The Colorado Avalanche had dropped four out of their past seven games entering Saturday’s tilt against the Dallas Stars. But the Avs pounded Dallas by a 6-3 score to improve to 28-18-1 on the season. Here are three takeaways from the Avalanche’s victory:
1. Lehkonen Leads Way On Offense With Two-Goal, Four-Point Outing
Left winger Artturi Lehkonen continued his stellar season by posting two goals — his 17th and 18th goals of the year — and two assists to power the Avs to victory. Lehkonen now has 26 points in 35 games this year, putting him on pace to demolish his current career-high of 21 goals, which he set in 2022-23.
The 29-year-old Finn has had ebbs and flows over the course of his nine NHL seasons, but Lehkonen is looking as confident ashe’s ever looked in hockey’s top league.
Lehkonen being a stable secondary scorer takes the pressure off Colorado’s big guns to produce offense night-in and night-out, and if Lehkonen continues to thrive, the Avs’ investment in him will look very savvy. He’s under contract for two more seasons at a salary cap hit of $4.5 million, and that’s shaping up to be quite the bargain.
2. Drouin, Makar Contribute To Blowout Win, Serve Notice To Stars, Wild That Avs Are For Real
In their first meeting this season, the Avalanche lost to Dallas by a 5-3 score on Nov. 29. But as Colorado continues to push for a top-three spot in the Central Division, they got significant contributions from right winger Jonathan Drouin and superstar defenseman Cale Makar.
Related: Avalanche’s Cale Makar sets a franchise record
Drouin posted a goal and three points Saturday, while Makar chipped in a pair of goals to secure the victory for the Avs. And with the win, Colorado is now tied in standings points with Dallas, although the Stars have two games in hand on the Avalanche.
In addition, the Avs are now just one point behind the Minnesota Wild for second place in the Central (although the Wild also have two games in hand on the Avalanche). Catching the first-place Winnipeg Jets may be a bridge too far for Colorado, but home ice advantage is very much in play, and if the Avs can be more consistent, they’re going to push hard for second place in the Central down the stretch.
3. Avalanche’s One Weakness Saturday: The Penalty Kill
If there was a problem for Colorado in Saturday’s win, it was killing off penalties. Dallas scored two power-play goals on the night, dropping the Avalanche’s penalty-kill percentage to 78.7 percent. That’s 18th-overall in the league, and that’s clearly not good enough.
The Avs’ power play was 1-for-3 against the Stars, improving their PP mark on the year to 21.1 percent. But they have to be better on the PK, and that’s on the coaching staff to figure out.
Still, all things considered, Colorado came away with an important win against a division rival. They’ll play the Stars one more time this season — back in Denver on March 16 — but for the moment, the Avs have to feel good about their game. When their offense is cooking, they’re tough to beat, and this win underscored how good the Avalanche can look when many of their players step up with big performances.
