The accolades simply preserve coming for the Colorado Avalanche as they’ve prolonged their win streak to eight video games with a 3-0 shutout victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night time. What what was fascinating about this win, in what has develop into anticipated in a routine style, is the distinction that it was Colorado’s first shutout of the 2025-26 season got here in additionally their worst recreation of the season.
The Game
There isn’t a lot to say about this contest. Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns scored 15 seconds into the recreation shocking Nashville goaltender Juuse Saros with Colorado’s first shot on objective. Truly nothing occurred for the following 58 minutes till Colorado obtained two empty internet targets from each Nathan MacKinnon and Jack Drury as Nashville was attempting to salvage some extent out of the contest to reach at the 3-0 Avalanche victory.
Takeaways
What made this the worst recreation of the season in opposition to presumably the weakest staff in the league is that it was Colorado’s worst analytic efficiency on the season. The 36% Corsi For share they earned this night is a far cry from the dominant puck possession we’ve come to anticipate from the burgundy and blue. Giving up 2.75 anticipated targets in opposition to at 5-on-5 to Nashville can also be a excessive mark for any opponent this season.
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Of course doing all this with a number one objective placed on the board 15 seconds into the recreation is a good bit of wanted context. Nashville pushed again from the onset and outshot Colorado 16-6 in the first interval. Despite some early targets we’ve seen this yr from this Avalanche squad they’ve additionally had some slower begins and flat first intervals even throughout the now eight-game win streak. What Colorado can do, although, is ultimately strain their opponent sufficient by the third interval to take management again. They didn’t do sufficient to show the tide analytically however had been exerting their recreation rather more by the time the Avalanche potted these two empty netters.
With Gavin Brindley now anticipated to overlook a pair weeks at the very least with a decrease physique harm, the teaching employees determined to tinker with the energy play but once more by transferring up Gabe Landeskog to the first unit as a substitute of Victor Olofsson. It didn’t work as Colorado went 0/2 on the man benefit on this contest. Nashville clearly didn’t rating on their three energy performs both, although.
The excellent news is that this was the first begin Mackenzie Blackwood started wanting like himself as he earned Colorado’s first shutout of the season. The Avalanche netminder stopped 35 photographs and was first star on the night. It will likely be fascinating to see if this will get him the beginning job again with an upcoming recreation in opposition to the San Jose Sharks earlier than one other weekend back-to-back.
Upcoming
No relaxation for the weary as the Avalanche head to Chicago to tackle the Blackhawks Sunday night at 5 p.m. MT.