Colorado Extends Streak With Grind Out Victory

It wasn't a perfect game for the Colorado Avalanche against a tough Columbus Blue Jackets squad, and it didn't have to be.
The Avs played solid defensively, were patient for their own scoring chances and found a way to pick up their fourth straight win Thursday night with a 2-0 shutout victory at Pepsi Center.

Colorado was outshot 35-32, but the club received a timely power-play goal from Mikko Rantanen in the second period and got another strong performance from the penalty-kill unit (going 3-for-3 in disadvantage situations) in the win. The Avs also did enough in front of Jonathan Bernier to allow the goaltender to see outside shots and clear loose pucks when in harm's way.
"It's a real strong work ethic on that team, they check hard. They play their system well," said Colorado head coach Jared Bednar of Columbus. "So we had to match that work ethic and compete level on pucks, and I thought we did that, especially early in the game. And then we found a way to win the special-teams battle again tonight, one power-play goal and the PK steps up… I think we're moving in the right direction. There is still a lot of work to do and a lot of areas that we can improve, but we just have to keep picking spots and working on our game."
The Avalanche's four-game winning streak is the club's longest in nearly two years, as it last won four in a row Jan. 18-23, 2016. The team has been on a nice run for the past four weeks, posting a 9-3-1 record in its last 13 contests. It also has the best mark of any Central Division team in its last 10 games with a 7-2-1 record.

Colorado improved to 4-1-0 on its six-game, season-long homestand, which wraps up on Saturday versus the Minnesota Wild.
The Avs players stressed the importance of taking care of business prior to the start of this current homestay and stretch where they play 12 of 15 at Pepsi Center, and so far they're doing just that.
"We knew this homestand was big, especially before the break," said Bernier, who made 17 saves in the third period to keep Colorado ahead versus a determined Columbus team. "We have one more, and we have to make sure we're ready for Saturday."
The Avalanche is sixth in league scoring, averaging 3.17 goals per game, but the team is starting to figure out how to win the close-scoring, grinding-out type of contests. Colorado is now 6-4-0 in two-goal games and entered the evening 7-5-3 when the outing is decided by just one marker.
"I think we can get even more confidence from that, knowing that we can play these tight games. Because going down the stretch, that's the way it's going to be," said defenseman Mark Barberio. "Going into the playoffs, the games get tighter. The teams know their systems well, special teams become huge and playing well defensively becomes even more important."

There are still 42 games before the NHL postseason begins, and a lot can happen between now the season finale on April 7.
The Avs appear to know that and are taking the even-keel approach as they continue to steadily pick up points and slowly climb in the standings.
"It's part of a good team. That is what you need to do if you want to make the playoffs. You have to win, get a streak going and win some games in a row," Rantanen said. "We're four or five games above .500, I'm not sure. It's looking good, but we can't get too comfortable."

Colorado has beaten tough opponents on this homestand, with its four victories coming against clubs either in a playoff spot or just a few points out. The final contest on Saturday won't be any different versus the rival Wild, which is 4-1-0 in its last five games and two points ahead of the Avalanche for the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
"They are a team that just got healthy and are starting to fire on all cylinders here," Bednar said of Minnesota. "I think they won again tonight. It's a big test for us. It's a team that was on top last year, and they're in our division, and we got to beat these teams in our division if we want to climb in the standings."

NOT A BAD NIGHT

Jonathan Bernier stopped all 35 shots to earn his second shutout of the season and 16th of his career, but the Colorado Avalanche goaltender said he didn't think it was one of his better performances of the campaign.
"I thought I was giving up a lot of rebounds," Bernier said. "It was just one of those nights, it's hard to find the puck and you're just trying to be in a good position, seal the bottom and things like that. I don't think I was as sharp as in a lot of games I've played this year."
Head coach Jared Bednar seemed to disagree with his goalie's assessment of his play, noting Bernier's smart decision-making was key to limiting secondary scoring chances.
"They throw pucks from all kinds of angles and then they get traffic in there, and I thought Berns did a real nice job of making the first save and then either smothering the puck or using his stick to clear it," Bednar said. "There were numerous ones that were laying there and he got active with his hands and cleared pucks into the corner. Kept it out of the danger area, which is really important, especially the way they crash the net."

The outing was Bernier's third in a row after he started on Sunday versus the New York Islanders and then came in relief on Tuesday against the Winnipeg Jets after starter Semyon Varlamov left in the second period with a lower-body injury. Varlamov is listed as day-to-day and is doubtful to play in the homestand finale on Saturday.
Bernier's first shutout with the Avs came in a 28-save night on Nov. 22 against the Dallas Stars. He is now 3-1-0 in his last four decisions and 6-3-1 in his last 10 appearances.

RANTANEN PILING ON THE POINTS

Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist against Columbus to pick up his second-straight multi-point game and increase his season point total to 38.
It is the first time in Rantanen's young career that he has had more than one point in two consecutive contests. He now has five in the two-game span after registering a goal and two helpers on Tuesday versus the Winnipeg Jets.
"My linemates are helping me a lot," Rantanen said. "That's the biggest thing. You can't play well if you don't have good linemates. We do, so they're helping me a lot."
Rantanen, who has five goals and eight assists in his last 10 games, matched his season total from last year with his two-point night on Thursday. He had 20 goals and 18 assists in 75 contests during his rookie campaign in 2016-17.