Avalanche Pile Up the Good Looks and Bury Calgary 5-2
Colorado beat Calgary 5-2, and the score was no fluke: the Avalanche simply got far better chances all night. Their looks were worth about 4.08 expected goals (how many goals the chances should produce, on average) against just 1.97 for the Flames, and Colorado scored five while allowing two.
Cale Makar was the obvious headline with four assists in 24:27 of ice time, while partner Devon Toews added two more helpers. But the finishing came from up front: Artturi Lehkonen scored twice on four shots, and Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, who played on a line with Lehkonen, each had a goal and an assist. Brock Nelson generated the best individual chances on the team and cashed one.
The Avalanche outshot Calgary 36-27 and won 60.8% of faceoffs. Arsenii Sergeev made 31 saves but let in five, about what those chances deserved. At the other end, Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 25 of 27. Nobody rang the iron. For a 7-5-1 club that's 5-1-1 at home, this was a clean, earned win.
