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Despite injuries, beat goes on |
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Rick Sadowski
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It’s been an excellent road trip so far for the Avalanche, especially considering how banged up this team is.
They’ve gone 3-1-0 in the first four games heading into Thursday’s trip finale in Minnesota, are 5-1-0 in the past six games overall and sitting second in the Central Division with a 13-6-2 record.
Goalies Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz are healthy again, but they remain without forwards Mikko Rantanen (lower body), Gabriel Landeskog (lower body), Colin Wilson (lower body), Tyson Jost (upper body) and Matt Calvert (head).
“I don't think every game's been pretty and we’ve had different guys contributing every night," coach Jared Bednar told reporters. "That's what you need. They're not always going to be perfect, especially when you're missing this many guys and some key players, but you have to keep grinding and believe and find different ways. The buy-in and the game plan has been good. I'm pretty pleased with it."
As he should be.
Center Nathan MacKinnon continues to pile up points (13 goals, 31 points) despite the absence of Rantanen and Landeskog on his line; defenseman Cale Makar leads all NHL rookies in scoring with 23 points (five goals, 18 assists); forward Andre Burakovsky has 10 goals, two shy of his total of each of the past three seasons; and five other players have collected between 11 and 15 points.
Makar has 13 points in November to set a franchise record for points by a rookie defenseman in one month. The Quebec Nordiques' Pierre Lacroix had 12 points in March 1980.
It’s easy to see why Makar, who turned 21 on Oct. 31, is the early frontrunner for the Calder Trophy as the league’s top rookie.
“I’m honored, but at the end of the day it’s not something that is at the forefront of my mind really ever,” Makar said. “If it comes, it comes. I just go back to the team success -- everybody is going to get individual accolades if the team succeeds, so it’s not something I’m really worried about at all.”
Grubauer returned Tuesday after missing five games with a lower-body injury and made 31 saves in the Avalanche’s 3-2 win in Calgary. He’d gone 0-2-1 in his three previous starts before going on the injured list.
"It's nice to get back in there,” said Grubauer, who is 7-3-2 this season with a 2.73 goals-against average and .917 save percentage. “It was nice to get out there and get the win.”
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