The Colorado Avalanche have turned their season around in stunning fashion, capping a successful road trip with a 5-1 rout over the Utah Hockey Club at the Delta Center. After a rough 0-4 start and a series of injuries to key players, the Avs have roared back with four straight wins to even their record at .500. The team, led by stars Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen, showed their firepower and depth on Thursday night, proving that this squad is built to handle adversity
Ross Colton, who’s been a revelation early this season with seven goals in eight games, opened the scoring with a power-play one-timer, assisted by Rantanen. This was one of four goals Colton has scored on the man advantage, underscoring the Avalanche’s dangerous power-play unit even without big names like Gabriel Landeskog and Artturi Lehkonen on the ice. Unfortunately, Colton’s night ended early after he left with an upper-body injury, but rookie Ivan Ivan stepped up, notching his first NHL goal and showing the depth the Avalanche have in their roster
Makar, currently leading the NHL with 15 points, extended his impressive tally with a brilliant wrist shot to make it 2-0 in the first period. Colorado’s relentless attack continued as Casey Mittelstadt added a goal in the second, showcasing his own offensive chops with three points on the night. Meanwhile, Joel Kiviranta added his fourth goal in three games, providing the team with an additional offensive weapon from the bench. Kiviranta, who had only three goals in the previous season, has emerged as a clutch scorer at a crucial time
Justus Annunen stood strong between the pipes for Colorado, clocking his third straight strong start while enjoying significant defensive support in front. The Avs’ commitment to a tighter defensive structure was evident, especially in their ability to shut down Utah’s scoring chances for most of the game, only conceding a late goal by Lawson Crouse in the third.
Coach Jared Bednar praised the team’s gritty comeback. “With key players missing, the team has taken it to a new level with our puck management and defensive commitment,” he said. After a turbulent start, the Avalanche’s resilience and depth are setting the stage for what could be a strong playoff push. The question now is, with momentum on their side, can the Avs keep this pace up?
