Century 29

On Monday night, the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings, 4-2, in the first game of a three game road trip. The win increased our total to 40 victories, the first to reach the big 4-0 this season. We would not be done with Southern California quite yet, as we got right back to work the next day against the Anaheim Ducks; a Ducks team that is in a bad Pacific Division, but has a good chance of not only reaching the playoffs for the first time in eight years, they can also end up with home ice in (at least) the first round!

Scott Wedgewood was in net against, oh boy, Lukas Dostal. Avs had to go on the PK early, but it got killed off. However, 35 seconds after we killed that penalty, we had to kill another one. Thankfully we did. By that point, the Avs were being outshot 7-2, but we did strike first, and it was Cale Makar. Valeri Nichushkin and Brock Nelson with the assists! Avs went on the power play after Jacob Trouba tripped Nathan MacKinnon, and on that PP, it was Martin Necas with the goal to make it 2-0. I just want to say something here while I have a rare chance to speak positively about our PP. Necas has scored our last three PPGs; he had one against Utah, the empty net PPG in LA, and now this one. And that's three PPGs in five games after the break. Maybe there's hope for us on the PP?

Anyway, Trouba liked committing penalties so much that he did it again later in the period. We get it, Jacob. You're happy that you and your buddy Chris Kreider are thriving and about to be playoff-bound in the OC while your former team is sinking. We are all laughing at the Rangers. This PP doesn't succeed, and after 20, it's 2-0 Avs. Speaking of Kreider, he committed goalie interference 2:30 into the 2nd, and Ducks fans somehow had a problem with it even though it was painfully obvious. Avs power play is killed off, and 20 seconds later, Cutter Gauthier puts Anaheim on the board. The Ducks continued to press, as did the Avs, and late in the frame, Parker Kelly (who is on a roll) made it 3-1.

3-1 was the score after 40 minutes, and the third period saw the Ducks try to get back in it, but to no avail. Gabriel Landeskog later made it 4-1, and the assist went to Nathan MacKinnon, marking Mack's 100th point of the season! So yeah, this game was done, but we decided to add more insult to injury. Parker Kelly scored again, and the assist came from Jack Drury and Brett Kulak--the latter picking up his first point with the Avalanche.

The Avalanche won, 5-1, over the Ducks (with Charlotte Flair in attendance in Anaheim), putting us nine points away from another 100 point season. Speaking of the century mark, Nathan MacKinnon got to 100 points for the fourth straight season, and regarding the race for the Art Ross Trophy (most points), he's five points behind Connor McDavid. However, Mack's still leading in goals, so there's that. Cale Makar picked up a goal and two helpers, bringing his point total to 64, trailing only Evan Bouchard and Zach Werenski on the points list for defensemen.

The Avs improved to 4-1 following the Olympic Break, and we swept the Southern California double dip. We have two days off, but after that, we are off to Dallas on Friday against a Stars team who has won ten straight games! Ugh! After that, we have back-to-back home games on TNT; a Sunday matinee game against the Wild (who somehow blew out the Bolts, yikes), and a Tuesday night game against Connor, Leon, and the Oilers. Let's go!!

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