There was plenty of talk about how the Colorado Avalanche bolstered their offensive depth in the offseason. It didn’t take long for the Avs to prove it.
It was only the first game of the season – and the first game for each of them in Colorado – but the third line of Miles Wood, Ross Colton, and Tomas Tatar looked like they’d been playing together for a while – combining for a goal and a couple assists in the season opener. That bodes well for Colorado, but this season opener was more than about scoring. The Avalanche needed some cohesion in the bottom six, and this successful start could be a forecast of things to come.
Wood Makes Early Impact
One of the best early signs for this third line came from Miles Wood. There was much more attention surrounding the trade that brought Ryan Johansen to Colorado, and the Wood signing probably had less buzz than the moves that brought Tatar and Colton, too. Known as a very speedy skater that can deliver some vicious hits, not much has been made about Wood’s offense. That could be changing with the change of scenery.
Wood has never scored 20 goals in a season, and his career high in points came six seasons ago when he notched 32 points as a 22-year-old with the New Jersey Devils. He played in 76 games last season, scoring just 13 goals – including just two in all of October. Wood looks like he’s going to make short work of some of those numbers, if the opener was any indication.
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Wood scored a third-period goal in the 5-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 11, ripping four shots on target in the win. He had just 13 games all season with four or more shots, and only one of those came in October. Again, this is only one game, but Wood has had some slow starts in his past few seasons in New Jersey. If he can turn a bit more offense on early, it’s only going to help propel him into more minutes.
Third Line Delivers More Than Offense
The goal from the third line was good to see, but that’s not exactly what those guys need to deliver every night. All of Colorado’s offensive superstars – including their standout defenseman – had a big night on the scoresheet. Mikko Rantanen piled up four points, Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, while Cale Makar notched a goal and an assist. However, the third line was also busy making things miserable for the Kings on the defensive end.
Colton and Tatar assisted on Wood’s goal in the opener, and that line managed around 10 minutes of ice time together. Colton and Wood both got a few minutes on the penalty kill – helping squash the Kings who went 0-for-5 with the man advantage. They all finished on the positive side of plus/minus, and Colton even got some time on the power play.
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All three of these guys have decent offensive resumes coming in, but the Avalanche need them to deliver on special teams, as well. The all-around game was there for the entire line, and that is something Colorado desperately needed a year ago. The three of them combined for five blocked shots in the victory, and they were able to work well together at both ends of the ice.
What’s Next for the Third Line
Keeping that cohesion together will be imperative for the bottom six lines, as Colorado opens the season with seven of its first 10 games on the road. This early part of the season was trouble for the Avalanche in 2022-23, as they dealt with some serious injuries in the first few games – including losing a red-hot Valeri Nichushkin for a couple months. There is a much slimmer margin of error on the road, particularly with a lot of new faces, so the season opener should be a big morale booster.
All eyes will clearly be on the centers behind MacKinnon throughout the early stages of the season – mainly because it was such a thin spot on last season’s roster. The best of those to fill in last season was J.T. Compher, and he turned his career year (35 assists and 52 points) into a new contract with the Detroit Red Wings. Adding Johansen and Colton will definitely help, and after one game, it looks like they are comfy in their new surroundings.
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Once again, it’s just the first game of the season, and there’s a long way to go. If the Avalanche can stay healthy and keep the depth that they were missing from a season ago, they might be able to make another deep run in the postseason. That would quickly help people forget about getting bounced in the first round of the playoffs last season. It’s a new season, and it’s a brand new situation for Wood, Colton, and Tatar, but they look like they’re getting comfortable already.
