Fifth Time's the Charm

Boy, did we need this!

The Colorado Avalanche were 0-4 for the first time since the 1998-99 season, which actually ended with the Avs winning the newly formed Northwest Division and falling one win short of reaching the Stanley Cup Final. So based on that, while this 0-4 start sucks, it's not the end of the world. But even so, we needed a win. 1998-99 was also the last time the Avs went winless in our first five games of the season; that year saw the Avs tie our fifth game of the season.

Regarding Game 5 of our 2024-25 campaign, it was the last game of our homestand, and it was against the Anaheim Ducks, and their beautiful white and orange jerseys. Seriously, those look good. Games between the Ducks and Avs are always...interesting. Yes, these two teams have been on opposite sides of the NHL standings for years; the Avs being a juggernaut while the Ducks are still rebuilding. But despite this, the games are often interesting and close. This meeting was no different.

In net, it was Alexandar Georgiev vs Lukas Dostal, and bear with me on this, because while I was watching this on Victory+ here in SoCal, I was also watching Game Four of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and the Cleveland Guardians. So, I had my hands full. So did Lukas Dostal. We pelted a lot of shots at him. Nothing. Georgiev didn't have much to face, but two of those pucks went in. First, Leo Carlsson scored unassisted, and then Ryan Strome made it 2-0 Anaheim at the near end of the period.

The first minute of the second period saw Casey Mittelstadt put us on the board, but our many, many chances after that fell flat. We were getting goalie'd, and it's by someone who had done this to other teams before. The Avs had a 3-1 shots ratio over the Ducks, mainly due to the many Power Play chances we had, but despite it all, we were down 2-1 after 40 minutes. In the third period, another first minute goal. Ross Colton tied it up 35 seconds into the third, and it was a PP goal. The Avs continued to press and press, and then in the middle of the third, it was Colton again, this time giving us the lead!

For the first time in this young season, the Avs had a 3rd period lead. We were holding it for a good bit, even killing a Ducks PP. Then they got another one with 2:32 left in regulation. Dostal was pulled, making this a 6-on-4 situation for the Ducks. Miraculously, the PP was killed off. It looked like our first win would come in regulation, but Troy Terry happened. 12.6 seconds left, Troy Terry tied it, and we had overtime.

As a result, the Avs picked up Point #1 in the standings, and as a result of that, the Nashville Predators--the same team who added Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault to their already loaded team--are the only team with no points. The OT saw close calls from both sides, though ours were closer. The potential killer was Mikko Rantanen missing a wide open net on a wraparound attempt. With that, it did look like we would be in for heartbreak, but then, Nathan MacKinnon broke away with the puck, shot it, and Dostal couldn't get it.

We did it! We finally did it!

Win #1 did not come easy for the Avalanche, but if things came easy for us, it wouldn't be fun. The Avs ended up outshooting the Ducks 49-20. We were an unlucky bounce or two away from being goalie'd by Dostal. Nevertheless, we survived. Nathan MacKinnon showed why he's the MVP, Mikko Rantanen had three helpers, Ross Colton scored twice, and Casey Mittelstadt's hot start continued. This, fellow Avs fans, is only the beginning. I sense a hot roll for the Avs beginning with this victory.

The Avs will head on the road for the next three games, starting with a trip to San Jose on Sunday, followed by a visit to Seattle on Tuesday, and our first trip to Utah on Thursday. For now, let's bask in this victory!

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