Avalanche coach drops surprising criticism after doubleheader preseason sweep
Photo credit: NHL.com
The Colorado Avalanche came away with a 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth in their first preseason game, but despite the victory, there's still plenty of work to be done, as the team appeared sloppy at times.
They will need to tighten things up before the NHL season gets underway in two weeks.
Colorado Avalanche look sloppy despite getting first pre-season win over the Utah Mammoth.
Colleen Flynn of Colorado Hockey Now called the Avalanche's win good but very sloppy. While the result was a success, the team still has plenty to work on before the regular season begins.
Here's what Avalanche assistant coach Nolan Pratt had to say following his team's win.
"Sloppy early, and I thought we got better as it went on, but there's lots to work on,» «Our third period was good. I don't think we gave up very much, not to look at the shots, but it wasn't a whole lot. Penalty kill did a nice job at the end there. Better as it went, but plenty of work to do still." -Pratt
On the bright side, the top line of Artturi Lehkonen, Brock Nelson and Martin Necas looked great scoring all three goals for the team, and outshooting their opposing lines 10-4.
Despite Necas' solid performance, he believes he still has a lot of details to work on to sharpen his game.
"First you get out there, you just want to play. And then, shift after shift, you kind of realize little things you got to do. It's the little things, but at the end of the day, it matters." -Necas
Two other players to pay attention to were Sam Gagne and goaltender Trent Miner. Miner had a solid performance making 19 saves in 40 minutes of play. He will probably be Wedgewood's backup if Blackwood isn't ready to start the season.
Gagne also looked good, recording two shots on net and a plus-1 rating.
"I really liked what I've seen with him...he stood out to me tonight and made some nice plays defensively and with the puck as well." -Pratt
It's normal for some rough edges to show in the first preseason game. There's no need for concern after the Avalanche's win, and any rust should be gone by the start of the regular season in October.
Source:
Colorado Hockey Now
Avs Have 'Plenty Of Work To Do Still' After 1st Preseason Win At Ball Arena
Colorado Hockey Now
Avs Have 'Plenty Of Work To Do Still' After 1st Preseason Win At Ball Arena
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