Congratulations are in order for Colorado Avalanche forward T.J. Hughes. The 24-year-old scored his first career NHL goal, and it came while his former Michigan Wolverines were a few miles up the road at Magness Arena, laying a 4-1 beatdown on the same Denver Pioneers team that ended Hughes’ college career.
That second part isn’t quite good news for local Colorado fans. But it felt right for Hughes.
“I actually saw them yesterday at the hotel. They got here a day early,” Hughes said. “They usually travel a day before a game, but since it’s Denver, altitude, time change, they came a day early. Me and Gavin [Brindley] actually went to go see him for a little bit yesterday to say hi. Haven’t seen those boys in a while, so it was great to see them. It’s a little fitting [to score tonight] for sure.”
Hughes scored the fourth goal in a 5-2 Avalanche win after Colorado fell behind by two goals. He needed eight games to get his first, but you have to give him credit for sticking with it and not getting frustrated along the way. It’s a big moment for the rookie, and one that could help get him going offensively.
As for the rest of the Avs, it was a solid win and a great bounceback after an otherwise poor first period.
Also Read:Postgame: Avalanche Erase First-Period Deficit, Defeat Penguins 5-210 Takeaways
1. Jared Bednar also deserves a lot of credit for how he’s handled Hughes to this point. Scoring a goal doesn’t necessarily mean Hughes has made it. It doesn’t mean he’s a sure bet to become a full-time top-nine guy, nor does it guarantee he’ll be in the lineup every night from here on out. But it’s absolutely a step in that direction.
For all the offseason conversations about Bednar and the narrative that he refused to develop younger players over the last few years, he’s been extremely patient with Hughes. He didn’t demote him to the fourth line or take him off the top power-play unit while he worked through some offensive struggles. He let the kid build on some of the good habits he’d established and gave him the opportunity to earn that goal.
2. I asked Bednar about this postgame, and he eloquently explained why patience was important with this player.
“It’s my belief in him and what he’s shown me that he can be good at in this league,” Bednar said. “So it’s a little bit of a trust thing for me. Like, he’s been responsible on the defensive side, not perfect. But I see what he can provide for us offensively, so I have a belief in what I think he can do for us long term. I think it’s got to improve, so it’s a little bit of both when it comes down to it.
“He’s getting better incrementally, and you might not notice it every day. But I think you look at him 30 games in, he’s going to look different than he does right now. And he’s already a good player, so I think it’s a little give and take there.”
3. I’m not sure how many players get to score their first career goal with Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar picking up the assists. That’s quite the memorable box score for Hughes to look back on for the rest of his career.
4. Hughes’ tally came four seconds after Ben Kindel exited the penalty box. It wasn’t a power-play goal, but it was pretty close to one. I know a lot of people have questioned Hughes’ place on PP1 since the season began. I’ll admit, I’ve been one of them. But he brings a particular skill set and a different look that many of the other options don’t.
Bednar said Friday morning that new assistant coach Brett McLean would have full freedom to do as he pleases with the power play. I’m really interested in seeing how he deploys Hughes and whether the rookie remains on that top unit.
5. It was obviously nice to see MacKinnon break through on the man advantage in the third period. Colorado finished 1-for-4 on the power play, getting a much-needed 5-on-4 goal from the top unit on a vintage MacKinnon one-timer from the left circle — something that’s become less common to see over time.
“There are not a bunch of complaints after tonight. It was really good,” Bednar said of the power play. “I felt like it had a certain pace to it. We didn’t force things because people were in the right spots and sort of doing the early work to get open, and it was just good decision making, you know. And we’ll just keep working on it. But they look great tonight. I think it’s a great start to try and build off going into the next game and beyond.”
6.Artturi Lehkonen has only increased his value heading into his next NHL contract with how well he’s played to start the season. His two goals Friday brought him to six on the season, along with eight points in as many games. Lehkonen became the 13th player in the NHL to reach six goals this season.
7. I still struggle to figure out the Avalanche’s plan for Lehkonen beyond this season. He’s absolutely a big part of this team and a great complement to Martin Necas and MacKinnon on the top line. He still looks as good as he did in 2022 and in every year since. But he’ll also be 32 next season, and at some point, the Avs need to focus some of their money on younger players.
You could argue that they should trade other veterans and keep Lehkonen, and I wouldn’t necessarily disagree with you. But given where contracts have gone in recent months, you have to wonder what Lehkonen is asking for and how much Colorado can afford to pay him before the number becomes too much to fit into its salary-cap picture moving forward.
It’s certainly something to watch as the season unfolds. I look at games like Friday’s and the way Lehkonen scores his goals, and I can’t help but think this is something the Avs have to bite the bullet and do. What that means for other players, and the sacrifices they might have to make to get it done, is something the team can figure out between now and next September.
And before anyone asks, yes, Lehkonen’s injury history is certainly something the team has to keep in mind when considering an extension. To me, that’s another layer that complicates things.
8. Mackenzie Blackwood had great things to say about Lehkonen after the game. It’s a lot of what we all see from him and a big reason why he’s so vital to the team’s success.
“Art’s the unsung hero. He doesn’t get enough credit,” Blackwood said. “He goes to work every single day, gets to the spots nobody wants to go. Not a lot of credit, but everybody in here appreciates him, and he knows how much we value him.”
9. Blackwood got some fortunate bounces in this game to keep pucks out of the net. But he also locked in pretty well after the Avs went down by two goals. There were a few stretches in the first period when he had to make several saves to keep the Penguins from extending their lead. He also robbed Rickard Rakell on a breakaway in the second period and was excellent during another dominant Penguins shift midway through the third.
In total, Blackwood made 29 saves, bringing his save percentage to .890 on the season. Over his last two games, he’s stopped 53 of 57 shots. He’s 2-0 in those games and 4-2 on the season.
10. I’ve had a lot of people message me privately or ask in the comments why Logan O’Connor isn’t in the lineup despite being at morning skate, so I’ll answer that here.
When Nic Roy and Zachary L’Heureux both went down with injuries, the Avs didn’t have enough cap space to call up another player. To make room for Gavin Brindley, they placed O’Connor on long-term injured reserve, which provides cap relief and additional flexibility. The catch is that a player on LTIR must miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days before he can be reactivated.
Assuming O’Connor was placed on LTIR retroactive to opening night, he won’t be eligible to return until next Friday. That would mark Game No. 11 for the Avs, as well as the 24th day of the season.
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