3 Takeaways From Avalanche’s 7-4 Win Over the Panthers – The Hockey Writers Colorado Avalanche Latest News, Analysis & More

The Colorado Avalanche, a team known for their scoring prowess, has been finding a way to win ugly. They have been finding contributions from unlikely places, putting them in a position to score their third win in as many games.

The Avalanche offense had been quiet (for them) over the last three games but exploded against the Florida Panthers on Saturday night (Nov. 23). There’s a lot to discuss, so let’s get into the most important takeaways from the Avalanche’s 7-4 win over the Panthers.

Welcome Back, Nuke

Alright, this is technically the fourth game back for Valeri Nichushkin since his return from suspension. That said, he was held off the score sheet in all three games, posting an ugly minus-3 in his return against the Washington Capitals on Nov. 15. It’s hard to hold that against a guy who hasn’t played meaningful hockey in seven months, however.

Nichushkin, affectionately known as ‘Nuke,’ came alive in the best situation possible: on the road against the defending Stanley Cup champions. He finished with a goal and two assists on the night, getting in on goals from defensemen Samuel Girard and Oliver Kylington.

If the Avalanche are going to become the emerging contenders that many feel they can be, Nichushkin is going to play a pivotal role. He’s slowly starting to find his game again and shake off the rust of having not been in an NHL game since mid-April.

Rantanen Making a Push

Nathan MacKinnon continues to lead the NHL scoring race, but his lead is dwindling. One of the names catching up to him rapidly is Mikko Rantanen, who had yet another huge night. He hasn’t been getting nearly the love he deserves, off to the best start of his prolific career.

Related: Avalanche’s 5 Biggest Talking Points So Far This Season

Rantanen tallied his 14th goal of the season and added a trio of helpers on the night. It is his fifth multi-point night in nine games, putting him into a tie for fourth in the NHL with 32 points. He has been hanging around the top 10 in scoring but has really made a huge push of late.

The Avalanche fan base knows how vital Rantanen is to the success of the team. It’s about time that the rest of the league started giving props to the Finnish winger, because he is making a case as the very best winger in the league this season. With reinforcements returning, Rantanen should remain hot.

A Platoon in Net for the Avalanche?

It may not have been the best start for Alex Georgeiv – four goals on 31 shots – but it got the job done. The coaching staff has shown faith in Georgiev this season, giving him a chance to dig out from the abysmal start he had. It has taken some time, but Georgiev may finally be there.

He had three consecutive strong starts, allowing no more than two goals in each of them. He no longer looks snakebitten as he did to begin the season, and the Avalanche coaching staff may be rewarding him with a few more starts than the rest of us had anticipated.

What’s likely to happen is a platoon scenario. Justus Annunen has been playing well this season, so you can’t just stick him on the bench and give most of the starts to Georgiev. Instead, we may see a system where each guy gets a couple of games on followed by a couple off. It could be what’s best for the long-term success of the team.

3 Straight for the Avalanche

Don’t look now, but the Avalanche have strung together three straight wins. They are just two points back of the Dallas Stars for third in the Central Division, though the Stars have a pair of games in hand on the Avalanche. With a 7-3-0 record over their last 10, the Avalanche are keeping pace with the big dogs in the division.

At this stage, the Avalanche have to take the cliché approach of “one game at a time.” Being 10 points back of the Winnipeg Jets and six back of the Minnesota Wild, it would be all too simple to become focused on catching up only to let the pressure of the situation take a few games away that should have been won. Having said all that, there are few teams in the NHL as hot as the Avalanche right now.