3 Takeaways From the Avalanche Win Over the Ducks

Even though the Anaheim Ducks are not a playoff team, the Colorado Avalanche could not afford to take their collective foot off the gas pedal as the two clubs faced off on March 27. With the race for the top spot in the Central Division coming down to the wire, the Avalanche need every point they can get if they’re going to edge out the Minnesota Wild and the Dallas Stars for first place. The big 5-1 win helped them remain competitive, and provided some valuable lessons as the team looks to the final games of the regular season and into the playoffs. Here are three takeaways from the victory.

Nichushkin is a Key to the Team’s Success

Even though injuries have plagued Valeri Nichushkin’s season, the dynamic force he showed to start the campaign has not slowed down, despite the lengthy interruption. He led all forwards in ice time in this game, clocking in at 22:04 on the night. He contributed in an obvious way – netting the team’s fourth goal – but it’s his overall game that makes a huge impact. The forward plays on both the power play and the penalty kill, plays a physical game, adds multiple shots per game (he had five in the tilt against the Ducks), and even blocks shots. In sum, Nichushkin’s presence on the ice just cannot go unnoticed, as he’s a big player with both skill and grit.

Without Nichushkin (and many others) on the roster, the club did not fare anywhere close to as well as they are now. Since his return, though, the Avalanche have powered back to prove that they are still contenders in the Western Conference and among the league’s Stanley Cup favourites. His gameplay makes an obvious difference, and his energy has been key in some of Colorado’s biggest wins.

Nathan MacKinnon’s Quest for 100 Points Fuels Victories

As both Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen are extremely close to hitting 100 points for the first time in their respective careers, the club is fuelled to big wins by their individual pursuits. MacKinnon in particular moved closer to the century mark for the first time in his career, collecting a goal and an assist for a total of 95 points in just 62 games. Rantanen added an assist, but MacKinnon was all over the ice, and his goal was quintessential Nate: the individual effort showed pure skill and dedication, and none of the Ducks’ defenders nor their goalie, John Gibson, could do…