The month of January ends with a (6-6-2) record for the Colorado Avalanche after the Av’s pummeled the Detroit Red Wings 5-0, coming out of a slump. The Av’s have been shredding through teams and had a bit of a cold stretch this month but still have a tight grip as the first seed in the Central Division and the NHL.
Nathan MacKinnon just snapped out of his longest drought of the season, going 5 games without scoring by netting two goals tonight, also making him the first player in the NHL to score 40 goals in 53 games this season. MacKinnon now has a total of 91 points and is now only 1 assist away from 700 career assists.
A few days ago, Colorado made sure to sign and keep Defenseman Sam Malinski in Colorado for an extended amount of time, offering him a 4-year $4.75 million dollar contract. Malinski has had a career year and would have become an unrestricted free agent this summer. Perfect time to ink a deal before the trade deadline as he gets better tightening up each game.
Speaking of a player whose game has elevated is Brock Nelson. As the number two center, Nelson has been thriving in Colorado’s system and is looking to have another 30+ goal season. Since November 29th, Nelson has scored 28 goals (2nd in goals for Colorado) and has a very high ceiling if he continues to pour on and perform at this level.
The Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings will face off for a second time, and Mackenzie Blackwood will look to stonewall Detroit again with a shutout, but this time in Denver, CO at Ball Arena to start the month of February.
Dante Robinson | Senior NHL Analyst for The NSR Network
