Postgame: Avs Perfect In Shootout, Defeat Oilers On The Road
· Yahoo Sports
The Avalanche took three shots in the shootout against the Edmonton Oilers and scored on all three. Valeri Nichushkin, Martin Necas, and Nathan MacKinnon all beat goalie Connor Ingram, while Avs netminder Scott Wedgewood made one save to give Colorado a 2-1 victory on Monday.
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This improves the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Avalanche to 53-16-10 with two games remaining in the regular season. Colorado’s 117 points is the third most in a single season in franchise history, with an opportunity to build on it with two games remaining.
Sam Malinski had the lone regulation tally for the Avs, scoring his eighth of the season midway through the second period. Malinski was set up by center Nic Roy before putting it past Ingram at 9:05. The Oilers responded later in the frame, and it was none other than Connor McDavid.
The superstar centerman got his 48th of the season at 15:49 to even the score. It was the only goal that got past Wedgewood on 31 shots. Wedgewood improved to 30-6-6 on the season, becoming the eighth netminder to reach 30 wins in 2025-26.
The Avs did not dress Artturi Lehkonen in this game. He was the lone healthy scratch, while the injured Cale Makar, Josh Manson, and Nazem Kadri were also out. Head coach Jared Bednar also was absent after sustaining facial injuries at Ball Arena over the weekend.
Good: Gutted Out Two Points
You can tell at times that the Avalanche didn’t want to get too aggressive and played several parts of the game around the perimeter. And I don’t blame them. Colorado’s only goal right now is to get to the postseason without any injuries. Especially in a game where the team you’re facing still has a lot to play for. The Oilers’ spot in the Pacific Division is yet to be determined.
Despite all of that, the Avs still put up a gutsy effort and shut down Edmonton’s offense before winning in a shootout. The Avs outshot the Oilers 32-31 and had several chances to close this out.
Bad: The Cursed Overtime Power Play
In overtime, the Avalanche got a 4-on-3 power play and had a bevy of opportunities to put the game away. Gabe Landeskog redirected a puck in the crease that went up and hit the crossbar before Ingram covered it. This came after MacKinnon wired one off the crossbar and out of play.
Later, Necas was set up for a one-timer that missed just wide. And the Avs added another shot off the post for good measure. The Avs finished the OT period with the only three shots but could not capitalize on what felt like a cursed two minutes on the man advantage.
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