Denver Gazette reporter Kyle Fredrickson takes us inside the NHL and the Colorado Avalanche.
What they're saying
“We just got one win, that's it. It doesn't matter if we get eight points or one point. We've got to go to Florida, do our job and bring them back to Alberta.”
—Oilers center Connor McDavid After taking the game to Game 5 against the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals.
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What I think
—Edmonton isn't going to go down without a fight. The Oilers avoided the sweep with an 8-1 victory in Game 4 on Saturday night, a surprising result considering they only scored four goals combined in the first three games of the series. But it's just one step. Despite being down 3-1, Edmonton is taking the right approach game by game to keep their Cup hopes alive.
–Connor McDavid may not win the Hart Trophy in a few weeks, but he continues to redefine modern NHL greatness. His three assists in Game 4 brought his playoff assist total to 32, the most in a single postseason in NHL history. McDavid surpassed Wayne Gretzky and ushered in a new era of playoff greatness. But does his recent hockey exploits fall short of a championship?
—Let's face it. Edmonton isn't going to win the Stanley Cup. Game 4 was just a blip on Florida's path to victory. The Panthers are far better than any other team in these NHL playoffs. It'll take a determined effort to shut up the Oilers in Game 5 on Tuesday. Expect Florida to pull out a win sooner than later.
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What I'm Reading
–Panthers starting goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is one win away from a shot at the Hockey Hall of Fame, Sportsnet's Adam Vinyan writes. Bobrovsky already has two Vezina Trophies. A Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy? That would be the highlight of an illustrious NHL career.
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what's happening
— The Avalanche announced Thursday that they signed forward Jelle Inala to a one-year, entry-level contract. The 26-year-old Inala played the past two seasons in the Swedish Hockey League (Floranda), where he earned 54 points and has appeared in three world championships with Finland. Inala is likely to be a starter for the Colorado Eagles (AHL) next season.
— Avalanche director of amateur scouting Wade Klippenstein has left the team. It will be officially announced on July 1 that Klippenstein will take on the role of director of hockey development for the Notre Dame Hockey Hounds (Junior A). From Notre Dame's social media accounts.
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NHL Insider
The NHL will expand into a new market next season with a partnership with the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City, and here are five things to know about the Avalanche's new opponent.
1. A lame name is temporary
The inaugural season will feature jerseys that simply say “UTAH” on the front. Think of this as a soft launch before a full-fledged brand is established. An official name will be chosen before the 2025-26 season. The following names are still in the running: Yeti, Outlaws, Blizzard, Venom and Utah Hockey Club.
2. The color scheme is decided
The club announced last week that they will use rock black, salt white and mountain blue as their primary colors, which is a good start. But until the logo and mascot are revealed, it's hard to imagine how it will all fit together. It looks like it's going to take Utah a while to get things moving in the right direction.
3. It's essentially a reboot of Coyote.
This isn't a true NHL expansion. Utah is buying the Coyotes franchise, players and hockey operations. Coyotes owner Alex Moreno will keep the team's “intellectual property” after the sale. That means Arizona could potentially return to the NHL (once it clears the long-running arena-building hurdle).
4. New ownership group brings sporting experience
Smith Entertainment Group owns the Utah Jazz (NBA) and is also a co-owner of Real Salt Lake (MLS) and the Utah Royals (NWSL), a portfolio that should add stability to the new NHL franchise after some uncertainty in Arizona.
5. It seems like a natural rivalry for the Avalanche.
It's about a 500-mile drive between Denver and Salt Lake City. The Avalanche haven't had a true rival since the Red Wings. If Utah has a breakout win, they could play hockey bad boys against Colorado. But these things can't be forced. Good rivalries happen naturally.
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list
The top goal scorers in the NHL playoffs heading into Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.
1. Zach Hyman (Oilers) — 14
T-2. Leon Draisaitl (Oilers), Wyatt Johnston (Stars), Carter Verhaeghe (Panthers) — 10
T-5. Sam Reinhart (Panthers), Valery Nichushkin (Avalanche) — 9
T-7. Chris Kreider (Rangers), Alexis Lafreniere (Rangers), Vincent Trocheck (Rangers) — 8
T-10. Aleksander Barkov (Panthers), Sam Bennett (Panthers), Brock Boeser (Canucks), Ryan Nugent-Hopkins — 7
