SUNDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2021 | BALL ARENA, COLORADO AVALANCHE 3, FLORIDA PANTHERS 2
<TEAM NOTES>
The Avalanche improved to 5-0-1 in its last six games, 12-2-1 in its last 15 and 14-3-2 in its last 18 after starting
the season 2-4-0.
The Avs have won seven straight home contests, the ninth time in franchise history the club has recorded such
a streak on home ice. Colorado did it twice last season, going 9-0-0 from March 29 to May 13, 2021 and 7-0-0
from March 10-25, 2021.
Colorado and Florida wrapped up their two-game season series. The Avs finished 1-1-0 against the Panthers
with each team winning at home.
The Avalanche is 11-0-2 when scoring first this season. The New York Rangers and Edmonton Oilers are the only
other teams in the league without a regulation loss when scoring the game’s first goal in 2021-22.
<INDIVIDUAL NOTES>
Andre Burakovsky recorded his first career hat trick and the Avalanche’s second hat trick of the season (also:
Mikko Rantanen, Nov. 27 vs. Nashville). It was also Burakovsky’s second straight multi-goal game, the first time
in his career he as produced more than one goal in consecutive contests. He has scored five goals in his last two
games and now has 12 this season, tied with Rantanen and Cale Makar for the team lead.
Nathan MacKinnon has registered a point in every game he has played since returning from injury on Dec. 1,
extending his point streak to seven games. He has collected 12 points (3g/9a) over that stretch.
Mikko Rantanen recorded his 200th career assist with the helper on Andre Burakovsky’s second-period marker.
Rantanen is the fourth player from the 2015 NHL Draft class to hit 200 assists. Connor McDavid (408), Mitchell
Marner (270) and Jack Eichel (216) are the others. Rantanen finished with three points (3a) and now has 27
points (12g/15a) this season, tied with Gabriel Landeskog for second on the team.
Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar picked up his 200th win behind the Colorado bench, becoming the first
coach in Avalanche history and second in franchise history to reach that milestone (Michel Bergeron, 265).
<QUOTES>
Colorado LW Andre Burakovsky
On His First Career Hat Trick: “Obviously it felt great, I mean, getting my first one. I’ve been having a couple two-
goal games, but never really came through with the hat trick so it was nice to finally get one. I’m just happy to be producing for the team and help the team win games. Today was a lucky day for me.”
On Colorado RW Mikko Rantanen: “Mikko’s one of the best players in the league. I’m not surprised he’s making
plays. He’s doing it every game and every year, so you just want to be open and you’ll get the puck.”
Colorado D Erik Johnson
On His Goal-Saving Play: “When you have situations like that I think in the final minute, it’s all desperation right?
Those are the type of games that you need to win come playoff time and it’s fun. I mean, those are the competitive
moments you live for as a professional athlete, so those are just the fun situations at the end of the game trying to protect a lead at home. I just tried to be in the right spot. Thankfully, I was able to stop it from crossing the line.”
On The Hit Against Colorado D Jacob MacDonald: “That one felt like a whole different atmosphere when you’re like that, knocked out cold, so it’s just a tough thing to see. But I did like how we responded. We were really physical. Kubey (Colorado RW Nicolas Aube-Kubel) stepped up and dropped the gloves, guys were laying the body after that. It’s tough to continue on after something like that happens but we stuck together and hung in there and that’s the type of camaraderie and teammates that we have and that’s what we needed and we came together and found a way to win for Jake.”
Colorado G Darcy Kuemper
On Tonight’s Game: “We can’t score seven goals every game. These close competitive games, they are a little bit more fun, especially from my end to play in. That was a really good game of hockey tonight. You could see the urgency on both sides, both teams, and it was just a lot of fun to play in.”
On Colorado D Erik Johnson’s Goal-Saving Play: “I saw the replay. I actually thought that the puck was under me and then I saw the replay that it was his stick, so save of the game for sure.”
Florida C Joe Thornton
On Playing Colorado: “It’s a hard place to play, with the altitude. They got a good team, but I think we poured it on in the third period and it could’ve been a different result. Two good teams going at it.”
On The Atmosphere: “The fans were into it. The teams were both into it, especially in that third period, and the fans really got into it. It was a good atmosphere.”
Florida C Sam Bennett
On Tonight’s Game: “We’ve showed all year that we don’t quit. We push right until the end. It was a good job by us to tie it up and we came close in the end, but we couldn’t capitalize.”
On Takeaways From The Game: “The main thing is our fight and our push back. We never quit, we were sticking up for each other in the battles and in the fight the whole game. That’s all you can ask for from your teammates and from the guy sitting next to you, that’s great to see. That’s a positive for sure.”
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