Colorado Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has been searching and searching for the right combination on the second line for months now. He might have found one on Saturday afternoon in a trio he hadn't really given a look to this season.
The group of Artturi Lehkonen, Jonathan Drouin, and Casey Mittelstadt, who had played just four minutes together this season, got a chance to show they can be a combination Bednar can count on behind Nathan MacKinnon's line. They took advantage of that opportunity in Colorado's big 6-3 win over the Dallas Stars.
Mittelstadt entered the game with just three points in his last 12 games. That's how many points he finished with in 60 minutes against the Stars. A win like this shows just how important he could be for this team down the stretch.
"A guy like Casey, he wants to produce," Bednar said after the game. "He knows that's part of his identity, part of his job. He expects to produce on a nightly basis, but you've got to do the right things with and without the puck. He's been on a slow build for a couple games."
His line mates weren't too shabby either. Drouin, who has been in and out of the lineup due to injury, finished the night with three points of his own, including a goal on a beautiful shot late in the second period.
The other guy on the line is Mr. Everything for this team. If Bednar could build a model hockey player, it might just be Artturi Lehkonen. The Finnish winger ended the afternoon with a team-high four points and is scoring at a 42 goal pace over the course of a full season.
None of that surprises his coach.
"He's really consistent, repetitive of the way he plays and how he goes to the net, and some of the things that he does away from the puck that create space for other people," Bednar said of Lehkonen.
The other star of the night was defenseman Cale Makar, but the Avalanche organization (and fans) could be holding their breath over the next few days to see how he's doing. Makar blocked a shot with his left foot in the second period and exited the game for a decent chunk of time. He returned in the third period but appeared not fully comfortable, as he wouldn't sit down on the bench and spent most of the time stretching himself.
That didn't stop him from scoring his second goal of the afternoon late in the third to put an end to any Dallas comeback attempt. His first goal, which snapped a long power play drought for the Avalanche, was the 100th of his young career.
Makar wasn't available to speak after the game, but his coach said what many around the hockey world already believe.
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"I'm a little biased, but you’re watching one of the best defensemen that’s ever played the game," Bednar said.
The Avalanche hope that foot of his doesn't swell up over the next few days and force him to miss any time.
Avalanche 6, Stars 3
What happened: After giving up an early goal, Colorado scored five unanswered to win the crucial Central Division matchup.
What went right: The Avalanche, when they're on their game, are a volume shooting team, but that hasn't been the case of late. They got back to their identity on Saturday afternoon, peppering Casey DeSmith with 36 shots. A lot of that is because they had a second line providing consistent pressure in the offensive zone.
"We were just on the same page, in the right spots at the right time," Jonathan Drouin said after the game. "We were kind of seeing the game at the same speed, same time."
What went wrong: Colorado's power play finally broke through, but it ultimately lost the special teams battle as the Stars scored two power play goals of their own. Josh Manson found himself in the box twice for two holding calls that looked almost identical.
Between the pipes: Scott Wedgewood played his first game in over two weeks, stopping 26 of the 29 shots he faced. He probably isn't happy with any of the three goals he gave up, two of which came on shots below the goal line, but he did make some big saves early in the second period.
What's next: Another afternoon affair on Monday against the Minnesota Wild. That game starts at 1 p.m.
