Sunday Notebook: Lehkonen Loss Hurting, And Memories Of Attending Last Kiss Concert

How I luckily snagged a "golden ticket" after the show

Before I start to self-indulge with some personal babbling, let’s take care of the latest Colorado Avalanche business.

The loss last night to the Philadelphia Flyers was a “bad” one, in that the Avs did not respond from a previous home loss to Winnipeg. That doesn’t happen very often with this team anymore. It was the kind of loss that will naturally induce “What’s wrong with the Avs?” kinds of headlines.

My take: not to worry. Well, let’s put that in context. Assuming - assuming - Artturi Lehkonen returns in another six weeks or so (he’s started skating again), things will be fine in the long run. I think Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen are the three best players on this team, but, and I’m not sure I totally believe this, but I’m going to say it: I think it’s quite possible that Lehkonen is the most important player on the Avalanche.

The biggest reason for that belief is: no forward on the team plays as good a two-way game as him. The Avs have missed his offense, his 60-point-or-so-usual production, but his checking tenacity on and away from pucks. There is no better or smarter forechecker on the team, no smarter player when it comes to positioning himself in the right places all over the ice.

He’s such a great complement to MacKinnon and Rantanen on the top line, and he’s so good in clutch situations. The Avs have enough talent to keep winning the majority of their games without Lehkonen. But it won’t be until he comes back that this team will be as consistently good as it usually is with him.

Other Avs observations