Nichushkin scores OT winner in return to Avalanche lineup
Meet the new Avs, deeper than the old Avs.
For the moment, also more discombobulated than the old Avs.
Colorado’s 2-1 overtime win against Minnesota on Friday night at Ball Arena served as a get-to-know-you mixer for Jared Bednar’s team, which for the first time rolled out its four new trade-deadline additions and welcomed back winger Valeri Nichushkin from a nearly two-month absence.
If more of the 18,134 on hand here doubled back to the concourse for a game program than normal, they couldn’t be blamed.
All the new faces would be hard to keep straight for a spectator, let alone teammates or a coach on the bench navigating 60 minutes against the Minnesota Wild.
There was Casey Mittelstadt, acquired Wednesday, centering Colorado’s second line, flanked to his left by Nichushkin, himself playing for the first time since he entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program in January.
They were excited to have Nichushkin back, too, when he buried the overtime, power-play winner at the 2:32 mark of the extra session.
There was Brandon Duhaime, skating against the team that signed his paychecks barely 24 hours before and wearing the No. 12 Avs sweater previously donned by jettisoned center Ryan Johansen.
There was Yakov Trenin popping off the bench to play on Colorado’s top penalty killing unit, which on this night was busy working off eight short-handed minutes over the first two periods against the Wild.
There was Sean Walker, too, paired with Jack Johnson as the only of the new quartet who actually got to town in time to take part in an optional skate Wednesday.
The rest had morning skate Thursday, punched in the directions to Ball Arena and cut it loose.”
The core also happens to be mighty talented, and they put it on display on the night’s first shift. The Avs’ top line struck 42 seconds into the game when Nathan Mackinnon extended his home scoring streak to 32 games by finding Artturi Lehkonen for a first-minute goal.
From there, it was mostly a slog for the better part of two periods. Minnesota’s Brock Faber tied the game with a point-blank look from the right circle midway through the second period.
Avs goaltender Alexandar Georgiev turned away several dangerous Minnesota scoring chances. He saved perhaps his best work for a Mats Zuccarello penalty shot with 5:55 remaining in regulation after Andrew Cogliano pushed a broken stick at him followed closely by a clean walk-in attempt by Frederick Gaudreau.
Outside the crease, Colorado had sort of an off-kilter night, including a goahead Devon Toews goal called back due to offsides with 2:20 to go.
That’s going to be part of the learning curve, however, for this re-made group. Results matter, to be sure, but the chemistry developed or not over the final 17 games of the regular season will be the governor on how far this team goes one year after bowing out in the first round of the playoffs.