The Devils and Victor Olofsson

After being hit with our first regulation loss of the season on Saturday, the Colorado Avalanche kicked off a home-and-home set against the New Jersey Devils. It's always interesting when the Avs and Devils get together. After all, this was the Stanley Cup Final in 2001. Hard to believe that this season marks the 25th anniversary of "Mission 16W," which ended with Colorado's second Stanley Cup.

The home-and-home started that Sunday in New Jersey, and Trent Miner was in net against Jake Allen. It was not a good start for the Avs. Arseny Gritsyuk opened the scoring at 9:09, and 39 seconds later, it was "you-know-who": Jack Hughes. 2-0 just like that for New Jersey. However, Valeri Nichushkin would put us on the board, and later on, with less than three minutes left... guess who?! Nathan MacKinnon ties it up, and that's the score after 20 minutes.

All of the game's penalties were committed in the 2nd period, and it was in the middle of the period that Connor Brown gave the Devils the lead back. It was 3-2 New Jersey after 40 minutes, and late in the third, Brock Nelson tied it up. Game ended up going to overtime, but unfortunately, Jack Hughes had the room, had the shot, and had the game winner. Second of the game sealed it.

For the fourth time already, the Avs were defeated past regulation, and this loss was our fourth in a row, but strangely, it's an 0-1-3 stretch. Even so, it's still four straight losses. But the beauty of a home-and-home is that it gives us a chance to rectify that defeat. Two days later, the same matchup took place, this time at Ball Arena as part of the annual Frozen Frenzy extravaganza. Scott Wedgewood was in net against Jacob Markstrom, and the Avs were on the power play very, very early. At 1:24, Martin Necas made it 1-0--on the power play. The Avalanche? Scoring power play goals? In this economy?!

Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin assisted, and minutes later, Zahkar Bardakov gets his first NHL goal, with Parker Kelly and Gavin Brindley assisting. Avs led 2-0 after 20, and the second period was wild! First off, Victor Olofsson made it 3-0 early in the frame. Avs get a power play that quickly becomes a 5-on-3, and it's Nathan MacKinnon who makes it 4-0! On a breakaway, barely over a minute later, Parker Kelly scores! It's 5-0! It's a laugher! Stefan Noesen ends the shutout, but it's no big deal. Then Dougie Hamilton scores from Hughes & Hughes. Less than two minutes later, Dawson Mercer puts it in, and Jack Hughes does so less than a minute after that. All of a sudden, it's 5-4. YIKES!

Thankfully, an Avs PP cashes in, and it's #29 again! MacKinnon's second of the game makes it 6-4, and a 20 minute period ends with eight goals scored! Early in the third, it's Olofsson again, on the power play, and much later in the period, we have a Hat Trick! If you guessed MacKinnon, I commend you, but you'd be wrong. It was Olofsson. First career hattie for Vic the Slick!

The Avs won Tuesday's game, 8-4, ending our four-game losing streak and also snapping NJ's 8-game winning streak. The Avs truly showed out in more ways than one! For one, our power play, which had been a ghost for this young season, scored four times! Mind you, we scored those goals against a penalty kill that was 2nd in the league! Victor Olofsson had his career Hat Trick, and racked up five points on the evening. Nathan MacKinnon continued his impressive start to the season, and Cale Makar had four points (all assists).

The Avs will end the month of October in Vegas against the Golden Knights, and ever since Vegas debuted in 2017, the Avs and Knights have had interesting encounters!

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