Colorado Avalanche power play on fire due to impact of in-season acquisition
There is no team in the NHL currently hotter than the Colorado Avalanche. General manager Chris MacFarland made moves on and around the trade deadline, and they’ve paid off significantly thus far, as the Avalanche pull away from the pack and sit third in the central division.
No team wants to see the Avalanche in the playoffs. Their combination of lethal scoring, styming defense and brick-wall goaltending bode well on the chase for Lord Stanley, and MacFarland has helped them get there, adding plenty of depth this season.
The one move that’s paid off the biggest is the move that no one saw coming: trading Avalanche stalwart Mikko Rantanen for Martin Necas, among other players involved.
Necas was a star player for his previous team, Carolina, but has turned up the volume, being able to play with stars like Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon in the mile high city.
In 25 games wearing the burgundy and blue, Necas has 25 points—10 goals and 15 assists. His possession metrics are all career highs since he’s donned the Avalanche sweater, with a Corsi For rating of 66.3% and a Fenwick For rating of 65.7%, besting his previous career high by 1.4%.
The Czech forward has made his most impact on the Avalanche power play, already loaded with star players. Prior to Necas’ arrival, the Avs’ power play was sputtering (for them), cashing in at a 20.4% success rate. That’s a quality number for most teams in the league.
Since the insertion of Necas on the first unit, the power play has been hitting at an incredible 38.1% success rate, tops in the league. Sure, the Avalanche have also added players like Brock Nelson, maestro in front of the net on the power play, but Necas was added far prior to the deadline.
As the season moves towards the playoffs, special teams play a major factor in the tight checking realm the chase for the Stanley Cup brings. With the Avalanche near 40% since 88’s arrival, that bodes well for sustained success in the tournament.
To add to the sharpness of the Necas acquisition, he’s still under contract for another season, as he signed a two-year deal with Carolina prior to this season. It feels very likely that MacFarland won’t wait to sign Necas to a longer-term contract.
Although initial reactions were trepidatious, fans have come around to realizing MacFarland’s move may have helped the Avalanche move from meddling to stardom, as their outlook has changed drastically since the deadline.
Necas scores twice, PP flexes muscles as Colorado Avalanche shut out LA Kings
The Colorado Avalanche notched a dominant 4-0 win over the LA Kings on Thursday night a Ball Arena. The Avalanche, led by Martin Necas, pounded a Kings squad that had won four in a row heading into the clash against Colorado.
While the game was scoreless after 20 minutes, it was all Colorado in the second period. Logan O’Connor scored his ninth of the season to open the scoring.
Here’s a look at the goal:
The yeoman’s goal resulted from a nifty play by Cale Makar, allowing O’Connor to tap the puck in the back of the net. O’Connor deserves plenty of credit for fighting off the Kings’ defender in the back of the net to get the goal.
O’Connor’s goal stood as the game-winner. The Kings were unable to get much of anything going, eventually surrendering two more in the second.
Necas continues to roll
Martin Necas continues to roll in Colorado, blossoming into the player the Avalanche hoped he would become. On Thursday night, he notched three points (2G, 1A).
Necas’ keen eye allowed him to pick up the rebound off the boards and tuck the puck past David Rittich. The goal was Necas’ 25th of the season and gave the Avs a 2-0 lead.
Necas scored on a wicked one-timer, leaving Rittich practically no chance to make the save. The tally put the game out of reach for the Kings at 3-0 late in the second period. Necas added an assist on Jonathan Drouin’s power play goal in the third, giving him three points on the night.
Since joining the Avalanche, Necas has registered 10 goals and 15 assists in 24 games. That production is what the Avalanche hoped they would get from the Czech native.
Blackwood on fire
MacKenzie Blackwood was on fire against the Kings, stopping all 22 shots he faced. While Blackwood wasn’t forced to make overly challenging saves, he held the fort for his fourth shutout of the season.
Most importantly, Blackwood’s confidence continues to grow as the Avalanche gel into the team we all thought they would be at the start of this season.
Blackwood, along with Scott Wedgewood, has solidified the crease, turning a seeming weakness from a few months ago into a significant strength at this point in the season.
