Avalanche Thoughts And Takeaways From Leafs Win

Avs checking game was great, plus Dater Three Best Bets for Thursday

A very good two points last night for the heroes otherwise known as the Colorado Avalanche.

The biggest number in the game, for me anyway, was 18. As in, the number of shots the Avs allowed to a very high-powered offense. The Avs’ checking game was just superb, continuing a recent trend.

“That’s two straight games where we’ve really dug in on the defensive side. Tight-checking game,” Jared Bednar said after the Avs’ 2-1 shootout win over the Maple Leafs. “Tough to create scoring chances for both teams. But I liked the way our guys played. It’s just commitment, hard work, paying attention to the details.”

The Avs outshot Toronto 29-18. They were clearly the better team. That’s the kind of thing that has to scare the bejesus out of the Avs’ Western playoff competitors. For all the talk about what a monster the east is this year, the Avs waltzed into Toronto and, while it wasn’t an easy win, I thought the Avs controlled the game pretty much throughout.

Bednar also praised Alexandar Georgiev, saying “he’s done a great job staying focused” with Pavel Francouz still out.

I’d agree with that. Let’s face it - Georgie has been something of an upgrade over Darcy Kuemper. He’s got a perfectly respectable .917 save percentage, and that’s not always easy when you get few nights off. (Kuemper’s record in Washington, by the way, is 20-21-5 with a .912 save percentage).

That said, I think we’ll see a backup tonight in Ottawa.

OTHER THOUGHTS AND OBSERVATIONS