BUFFALO SABRES NOTES:
LAST GAME
Tuesday, Dec. 13
Los Angeles 0 at Buffalo 6
Goals: Thompson (2), Olofsson, Peterka, Tuch, Krebs
Goalie: Anderson (40 saves/40 shots)
PP: 3/6; PK: 3/3; Shots: Los Angeles 40 – Buffalo 31
CURRENT INJURIES – (Man Games Lost: 73)
Player (injury, first game missed) – total games missed
Eric Comrie (Lower body, Nov. 19; IR) – 12 games
Ilya Lyubushkin (Lower body, Nov. 30; IR) – 7 games
Vinnie Hinostroza (Undisclosed, Dec. 4; IR) – 5 games
Henri Jokiharju (Lower body, Dec. 10; IR) – 2 games
TRANSACTIONS IN PAST SEVEN DAYS
12/10: Recalled D Kale Clague and F Brett Murray from Rochester (AHL); Placed D Henri Jokiharju and F Vinnie Hinostroza on IR
12/11: Loaned F Brett Murray to Rochester (AHL)
UPCOMING GAMES
Saturday, Dec. 17: Buffalo at Arizona, 9 p.m.
Monday, Dec. 19: Buffalo at Vegas, 10 p.m.
Friday, Dec. 23: Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
Tuesday, Dec. 27: Buffalo at Columbus, 7:30 p.m.
Thursday, Dec. 29: Detroit at Buffalo, 7 p.m.
TONIGHT’S GAME
SABRES at AVALANCHE
• This is the second and final meeting between the Sabres and the Avalanche this season.
• Last meeting: Colorado defeated Buffalo 6-4 in Buffalo on Dec. 1, 2022.
• The Sabres are 1-9-0 in their last 10 games against the Avalanche; 1-7-2 on the road.
• This is the 151st game all-time between Buffalo and Colorado; Buffalo has a 62-64-24 series record.
• The Sabres are 24-38-13 on the road against the Avalanche all-time.
THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW
• Each of the last 17 games between the Avalanche and the Sabres has been decided in regulation.
• Tage Thompson has recorded 41 points (22+19) in his last 22 games.
• Thompson has recorded six points (4+2) in his last two games against Colorado, recording three in each game.
• Dylan Cozens has tallied 22 points (6+16) in his last 16 games.
• Cozens has recorded four points (2+2) in three games against the Avalanche in his career.
• Rasmus Dahlin has recorded 16 points (2+14) in his last 14 games.
• A point in tonight’s game would give Dahlin a three-game point streak against Colorado.
• In his last 12 games, Jack Quinn owns 12 points (5+7).
• Victor Olofsson has recorded a goal in two of his last three games, tallying three points (2+1) in that span.
• Alex Tuch has notched 19 points (7+12) in his last 14 games.
ARE YOU FEELING IT NOW, MR. KREBS?
• Peyton Krebs has recorded a goal in three of his last four games, including one goal in each of his last two.
• A goal in tonight’s game would mark the first time in Krebs’ career that he has tallied a goal in three consecutive games.
• Krebs has scored on 50 percent of his shots in his last four games, the highest shooting percentage among Buffalo skaters in that span.
• Krebs is one of two Sabres skaters who have recorded at least three goals at 5-on-5 in the team’s last four games (Tage Thompson, 3).
• Per Natural Stat Trick, in Buffalo’s last four games, Krebs (4) is second to only Thompson (6) in individual high-danger chances for at 5-on-5.
• In that span, Krebs ranks 11th among all Sabres skaters in ice time at 5-on-5.
POWDER CRAIG
• Following his 40-save shutout on Dec. 13, Craig Anderson is tied for the most shutouts with 40 or more saves (6) among NHL goaltenders since the NHL began tracking shots in 1955-56.
• Anderson has made 40 or more saves in three of his last four starts.
• Anderson owns a save percentage of .922 in road games in 2022-23.
ICE TAGE
• Tage Thompson (29 games played) is tied for the fourth-most goals scored (23) by a Sabres skater in their first 30 games of a season.
• A goal in tonight’s game would move Thompson into a tie for third with Thomas Vanek, and two goals would give him sole possession of third place.
Currently, only Alexander Mogilny (30 in 1992-93), Pat LaFontaine (29 in 1991-92) and Vanek (24 in 2008-09) have scored more goals than Thompson in their first 30 games of a season with the Sabres.
• Tage Thompson was named the NHL’s Second Star for the week ending Dec. 11.
• Thompson recorded seven points (5+2) in three games in that span.
• Thompson is one of nine skaters in NHL history who have recorded multiple games of three or more goals and six or more points in a single season.
• Thompson is the second skater in Sabres history to record multiple six-point games in a single season (Pat LaFontaine, 1991-92). He is the only Sabres skater to accomplish the feat within the team’s first 26 games.
• Through Buffalo’s first 29 games, Thompson is on pace for 125 points and would become just the third Sabres skater to record 125 or more points in a single season (Pat LaFontaine, 148 points in 1992-93; Alexander Mogilny, 127 points in 1992-93)
• Thompson is also on pace to score 65 goals in 2022-23, which would make him the second skater in franchise history to score 65 or more goals in a single season.
Alexander Mogilny’s 76 goals in 1992-93 is the only other instance of a Sabres skater recording more than 65 goals in a single season.
• Entering play on Wednesday and dating back to Oct. 29, Thompson was ranked first in the NHL in goals (22) and ranked second in points (41) and points per game (1.86).
• Thompson leads all Sabres skaters in goals (23), points (44), even-strength goals (11), even-strength points (24), points per game (1.52), shots (135) and power-play goals (11).
• Thompson has recorded more power-play goals in 29 games in 2022-23 (11) than he did in 78 games in 2021-22 (10).
• Thompson ranks first among all Sabres forwards in time on ice per game (18:45) and time on ice per shift (0:50).
• According to Natural Stat Trick, Thompson leads all Sabres skaters with 59 individual high-danger scoring chances and he also leads the team with 47 individual high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5.
• Entering play on Wednesday, Thompson ranked third among all NHL skaters with 135 shots on goal and was one of three NHL players who had recorded 135 or more shots in 2022-23.
• Thompson owned the highest shooting percentage (17.0) among the three skaters who had recorded 135 or more shots on goal.
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF
• Five Sabres skaters (Dylan Cozens, Rasmus Dahlin, Jeff Skinner, Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch) are currently scoring at a point per game pace or better through the team’s first 29 games.
• The Sabres have never had a season in which five or more players have recorded at least one point per game played (Min. 25 games played).
• The Sabres have converted on 29.2 percent of their power-play opportunities through their first 29 games of 2022-23.
• The current franchise record for power-play percentage in a single season is 24.5 percent, set in 2016-17.
• An NHL team has only recorded a power-play percentage of 29.2 percent or higher in a full season 6 times in NHL history.
• Buffalo currently owns a 5-on-5 shot attempts percentage of 52.8 percent, the highest mark by a Sabres team in a single season since the league began tracking the stat in 2009-10.
• Buffalo’s 3.93 goals scored per game is the highest by a Sabres team since the 1992-93 Sabres recorded 3.99 goals per game.
THE KIDS TABLE
• According to Natural Stat Trick, the line combination consisting of Dylan Cozens, JJ Peterka and Jack Quinn has produced 40 high-danger scoring chances and 92 scoring chances at 5-on-5 when playing together for the Sabres in 2022-23.
• All but five of the high-danger scoring chances they have created as a line have come at 5-on-5.
• Cozens (21), Peterka (20) and Quinn (21) are all 21 years of age or younger and entering play on Wednesday, Cozens and Quinn were both two of the eight NHL skaters aged 21 or younger who had recorded a point streak of five or more games in 2022-23.
• Quinn was one of two rookies who had recorded a point streak of six or more games this season.
• Quinn’s six-game point streak (Nov. 28 to Dec. 9, 2022) was the 34th point streak of six or more games by a Sabres skater aged 21 or younger and the first since Rasmus Dahlin recorded a six-game point streak from Feb. 9 to 22, 2020.
• At 5-on-5, the line’s expected goals for percentage is 62.03 and their corsi for percentage is 55.04.
• The line’s collective 5-on-5 corsi for percentage and 5-on-5 expected goals for percentage are higher than each individual member’s percentages without the other two.
• Entering play on Wednesday, Cozens ranked second in points (30) among NHL skaters aged 21 or younger.
• Cozens (Dec. 1 to 7, 2022) became one of 19 NHL skaters aged 21 or younger, and the first since Erik Karlsson (Jan. 20 to Feb. 25, 2012), to record three or more points in three consecutive games at least one time.
o Cozens has recorded three or more points on four occasions this season.
SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
• Buffalo is 8-1-0 in games in which Rasmus Dahlin records multiple points in 2022-23.
• Dahlin is on pace for 96 points this season, which would shatter Phil Housley’s single-season franchise points record by a Sabres defenseman (81).
• Dahlin would be the second defenseman in as many years to record 96 or more points in a single season (Roman Josi, 96).
• Entering play on Wednesday, among NHL defensemen, Dahlin ranked second in points per game (1.18), tied for second in goals (9), second in points (33), first in power-play points (18), tied for first in power-play goals (4), tied for fourth in assists (24), and fourth in time on ice per game (25:52).
• Dahlin has recorded a point in 22 of his 28 games played in 2022-23.
• Dahlin (724:04) is the only Sabres skater who has logged more than 700 minutes of ice time through the team’s first 29 games.
• Entering play on Wednesday, only five skaters in the NHL had skated more minutes than Dahlin in 2022-23.
AMERKS UPDATE
• Sean Malone’s goal on Saturday at Toronto tied the game at three with two minutes left in regulation, leading to Rochester’s shootout win.
• Malcom Subban recorded his third win of the season with 23 saves. He stopped five shots in overtime and all three attempts in the shootout.
• Jiri Kulich has been named to the preliminary roster for the Czech’s World Junior team, joining Noah Ostlund and Isak Rosen (Sweden) as Sabres prospects expected to play in the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship.
Upcoming Schedule:
• Friday, Dec. 16th at Charlotte Checkers, 7 p.m.
• Saturday, Dec. 17th at Charlotte Checkers, 6 p.m.
• Friday, Dec. 23rd vs. Syracuse Crunch, 7:05 p.m.
SABRES AMONG LEAGUE-LEADERS (Sabres’ league rankings before 12/14 games)
• Buffalo Sabres: 114 GF (1st), 3.93 GF/GP (1st), 29.2 PP% (2nd), 32.6 S/GP (10th)
• Rasmus Asplund: 1 SHG (T-9th)
• Dylan Cozens: 1 SHG (T-9th), 2 SHP (T-5th)
• Rasmus Dahlin: 25:52 TOI/GP (4th), 18 PPP (T-5th)
• Casey Mittelstadt: 1 SHG (T-9th)
• Victor Olofsson: 1 OTG (T-8th)
• Tage Thompson: 23 G (T-2nd), 44 P (3rd), 1.52 P/GP (3rd), 24 EVP (T-8th), 11 PPG (T-2nd), 19 PPP (T-3rd), 1 SHG (T-9th), 135 S (3rd)
• Alex Tuch: 4 GWG (T-4th)
SABRES REAL-TIME STATS LEADERS
Shots: Thompson (135), Dahlin (90), Skinner (84)
Hits: Dahlin (43), Samuelsson (38), Lyubushkin (36)
Blocked Shots: Dahlin (45), Bryson (38), Power (37)
SABRES’ RECORD IN 10 GAME SEGMENTS [W-L-OTL (PTS), GF/GA, PP, PK]
1-10: 7-3-0 (14), 43/28, 9/38, 25/32
11-20: 2-8-0 (4), 32/42, 12/42, 23/34
21-30: 4-3-2 (10), 39/33, 12/33, 24/33
OVERTIME RESULTS (1-2; 131-148 all-time)
Oct. 29 vs. CHI: W, 4-3 (GWG-Olofsson)
Nov. 28 vs. TBL: L, 6-5 (GWG-Stamkos)
Dec. 9 vs. PIT: L, 4-3 (GWG-Carter)
SHOOTOUT RESULTS (1-0; 85-77 all-time)
Nov. 30 at DET: W, 5-4 (GWG-Quinn)
COLORADO AVALANCHE NOTES:
UPCOMING GAMES
Date Opponent Time (MT) TV Radio
Thu, Dec 15 BUFFALO 7 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Sat, Dec. 17 NASHVILLE 7 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Mon, Dec. 19 NY ISLANDERS 7 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Wed, Dec. 21 MONTREAL 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5
Fri, Dec. 23 at Nashville 6 p.m. Altitude 92.5
- NHL HOLIDAY BREAK, Dec. 24-26 –
LAST GAME – Dec. 13 (Colorado 3, Philadelphia 2 at Ball Arena)
J.T. Compher and Artturi Lehkonen each had a goal and one assist to lead the Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers at Ball Arena … Devon Toews also scored for Colorado and Pavel Francouz made 26 saves.
SF: 25 SA: 28 PP: 0-3 PK: 2-2
TONIGHT’S GAME
COLORADO vs. BUFFALO
7:08 p.m.
Altitude / 92.5
TV: Marc Moser (play-by-play), Mark Rycroft (analyst), Katie Gaus (reporter)
Radio: Conor McGahey
The Colorado Avalanche continues their season-long, five-game homestand tonight against the Buffalo Sabres at Ball Arena… The Avs opened the five-game stay with a 3-2 victory over the Flyers on Tuesday … This homestand will also include visits from the Nashville Predators, New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens … The Avs are currently in a stretch that finds them playing seven of eight and 10 of 13 at home … The club will play every other day from Nov. 29 until the holiday break: 13 games in 25 days.
AVALANCHE & SABRES
The Avalanche and Sabres wrap up the season series with the second and final meeting of 2022-23 … Colorado won the first matchup 6-4 exactly two weeks ago (Dec. 1) in Buffalo … The Avalanche have won eight consecutive games in this series, tied for the club’s second-longest active win streak against any opponent (8-0-0 vs. Detroit, 9-0-0 vs. Los Angeles).
SCHEDULE vs. SABRES
Dec. 1 @ BUF (W, 6-4)
Dec. 15 vs. BUF
RECORD VS. SABRES
THIS SEASON 2021-22 ALL-TIME SINCE 1995-96
Overall: 1-0-0 Overall: 2-0-0 Overall: 68-60-22 Overall: 24-10-4
Home: 0-0-0 Home: 1-0-0 Home: 40-23-12 Home: 12-5-2
Road: 1-0-0 Road: 1-0-0 Road: 28-37-10 Road: 12-5-2
FIN-ISH WHAT YOU STARTED
Mikko Rantanen tallied his fifth career hat trick, including the tying score with 8.1 seconds left in regulation and the game-winning goal in overtime to finish Sunday’s victory in St. Louis … Rantanen became the second player in Avalanche history to complete a hat trick with an overtime goal, joining Valeri Kamensky on Jan 3, 1998 at Pittsburgh … Overall, he’s the fourth skater in franchise history to accomplish the feat, as two Quebec Nordiques did it during the 1992-93 season: Owen Nolan on Nov. 26, 1992 at Toronto and Scott Young on Dec. 12, 1992 at San Jose … Rantanen’s five hat tricks are tied for the sixth most in franchise history and the third most since the team relocated behind Joe Sakic (10) and Peter Forsberg (7).
CROWDED DRESSING ROOM
The Avalanche have used 35 players this season (33 skaters, two goalies), the most of any team in the NHL … Colorado used 39 players in each of the last two seasons, which tied the Avalanche record (since relocating) also set in 2010-11, 2003-04 and 1998-99 … Colorado’s injury list is now at 154 and climbing which puts them unofficially fourth in the league behind Washington (187), Philadelphia (171) and Columbus (162).
MOST PLAYERS USED, 2022-23
35 ….. Colorado
34 ……Columbus
33 ……Toronto
30 ……Vancouver
DAYDREAM BELIEVER
Sunday afternoon’s 3-2 victory over the Blues was the Avalanche’s first of nine daytime contests season … The schedule originally called for 10 afternoon matchups but the Nov 25th game in Nashville was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena … Following Sunday’s win the Avalanche are now 14-3-1 (.806) in day games since the start of the 2019-20 season, the second highest points percentage in afternoon contests during that span behind only Carolina (19-3- 2, .833) … The Avs finished 5-1-0 in day games last year, 3-0-0 at home.
THAT’S THE POWER OF LOVE
Colorado ranks fourth in the NHL in power-play percentage at 28.1% (27-96) … The Avalanche had the NHL’s top-ranked power play for 55 consecutive days from Oct. 15–Dec. 9 … The Avs are 12-5-1 when scoring a PPG this year, 3-5-1 when failing to do so … Colorado tallied a power-play goal in a season-high eight consecutive games from Oct. 29–Nov. 26 … The Avalanche’s power play scored at a 32.8% clip during the 2022 playoffs, the highest rate on record (since 1977-78) by an NHL team that played at least 20 games … During the 2021-22 regular season, Colorado finished seventh in power-play percentage (24.0%) and led all teams in power-play goals (67).
REVERSE RETRO JERSEY
The Avalanche are 2-0-0 in their adidas Reverse Retro 2022 ADIZERO jerseys … Colorado will wear the RR jersey four times this season: Nov. 26 vs. Dallas (W, 4-1), Dec. 11 at St. Louis (W, 3-2 OT), Dec. 29 vs. Los Angeles and Jan. 2 vs. Vegas … The 2022 Colorado Avalanche Reverse Retro uniform pays tribute to its home state by incorporating colors of the Colorado flag while reintroducing the original jersey design donned in the 1995 inaugural season.
ALL HAIL CALE
Cale Makar recorded his 200th career point on Nov. 21 in Dallas, reaching the milestone faster than any defenseman in NHL history (195th game) … He appeared in his 200th career NHL game on Dec. 3 at Boston, with his 203 career points at the time the most ever by a defender through 200 contests … Among defensemen who appeared in at least 200 games during their career, only Makar (1.00), Bobby Orr (1.39) and Paul Coffey (1.09) averaged at least a point-per-game … Cale is tied for sixth among NHL blueliners in scoring this season with 25 points (6g/19a) in 27 contests … He leads the entire NHL in ice time, averaging 26:55 minutes per game.
SONG SUNG BLUE(LINE)
Colorado’s defensemen have combined for 68 points (13g/55a) this year, which ranks eighth among NHL teams … The Avs defense produced 64 goals last season, a franchise record and the most by any team since the 1992-93 Capitals (94) … The Avalanche’s blueline also lead all teams in points with a franchise-record 238, the most since the 1995-96 Red Wings had 240 … Colorado’s defensemen finished with 69 points (18g/51a) during the playoffs, the most by any blueline in a four-round postseason since the 1984-85 Oilers (77).
ONE MONTH AT A TIME
Colorado finished 8-3-0 in November, the 23rd consecutive month that the Avs have posted a .500 or better record in… And 21 of those 23 months featured a winning record.
FINNISH FIREWORKS
Led by Nathan MacKinnon’s seven combined points (0g/7a) and Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick in the opener, the Avalanche swept the two-game NHL Global Series from the Blue Jackets in early November, out-scoring Columbus 11-4 … Colorado’s six goals in the 6-3 opening win set an NHL record for a single game outside of North America while the 11 combined goals were also the most over a two-game overseas series … Rantanen’s hat trick was just the third outside of North America in history, while MacKinnon’s four helpers that first night set a record for the most assists in a single game outside of North America … Alexandar Georgiev started and won both games, allowing four goals 71 shots (2.02 GAA, .944 Sv%) … His two victories already equal the record for career wins in games played overseas … MacKinnon’s seven assists and eight career
points (he had one goal in the 2017 Global Series in Sweden) are both records for games played outside North America.
POSTPONEMENT
The Avalanche and Predators game at Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 25 was postponed due to a water main break that significantly impacted the event level at the arena … The contest has been rescheduled for April 14 as Colorado’s final game of the regular season – it’s the second half of a back-to-back, the Avs play Winnipeg at home on April 13.
BACK-TO-BACK
The Avalanche will play 13 back-to-backs this season … They have competed in four back-to-backs so far, going 2-2-0 in the first game and 2-2-0 in the second … The Avalanche posted a 15-5-2 (.727) combined record in back-to-back games last season, the second-best mark behind Minnesota (.732, 19-6-3) … The Avs finished 7-3-1 in the first game and 8-2-1 in the second (.773), with only Tampa (10-0-2, .917) posting a better record in the second half of a back-to-back.
MILE HIGH MAINSTAY
Erik Johnson is in his 15th NHL season and 13th with the Avalanche … His 13 seasons rank fourth in franchise history behind only Joe Sakic (20), Adam Foote (17) and Milan Hejduk (14), with Foote the only other defenseman on that list … Johnson is the longest current tenured athlete of any of Denver’s four major sports teams, followed by Gabriel Landeskog and Rockies outfielder Charlie Blackmon (both 12 seasons).
ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH; AVS WIN STANLEY CUP
The Avalanche won their third Stanley Cup championship in 2022 following 1996 and 2001 … Colorado claimed its title by going 16-4 in the postseason, which included a pair of sweeps and defeating the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning in six games during the Final … The Avs became the sixth team to win a Cup with four or fewer postseason losses since 1987 when the NHL went to four rounds of best-of-seven … And of those six only one team had fewer losses, the 1988 Oilers (two) … The Avalanche did not lose consecutive games all playoffs.
ALL I DO IS WIN WIN WIN NO MATTER WHAT
The 2021-22 Avalanche equaled the NHL record for the most combined regular season/playoff wins with 72 (56 regular season, 16 playoff), a feat only three teams in NHL history had achieved before … The 2021-22 Avalanche joined the 1995- 96 Red Wings, 1983-84 Oilers and 1976-77 Canadiens on that list.
RECORD REGULAR SEASON
The 2021-22 Avalanche set a franchise record with 56 wins and 119 points en route to winning their second straight division title and 11th since moving to Denver (13th in franchise history) … It marked the club’s first back-to-back division championships since their NHL-record run of nine straight from 1994-95 to 2002-03 … The Avs clinched the conference’s top spot despite facing a 10-point deficit behind the No. 1 seed on Dec. 3 … The last team to win their conference after overcoming a deficit of 10 or more points was the Rangers in 2014-15 (13) … After sweeping a back-to-back from Arizona on Jan. 15, the Avalanche remained in first place in the West over the final 106 days of the regular season … During a span of over two months from Feb 10–April 19, Colorado was first in the entire NHL for all but one day (68 out of 69)
TAKE ME HOME TONIGHT
The 2021-22 Avalanche posted their best home season in franchise history with a 32-5-4 record (68 points) … Colorado tied Florida for the league lead in home points, ending with the most home points in the NHL for the second straight season after tying Pittsburgh with 46 in 2020-21 … The Avs posted an 18-game home winning streak from Nov. 11–Jan. 30, the fifth longest run in NHL history, and had a franchise record 22-game home point streak (20-0-2) from Oct. 30–Feb. 10.
AINT NO MOUNTAIN HIGH, AINT NO VALLEY LOW
Colorado’s Stanley Cup championship came five years after a last-place finish in 2016-17 …. The Avs became the fifth team in the expansion era (1967-68) to win a title within five years of a last place finish and the first since the 2009 Penguins … Colorado won the Presidents’ Trophy the previous year in 2020-21, becoming the first NHL team to go from worst to first overall in four seasons or less since the Bruins in 1970-71.
DOWN BUT NEVER OUT
Ten of the Avalanche’s wins during the 2022 postseason were earned in come-from-behind fashion, including four third-period comebacks … Colorado’s 10 comeback wins tied the 2009 Penguins for the most in NHL history … The Avs trailed in all four of their series-clinching victories, the first team in NHL history to do so.
ROAD, SWEET ROAD
The Avalanche finished a league-best 9-1 on the road during the 2022 postseason, tied for the fewest road losses by a Stanley Cup champion since 1987 (the 2012 Kings and 1995 Devils were both 10-1) … Colorado earned all four series-clinching wins on the road.
MAGIC YEAR FOR MAKAR
After becoming the first player in franchise history to win the Norris Trophy in 2021-22, Makar followed that up by winning the 2022 Conn Smythe as playoff MVP … At 23 years, 239 days, he became the youngest defenseman in 52 years to win the Conn Smythe and just the third overall to do so at age 23 or younger, joining Bobby Orr with the 1970 Bruins (22 years, 51 days) and Serge Savard with the 1969 Canadiens (23 years, 102 days) … Makar won the Conn Smythe just five days after receiving his first Norris Trophy … He became the third player to win both awards in the same season, following Orr in 1970 and Nicklas Lidstrom in 2002 … Makar led the Avalanche and all NHL defensemen with 29 points (8g/21a) in 20 games, the fourth-highest total by a defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoff history behind Paul Coffey (37) with the 1985 Oilers, Brian Leetch (34) with the 1994 Rangers and Al MacInnis (31) with the 1989 Flames.
IN BEDNAR WE TRUST
Jared Bednar is in his seventh season as the Avalanche’s head coach … Hired on Aug. 25, 2016, he is the third-longest tenured coach in the NHL behind Jon Cooper (March 25, 2013) and Mike Sullivan (Dec. 12, 2015) … Jared led the 2021-22 Avalanche to their most successful regular season in franchise history (56-19-7, 119 points) and continued that into the postseason with a 16-4 playoff mark en route to capturing the 2022 Stanley Cup … Bednar, who won a Calder Cup with the Lake Erie Monsters in 2016 and a Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2009, became the first individual to win a championship in the NHL, AHL and ECHL as a head coach … He is the winningest coach in Avalanche history with a 255-178- 48 (.580) regular season record … Bednar owns a 40-22-1 (.635) record in 63 postseason games, the best playoff winning percentage among active coaches and the third highest all time (min 50 GP) behind Glen Sather (.706) and Toe Blake (.689).
SUPER JOE ACHIEVES RARE FIRST
General Manager (now President) Joe Sakic, who captained the Avalanche to a pair of titles in 1996 and 2001, became the first individual in league history to win a Stanley Cup as a captain and GM with the same organization … He was just the third to win a championship as a player and general manager with the same franchise, joining Serge Savard of the Canadiens and Milt Schmidt of the Bruins.
TIP OF CAP
Gabriel Landeskog enters his 12th NHL season and 11th as team captain … Landeskog was the youngest captain in NHL history when he assumed the role at 19 years, 286 days on Sept. 4, 2012, a title he held for four years before Connor McDavid was given the ‘C’ by Edmonton at 19 years, 266 days on Oct. 5, 2016 … Landeskog is the second-longest serving captain in franchise history behind only Joe Sakic (17 seasons, 16 consecutive) … Only three players have been captain of their current teams longer:
Sidney Crosby (PIT) ………………… 16th season (since 2007-08)
Jonathan Toews (CHI) …………….. 15th season (since 2008-09)
Alex Ovechkin (WSH) ……………… 14th season (since 2009-10)
Gabriel Landeskog (COL) …………11th season (since 2012-13)
SCHEDULE NOTES
The Avs will play 26 games against their division foes, meeting Arizona, Dallas, Nashville, St. Louis Winnipeg four times each (two home/away) and Chicago (two home/one away) and Minnesota (one home/two away) three times apiece … Colorado will play 24 games versus the Pacific Division (three times each) and 32 against the Eastern Conference (one home/away).
