Avs Look to Continue Secondary Scoring versus Sharks

The Colorado Avalanche had 14 players factor into the scoring in its first matchup against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday, and the team will look to build on that performance tonight when it finishes its two-game set.
The Avs picked up a 7-3 win against the Sharks on Tuesday and were led offensively by Brandon Saad's two goals and Cale Makar's three assists. Mikko Rantanen also scored for the sixth straight game, and Joonas Donskoi, Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin and Devon Toews also found the back of the net as well.
"We've been kind of building over the first seven games at getting our team game in order, and I think we've done that and played pretty well even in a couple of the games that we lost. I think that's the main priority," head coach Jared Bednar said this morning.

Nichushkin's tally in the contest was the eventual game-winner and came after he forced a turnover in the neutral zone while the Avs were shorthanded.
"I thought he was great last game. The thing with Val is I notice right away if he is skating and he's tracking pucks and he's on pucks on the forecheck then generally his game follows in order and I end up liking him," Bednar said. "I think he's one of the best on our team at sustaining O-zone time by stripping pucks and getting on top of guys quickly in the offensive zone. Then when pucks turn over, he's one of the best guys on our team at sort of taking the early strides and doing the early work to be able to track guys down in the neutral zone, and when he does that, he starts getting scoring opportunities because he is putting teams in tough spots and his linemates are getting scoring opportunities. That's what we've seen from him here, especially last game I thought he was great."
The Avalanche's last two home games featured an 8-0 victory over St. Louis on Jan. 15 and that 7-3 win over the Sharks on Tuesday. It marked the first time since the franchise moved to Denver that the Avs have scored seven or more goals in consecutive home games.
Getting scoring throughout the lineup will be one of the keys for Colorado tonight and for the rest of the year.
"That's key to our success, that's how I see it. That's what we need, especially going further through the season and closer to the playoffs," Donskoi said of secondary scoring after Wednesday's practice. "We need all four lines going, we need all four lines scoring goals, and we haven't had that this season. I feel like [on Tuesday] for the first time, I feel like we got all the four lines going, but I think that's something that we need to improve going forward."

SAME OPPONENT, SAME LINEUP

The Avalanche will use the same lineup this evening as it did in the first meeting with San Jose, with Philipp Grubauer in the crease for the fourth straight game.
Kiefer Sherwood will play his second contest of the season after making his Avalanche debut on Tuesday. He had an assist in 9:58 of ice time in the victory, skating on a line with Tyson Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare. It was his first game since March 11 when he was a member of the Anaheim Ducks.
"He was awesome, I mean it's tough when you sit out for that long, it's probably his first game in a while," Jost said of Sherwood. "Came in and made an impact, and he was skating really well and he played a heavy game. He's got an awesome shot too. I liked what he brought to our line, he was a good addition. It's nice to see him come into the lineup and make a contribution."
Forward Matt Calvert is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury and goaltender Pavel Francouz remains out with a lower-body injury.

View: Avalanche vs. Sharks Projected Lineup

SOME GAME NOTES

Colorado is the only NHL team with two seven-plus goal efforts so far in 2020-21, as Dallas, Montreal and Vancouver each have with one such performance. It is just the third time in franchise history that Colorado/Quebec has recorded seven-plus goals multiple times through the first seven games of a campaign (also 1983-84 and 2005-06).
With a shot on goal tonight, Nathan MacKinnon would break Joe Sakic's franchise record for consecutive regular-season games with a shot. MacKinnon's streak of 227, which began on Oct. 14, 2017 at Dallas, is the longest current run in the NHL.
Mikko Rantanen has a six-game goal streak, longest of his career and the longest streak by an NHL player this season. He is the first Avalanche player to score in six-straight games since Nathan MacKinnon from Oct. 4-16, 2018.
Tonight is the 100th regular season meeting between the Avalanche and Sharks franchises. The Avs are 49-38-12 in 99 all-time games while the Sharks are 45- 43-11.

ONE TIMERS

Defenseman Bowen Byram on playing with Samuel Girard:
"I think we both think the game similarly. He moves his feet really well, which opens up space for himself and for me as well. I think we've been playing pretty well together. It's been a lot of fun. Hopefully we can keep that going tonight and toward the future."
Forward Tyson Jost on killing penalties:
"For forwards, we have to be aggressive and move our feet--that's something that's true to our identity and our PK--and create turnovers and not give their power play time to set up and feel comfortable, I think that's something that our forwards do a good job at is moving our feet. Really pressure them on the half-wall and just not give them time to set up plays and stuff like that. I killed through junior and college too, so I am comfortable doing it and I like the job I'm doing I just got to keep that up and our whole PK does."
Head coach Jared Bednar on Mikko Rantanen:
"I just think that he looks quick, he looks strong, he looks like there is a high level of determination in his game and then all the usual things. For me, one of the best abilities that he has is being able to play with guys on his back, meaning someone is coming to check him he spins off him and the guy is draped all over him and he's still able to control the puck and get his eyes up, make plays. In traffic, he is as good as they get, and I just think that's what we are seeing from him now. He is making plays in a bunch of different scenarios when guys are checking him and he's shooting the puck pretty well."