The NHL’s highest-scoring team matched a feat not accomplished since its inaugural season 26 years ago.
The Avalanche became the first team since the Mario Lemieux-led Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96 to score seven goals in five games before its 25th contest. Lemieux and company did it in just 12 games. The Avs needed 23, although they also reached six goals twice.
Only three other teams in the last 35 years have scored seven goals five times before game No. 25. Lemieux and the Penguins also did it in 1991-92 (23 games played). Wayne Gretzky and the Los Angeles Kings did it in 1988-89 (17 games), and the Calgary Flames (22 games) in 1987-88.
So the explosive Avs have joined an elite list. They entered Friday leading the league in scoring with a whopping 4.26-goal average — the only team above 4.00. And it’s hard to believe Colorado is that dangerous based on the fact superstar center Nathan MacKinnon, who has missed 10 games because of COVID or injury, entered Friday with just two goals in 13 games.
The Avs have countered with solid depth and extensive scoring from defensemen. They lead the league with 25 goals and 83 points from blue liners, and they entered Friday just one goal shy of what they had in 56 games last season.
We thought Colorado was an elite offensive team last season when it led the league at a 3.52 scoring clip. Because of the surge from defensemen, the Avs are now platinum elite.
Kings of Quebec. Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury used a 2-0 shutout against the Canadiens on Thursday to join fellow Quebec natives Martin Brodeur and Patrick Roy as the only netminders to reach 500 NHL regular-season victories.
Fleury joined the 500 club quicker than Brodeur and Roy. He did it in his 901st game, seven fewer than Brodeur and 32 ahead of Roy, who won 262 of his games over eight years with the Avs.
Fleury, 37, is a pending unrestricted free agent. If he chooses to continue his career and signs a contract, he could surpass Roy for second in all-time wins (551). Fleury is a longshot to catch Brodeur (691).
Hard to believe that the three greatest goalies in league history grew up in the same Canadian province.
Footnotes. A final thought from the Avs’ season-long five-game road trip in which they produced 26 goals and finished 3-1-1: The Toronto Maple Leafs, who pounded Colorado 8-3 in the trip opener, is the best team the Avs have faced this season. … Future first-ballot Hockey Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby of the Penguins and Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals met for the 60th time in an NHL regular-season game on Friday in Washington. The league is going to miss these two unique game-changers when they call it quits. … Terrific story in St. Louis about Nathan Walker, who became the first Australian player to play in the NHL four years ago. Born in Cardiff, Wales, he was recently recalled by the cap-strapped and injury-plagued Blues under emergency conditions and produced his first career hat trick in Thursday’s 6-2 win over the Red Wings. … Kudos to Erik Johnson, the Avs’ longest-tenured player, for reaching 800 games-played with the club Wednesday in New York. Johnson, who was limited to just four games last season because of multiple career-threatening injuries, hasn’t missed a game this season. Coach Jared Bednar dubs EJ “the Swiss army knife” of the team, which means he is highly important.
