In turbulent season, Colorado Avalanche defensemen finding ‘groove’
By and large, the Colorado Avalanche have held it down in their own end.
Monday’s 3-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights was an outlier. Helped by capable defense — despite many moving pieces — and consistently good play from goaltender Philipp Grubauer, the Avalanche (9-5-1) are second in the league in goals allowed per game.
“We’re kind of finding our groove back there right now. Understanding that we’re not just three pairs back there, we’re a group of six,” the current elder statesman, Devon Toews, said.
With Erik Johnson still out of the lineup — coach Jared Bednar called his injury “long term” Monday — the average age of the Colorado defense group that finished the series against Vegas was under 23 years old.
Fifteen games in, no Avalanche defenseman has played every game. COVID-19 has reared its ugly head. Toews and Cale Makar have been injured. Ryan Graves was a healthy scratch.
Graves, whose plus-minus rating led the NHL last season, got off to a bumpy start but has turned it around lately.
“I think a little early in the season I was trying to do a little bit too much, which brought me a few issues,” Graves said.
He embraced his slightly changed role with the addition of offensive-minded players, and being the “fully shut-down” defenseman that was needed. He said he’s happy as a penalty-kill go-to and someone who stares down top lines.
He averaged around 17 minutes per game the first seven games but is above 20 in his most recent seven, part of which can be attributed to injuries but also a personal uptick. His four-game series against the Vegas Golden Knights came with praise, particularly a gutsy penalty-kill effort late in the second period of Saturday’s outdoor game.
He also recorded a season-high five shots Monday.
“His game is just trending upwards and I think all of our games are trending upward as well,” Toews said.
All eyes are no longer on Bo Byram, who is waiting on his first goal. He’s settling into his role as well, as an NHL regular. In dire straits, the 19-year-old led the team in ice time.
It’s easy to forget Samuel Girard is only 22. He’s been steady as usual. Makar owned up to an off night Monday but continues to wow the league with his skating ability.
Acquired in the offseason and sped through training camp, Toews made himself essential.
“No one guy is leading the charge or talking to the younger guys. It’s a group mentality for us,” Toews said. “We’re having a great time playing with each other right now.”
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