Kuemper fans Flames in final 2 games vs. Calgary
ALBERTA » In three games this month against the Calgary Flames, the Avalanche went 2-0-1.
That’s five of six potential points collected from the Western Conference’s second-best team to conclude the threegame season series between the clubs.
Darcy Kuemper played a big role. The 6-foot-5 goalie was nearly perfect in the final two games, after being pulled in the first one, which resulted in Calgary’s 4-3 overtime win in Denver on March 5.
He stopped 90 of 91 combined shots in the last two games against the Flames, and the only goal he allowed came on a 5-on-3 Calgary power play in Tuesday’s 2-1 victory at Scotiabank Saddledome.
“He looked big. He looked poised. He battled,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said of Kuemper. “You had to make a real good shot to beat him tonight, and everything else, he was taking care of. So I thought it was real steady performance from him.”
Kuemper, who extended his career-best single-season wins total to 31, began his hot streak against the Flames with a 3-0 shutout on March 13 at Ball Arena, where he stopped all 46 shots.
Powerful. Both Avs goals on Tuesday came from winger Valeri Nichushkin on the power play. Colorado has now scored on the man-advantage in eight straight games. The Avs are 11for-24 (45.8%) over that span — the best stretch in the NHL.
On the season, Colorado has a league-high 59 power-play goals and the fifth-best percentage (25.4%).
Nichushkin’s second goal in the third period upped the Avs’ third-period tallies to 95 for the season, the most in the NHL, and tied for third-most in club history. The 2018-19 Avs finished with 103 and in 1996-97 the team had 96.
The Avs, now the league’s first team to reach 100 points this season, have 15 regular-season games remaining.
Mackinnon on skates. Avalanche center Nathan Mackinnon was ruled out of Tuesday’s game at Calgary and traveled to Denver on his own to be further examined for what is believed to be a hand injury stemming from Sunday’s fight against Wild defenseman Matt Dumba at Minnesota.
His injury might not be as bad as Bednar feared on Tuesday.
Mackinnon skated with skills coach Shawn Allard on Wednesday, a day off for the team, and appeared to move without issue. The Avs next host the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.
An update on Mackinnon will be made after Thursday’s morning skate at Ball Arena.