Fourteen goals over two games will grab the headlines for the Colorado Avalanche. But the bigger story sits a little deeper in the ice, where Artturi Lehkonen is helping decide whether those attacks live or die.
Against the St. Louis Blues in Saturday’s 6-1 win, Lehkonen showed exactly why Colorado wants him next to Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas.
The line can do damage with skill alone, sure. But it becomes far more dangerous when Lehkonen turns a loose puck into a fresh possession before the other team can reset.
That was the best part of the second goal. Lehkonen knocked down the puck along the boards, MacKinnon found Necas, and Colorado cashed in.
The finish will make the highlight reel. The interception is what made it all possible.
That’s the kind of work that matters for a top line. There’s a big difference between entering the zone once and keeping the pressure on after the first chance disappears.
A winger who shuts off an escape route can save his linemates from another backcheck and give them another crack while the defense is still scrambling. That’s how an attack keeps breathing.
Lehkonen added a goal of his own later, scoring after Jordan Binnington’s clearing attempt for his third goal in tw games. Colorado Hockey Now’s account of the victory noted both the scoring and the territorial edge, with the Avalanche leading shots 15-4 after the first period.
Still, the point isn’t to project Lehkonen into a scoring surge based on two games. His value doesn’t depend on a hot streak. Even on a quiet night, he can make the line better by creating space for MacKinnon and Necas, which is exactly what THW’s review of Lehkonen’s last season emphasized.
For Colorado, that’s the encouraging part: a line that can stay dangerous even after the first rush gets taken away. If the Avalanche can retrieve dump-ins, work below the circles, and force defenders to turn again, they’ll have something real. Those possessions matter, especially when clean entries aren’t always there.
Of course, a 6-1 October win doesn’t tell the whole season’s story. THW’s Blues takeaways pointed out that St.
Louis was on the second half of a back-to-back, and that matters. A tired team can make an opponent look more repeatable than it really is.
The real test comes when Colorado has to create the same kind of pressure against a rested club in a tighter game. That’s when the details around Lehkonen become important.
Is there support when he wins the puck? If the puck gets away, is someone in position to slow the breakout?
That’s where chemistry turns into something more than a nice sequence on a broadcast. A recovered puck needs a quick outlet.
A risky pass needs a safety valve behind it. Colorado can play with that kind of aggression without sending all three forwards into the same lane.
Opening night already showed the danger of loose puck management. In the Avalanche’s 8-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings, they gave up two shorthanded goals.
Aggression only works when it’s backed by support, especially with an extra skater and the expectation of controlling the puck. Having a forward available behind the play gives the puck carrier a better option when a lane closes.
That lesson carries over to even strength, too. Winning the first battle doesn’t mean much if the next pass hands possession right back. The Avalanche should be measuring these shifts by how long they keep the puck and how many counters they prevent, especially once the goals start to dry up.
The scoring is fun. The puck recovery is the part worth watching next. Lehkonen’s ability to keep Colorado attacking may be the more important piece long after this early burst fades.
In Other News...
Artturi Lehkonen Is Giving The Avalanche A Tough Decision Fast
Artturi Lehkonen has wasted no time reminding the Avalanche why he matters in the kind of games that shape a season. Through two nights, he has three goals and the best two-game opening of his career, a sharp start that fits the reputation he has built in Colorado as a player who shows up with energy, discipline and a knack for making the right play when the stakes rise.
It also puts the Avalanche in an awkward spot early, because Lehkonen is in the final year of his contract and there is still no new deal in place. Coaches and teammates have long praised the consistency and competitiveness that make him so useful, and this kind of start only sharpens the question of how aggressively Colorado will need to act if it wants to keep one of its most reliable pieces from becoming a bigger story later on. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Top Line Is Creating A Problem Opponents Havent Solved
Through the first two games of the season, Colorados top line has looked less like a new combination and more like a matchup problem opponents still do not have an answer for. Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Artturi Lehkonen have already piled up meaningful offense, with MacKinnon setting the table, Necas finishing chances and Lehkonen chipping in at both ends of the scoring touch.
MacKinnon had three assists in the 6-1 win over the St. Louis Blues, while Necas scored twice and reached 50 goals with the Avalanche. Lehkonen has also been in the mix with goals and assists, giving the line a balanced look that can hurt teams in different ways and make Colorados attack even tougher to game-plan against. [Read more 🡒]
Avalanche Fans Got An Early Look At A Goalie Worth Watching
A new face in the crease gave Avalanche fans an early reason to pay attention Friday night, as Colorado Eagles goaltender Ilya Nabokov stepped into his AHL debut and immediately looked the part. Nabokov stopped 32 shots to help the Eagles blank the Tucson Roadrunners 2-0, while Nikita Prishchepov and Jake Wise supplied the scoring and Gustav Stjernberg and Yanick Turcotte picked up assists.
The Eagles did a lot of the little things well around their rookie goalie, even if the power play never clicked on four chances. Their penalty kill was perfect, and the win offered a tidy first glimpse of a goaltender who could become one to watch as the Avalanche organization keeps an eye on its depth in net. [Read more 🡒]