Miles Wood has a particular brand of chaotic hockey, and this was a night that called out for it.
The Avalanche struggled to create offensive chances for much of the game against the St. Louis Blues at Enterprise Center, but one late flurry was enough. A Devon Toews shot from the left point was the difference with 2:54 remaining in a quirky 2-1 win, but Wood’s play leading to the faceoff and in front of the goalie just before Toews’ shot helped create the game-winning tally.
This was far from the prettiest win of Colorado’s season, but it could prove to be an important one. Ryan Johansen scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner, while Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves.
“It’s a character win,” Johansen said. “We look around the room after the game and are just nodding at each other. That’s how we need to win some games, especially on the road. It’s a feel-good win.”
Colorado snapped a six-game losing skid away from Ball Arena with the victory. Nathan MacKinnon’s career-long point streak also ended at 19 games, one shy of tying the franchise record since moving to Denver.
The Avs played arguably their best game of the season just before the holiday break in a 4-1 win against the Coyotes, but went to Arizona two nights ago and squandered a 4-0 lead in a stunning overtime defeat.
It certainly looked like there was some carryover early on in St. Louis. Some of the issues with mismanaging the puck were still prevalent, particularly at the defensive end of the ice. All of the disjointed play didn’t lead to goals against, thanks in part to a handful of important saves from Georgiev but also several missed nets on great chances for the Blues.
Through two periods, the Blues had a 43-24 advantage in shot attempts and 20-5 in scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick. The Avs finished the game with season-low totals (40 shot attempts, 13 scoring chances) in both categories.
“I like the fact that we got better defensively as the game went on, and (Georgiev) played the best game I’ve seen him play in a while,” Bednar said. “As the game went on, I thought we really tightened it up on the defensive side of it and really took care of the house.
“We talked about it, being able to try and win a 1-0, a 2-1 game and having that sort of mentality. We feel like we’ll get enough chances to win the hockey game if we check the right way. Guys really bought into it.”
Colorado scored on its first shot of the game, but Josh Manson’s tally from just inside the right circle was waived off for goalie interference on Kurtis MacDermid. Johansen did make it 1-0 later in the period, and this one counted.
Johansen was able to poke the rebound of a Jonathan Drouin shot past Jordan Binnington for his 11th goal of the year at 15:11 of the first. It was the 200th goal of Johansen’s career.
The Avs had a power play shortly after that, but quickly gave the lead back. MacKinnon’s pass from the left wall went to Robert Thomas near the top of the Colorado offensive zone, and he converted a shorthanded breakaway at 16:31.
In a game full of weird bounces and scoring chances gone awry, Cale Makar was awarded a penalty shot despite not being anywhere near the St. Louis net early in the third period. He made a play to juke past a defender at the right point, and during the ensuing sequence the officials judged that Mackenzie MacEachern threw his stick at the puck.
Binnington gloved Makar’s attempt to keep the contest tied at 1-1, but the Avs eventually found just enough offense to eek out a victory.
“We have guys who want to work and it’s just about making sure that we do it right,” Makar said. “I think that tonight’s game just shows that everybody’s head can be in the right place. Now we need it on a more consistent basis every single night.”
Footnotes: Ross Colton did not play for the Avs after blocking a shot in the third period of the collapse against the Coyotes. Ben Meyers was recalled and centered the third line.
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