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Calum Ritchie, Colorado Avalanche (Photo credit: LA Kings)

Colorado Avalanche Bright Spots Despite 0-4 Start

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Stefano Rubino | Last updated 10/17/24

With a record of 0-4, the Colorado Avalanche has been disappointing so far. Their 20 goals allowed in the first three games set a team record, and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is struggling mightily. It’s only a week into the season, but his job could be on the line. But, even though the team is off to its worst start since 1998-99, there are some bright spots to be excited about.

Avalanche’s Offense Hasn’t Skipped a Beat

Despite some early-season rust, the Avalanche’s offense is still one of the most dangerous in the league. Critical players like Artturi Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin, and Gabriel Landeskog are out with injuries, but the top six, including Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Casey Mittelstadt, have carried the offensive load so far.

Through four games, the Avalanche have scored 13 goals, ranked 11th in the league. They have also been excellent on the power play, with a 50% success rate and a power-play goal in each game. They have enough firepower to keep their top unit loaded up while their players heal, which is how they’ve managed to keep games “close” to start the season.

The Avalanche is built on offense, with all of its stars able to pressure and overwhelm their opponents. This is a good sign because it shows that the team can score without Nichushkin, Drouin, and Lehkonen. The team would be in big trouble if it were having trouble scoring while allowing so many goals. Instead, it can focus on cleaning up its defensive zone play.

Avalanche Prospects Look Promising in Increased Roles

At the beginning of the season, we understood that players like Drouin, Lehkonen, Nichushkin, and Landeskog would miss some time. This meant that other players would need to step up and temporarily fill their roles. Given the team’s limited cap space, contributions would have to come from rookies and players on team-friendly contracts.

Calum Ritchie scored his first NHL goal to open the scoring against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday, Oct 12. It was an impressive play—with a smooth move to the net and converting a pass from Josh Manson for an easy tap-in. Ritchie excelled with the Oshawa Generals during the 2023-24 season, and despite coming off shoulder surgery in the offseason which had him start the season late, his career-high 28 goal, 80 point campaign ultimately made him the 27th-overall pick in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft. He has played very well so far and has impressed offensively and defensively. He is confident with the puck, unafraid to take the shot if he has room and uses his frame well. However, he still looks raw, making questionable decisions in the defensive zone for a few turnovers, but that should be expected of a rookie.

I’ve been impressed by Ivan Ivan and Nikolai Kovalenko. Both look like solid NHL regulars. Ivan is the type of player who grabs his lunchbox and goes to work, giving his best effort on the fourth line whenever he gets ice time. He stood out against Columbus, earning some time on the power play and recording his first NHL assist by feeding MacKinnon for a goal.

Nikolai Kovalenko is the only player among the three who has yet to record a point. However, he’s a smart player and is leading the Avalanche in expected goals for percentage (xGF%), which measures the team’s expected goal rate while he is on the ice. Their status on the roster depends on when injured players start to return, but for now, they are a bright spot during the team’s struggles.

Can Georgiev Continue To Improve?

Georgiev did not look good in his first two games. He looked lost, couldn’t track the puck well, was letting in easy goals, and was pulled in his first two starts. However, in his last two starts, he has looked more confident, using his paddle to poke check pucks away and flashing the pads to redirect high-danger chances. The team must help him find his game since Justus Annunen isn’t off to the best start, either.

The team recently claimed Kaapo Kahkonen off waivers, and he could see playing time if Annunen and Georgiev don’t make significant improvements. Georgiev is in a contract year and currently carries a reasonable $3.4 million cap hit. For a goaltender seeking to secure a significant contract at 28 years old, this season could serve as a pivotal opportunity to prove he still deserves to be their starting goaltender.

The Avalanche need to see positive results. It’s not unusual for teams with high expectations to start slowly – just look at last season’s Edmonton Oilers. Avalanche fans should remain hopeful as Colorado has a history of success to lean on. When the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, they started the campaign with a disappointing 1-4-1 record.