In what can only be another cruel twist of fate for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, a castaway put on one heck of a performance, stopping the NHL's best team, the Colorado Avalanche. On Wednesday night, former Maple Leafs PTO invitee James Reimer stymied the Colorado Avalanche en route to a 5-2 win. Reimer, now a member of the Ottawa Senators, stopped 16 shots in what was arguably one of the worst showings for the Avalanche this season.
For two periods this afternoon, the Capitals actually hung with the league-leading Avalanche - largely thanks to a stand-up performance by Charlie Lindgren. That was the case really until Artturi Lehkonen's goal late in the third, when it became clear that the Caps just didn't have the firepower to match Colorado punch for punch. Plus: They won a goalie interference challenge for the first time since color TV was invented.
They're very good at home. Obviously, if you just look at their record, it is a great team over there. They have some really high-end players. We all know that. They play a very fast game. Their defensemen are very active. They skate really well; it's a good skating team over there, and their top line is very dangerous. We know that. MacKinnon is a great player.
The Colorado Avalanche are on a roll and heading into the second half of the season and have an opportunity to stand among the league's elite in history. With only three losses through 41 gzames, Colorado leads the league with 69 points. They have a chance to end the season with the most points in a season in NHL history.
"I think it's a good confidence piece for us right now to be able to win these games," Makar said. "Being able to win in all these different ways is good for us. But again, we want to keep building it at this point of the season."
With the Colorado Avalanche, the main stars of the show are Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. However, a new young star has made his presence known and he is making big plays. Forward Gavin Brindley is in his first year with the Colorado Avalanche but he is already fitting in nicely. A player with relentless energy, he is showing that he can be a reliable bottom-six player who shows up in big games. While he is still young, he is proving he belongs in Colorado.
Getting a new deal done for Necas was a priority with the 26-year-old in the second season of a two-year bridge deal that was worth $6.5 million annually. Necas' new contract, which starts next season, will see him earn $11.5 million annually, a source told ESPN's Emily Kaplan. The source also said that Necas will have $60.4 million in signing bonuses while having a full no-trade clause in the first seven years of the deal.
A hipster picker's nightmare, indeed. As is tradition, I revealed my Stanley Cup selection to a member of that team while at the player media tour in Las Vegas: Me: I wanted to inform you that I'm picking you guys to win the Stanley Cup. Avalanche star Cale Makar: I appreciate that. Me: I also wanted to inform you that I'm not good at making Stanley Cup predictions. Makar: Well, we'll prove that wrong, hopefully.
