more room to join the play.
That move has paid off for both of them. Toews has kept producing next to Sam Malinski, while Makar has started to heat up offensively again. Over his last two games, Makar has a goal and five points.
For Toews, the numbers are starting to point toward a season that could blow past his previous career bests in goals, assists and points. There’s still a long way to go, but the pace is there.
Colorado needed all of it on a night that didn’t exactly begin cleanly.
The Avalanche gave up the first goal when Darren Raddysh beat Mackenzie Blackwood with a blast from the point at 3:33 of the first period. But Colorado didn’t let that early punch slow it down. The visitors answered with two goals in a little more than a minute and took a 2-1 lead into the first intermission.
Brock Nelson started the comeback with a finish after a setup from Jaden Schwartz and T.J. Hughes. Then, 1:17 later, Gabe Landeskog put Colorado in front with the first of his two goals.
Toews added to the lead early in the second period, scoring at 3:31. Toronto clawed back late in the frame when Easton Cowan beat Blackwood from a tight angle, a goal the goalie would probably want back after not sealing the near post.
The Maple Leafs carried that momentum into the third and tied it at 4:11 on Jack Roslovic’s goal, putting Colorado’s perfect record when leading after 40 minutes in danger.
The answer came fast. Nazem Kadri made one of the best plays of the night, feeding Landeskog from behind the net, and the Avalanche captain finished to restore the lead just 51 seconds after Roslovic’s equalizer.
Landeskog’s second goal ended up swinging the game. Artturi Lehkonen added insurance at 17:15, and Martin Necas sealed it with an empty-netter 15 seconds later.
Blackwood stopped 28 shots and became the third NHL goaltender to reach 10 wins this season. Colorado moved to 11-6-2, improved to 5-1-1 over its last seven games and 2-0-1 in its last three.
There was one more encouraging note for the Avalanche: Toews’ road scoring. He now has five road goals, which is second on the team through Colorado’s first nine games away from Ball Arena. Only Lehkonen has more, after scoring his sixth late in the third period against Toronto.
The one issue that keeps showing up, though, is the slow start. Colorado has given up the first goal too often this season, including in each of its last six road games. And before Tuesday, the Avalanche had fallen behind 2-0 in four of their previous five road games.
In Other News...
Avalanche Open Tough Trip With One Big Cale Makar Question
The Avalanche head into Tuesday nights game in Toronto with a familiar sort of early-trip uncertainty, this time centered on Cale Makar. Jared Bednar said Makar left practice as a precaution, but the defenseman will travel with the team as Colorado opens a four-game road swing against the Maple Leafs. The timing matters, too, with the Avs looking to keep their momentum intact after MacKenzie Blackwoods recent shutout and with the schedule immediately turning demanding away from home.
Alex Gagnes recall from the Eagles gives Colorado another layer of depth on the back end while the club waits to see how Makar responds. For a team that leans heavily on its top defenseman in every situation, the question in Toronto is less about one regular-season game than about how much caution the Avalanche want to show this early in a trip that could shape the week ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Get A Huge Boost As Blackwood Eyes Leafs Redemption
Cale Makar is expected to be back in the lineup when the Avalanche head into their rematch with the Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena, and that alone gives Colorado a far different look than the one Toronto saw the first time around. The Avalanche have leaned on Makars ability to drive play from the back end, and his presence should matter in a game that already carries some extra weight because of the venue and the opponent.
Mackenzie Blackwood will also have a chance to reset after his last outing against Toronto, when he allowed five goals. For Colorado, the matchup is about more than just one goalies stat line, but Blackwoods response will be worth watching in a game where the Avalanche are trying to stack a strong performance against a familiar team in a familiar building. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Still Have One Contender Flaw Bednar Must Fix
The Avalanches win over the Red Wings offered another reminder of how dangerous this group can be when the special teams are clicking. Colorados power play did real damage in that game, a timely boost for a team that has spent much of the season trying to make its man-advantage more consistent. Even with that showing, the numbers still leave room for concern, with the power play sitting 11th and the penalty kill 15th in the league.
Jared Bednar has enough high-end talent to expect more from both units, and the pressure is on the players who drive them to make the difference. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas are central to that effort, because Colorados margin for error in the postseason gets thinner when special teams are merely average. The Avalanche have the pieces to be better there, but until both sides of that equation sharpen up, it remains the one contender flaw that could matter most. [Read more 🡒]