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The Colorado Avalanche kicked off their road trip with a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday night, and it was the team's seasoned veterans who stole the show. Gabriel Landeskog, Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, and Nazem Kadri all played pivotal roles in the win, combining for timely goals, assists, and standout defensive plays.
Landeskog Finding His Groove
Landeskog's season has been a slow burn. Early on, the captain appeared to be a step behind, but he has gradually found his rhythm. In recent games, he has looked increasingly effective, and his fight against Moritz Seider on Saturday at Ball Arena was a clear sign of his engagement. Three days later, Landeskog potted two goals, including the game-winner, to propel Colorado past Toronto. He now has seven goals and 12 points in 19 games, putting him on pace for over 50 points—a significant achievement at this stage of his career.
Kadri's Precision Assist
Nazem Kadri's setup on Landeskog's game-winning goal was a thing of beauty. Although Toronto's defenders gave him space behind the net, Kadri still had to make a perfect pass through the blue paint, threading the puck between goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and defenseman Darren Raddysh to find Landeskog in front. The goal came just 51 seconds after Jack Roslovic had tied the game at 3-3, showcasing an impressive response from the Avalanche.
Toews Anchors Depleted Blue Line
Devon Toews has been a driving force behind Colorado's increased offensive output from the back end. After Josh Manson's injury, head coach Jared Bednar split Toews from Cale Makar, pairing Toews with Sam Malinski and Makar with Brett Kulak. The results have been promising: Toews continues to produce, Makar has rediscovered his offensive touch, and Malinski has become more consistent. Toews finished the night against Toronto with a +5 rating, underscoring his all-around impact.
Malinski Finding His Footing
Sam Malinski's start to the season was quiet—he was held pointless in his first five games and was even a healthy scratch in Calgary. Since then, he has steadily regained his form. Over his last eight games, Malinski has recorded six assists, though he has yet to score a goal. He is showing more comfort and offensive instinct, reminiscent of his play last season. Against the Maple Leafs, he contributed an assist and posted a +3 rating.
Nelson's Timely Response
Brock Nelson continued the veteran theme by scoring Colorado's first goal, which originated from a play started by Jaden Schwartz. Nelson's fifth goal of the season tied the game at 1-1 after the Avalanche had fallen behind early. It was a crucial response from a team that has sometimes struggled to recover after allowing the first goal on the road.
Blackwood Bounces Back
Goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood turned in another solid performance, making 28 saves to improve his record to 10-3-1. He became the third NHL goaltender to reach double-digit wins this season. However, there was one blemish: late in the second period, Blackwood allowed Easton Cowan to score from a tight angle, leaving too much room on the post. Aside from that, he was reliable.
Blackwood's journey this season has been one of resilience. Exactly a month earlier, he was pulled after surrendering three goals on four shots in the second period against these same Maple Leafs, a 6-3 home loss that raised questions about his viability as Colorado's No. 1 option. At that point, he was 2-2 with an .867 save percentage. Since then, he has gone 8-1-1 in 10 starts with a .913 save percentage and a shutout. Bednar's unwavering belief in Blackwood has paid off.
This is the first time Blackwood is truly being tested as the go-to guy in Colorado. Bednar previously allowed Alexandar Georgiev to establish himself in a similar role, though Blackwood may not be overplayed to the same extent, especially with Scott Wedgewood capable of handling a larger workload despite a slow start. Blackwood worked hard over the summer, and Bednar recognizes his dedication. Given that Blackwood has never won 30 games in a season, his early success—10 wins before the quarter mark—is a promising sign.
Fourth Line Contributions
The fourth line also deserves credit for creating the play that led to Toews' goal. Logan O'Connor and Parker Kelly continue to demonstrate strong chemistry as wingers on the same line—a pairing the Avalanche sorely missed during the first month of the season.
Originally reported by yahoo.