Colorado Avalanche netminder Justus Annunen looked solid in the team’s 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights.
Colorado Avalanche netminder Justus Annunen looked solid in the team’s 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. / Matthew Stockman/GettyImages
The Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights to notch their first preseason win on Thursday night at T-Mobile Arena.
Jonathan Drouin and Sam Malinski scored, with Logan O’Connor adding an empty-netter. Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights on the power play. The win was an encouraging full 60-minute effort that shows what the Avs are capable of.
With that in mind, here’s a look at some key notes from the Colorado Avalanche’s first preseason win.
Some notes from the Colorado Avalanche’s win on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights
The kids did very well
Calum Ritchie, Sam Malinski, and Ivan Ivan impressed in the game. Ritchie assisted on Drouin’s goal in the first period. Malinski scored in the second with a nasty wrister that made it through traffic. Meanwhile, Ivan did not register on the scoresheet but looked solid on the ice.
All three players have a chance to make the team out of camp. Malinski could push for a job in the bottom pairing while Ritchie could get a look in the top six at some point. As for Ivan, he could draw somewhere in the bottom six, especially if injuries become an issue.
The real Annunen showed up
Justus Annunen has had a couple of not-so-convincing outings this preseason. However, he was solid on Thursday night, stopping 21 shots. Annunen made a couple of key saves when needed, keeping the Avs in the game.
