VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Suddenly, the Avalanche’s strong starts are beginning to blur together enough to be forgotten.
“First time in a while we had a really good first period,” Mikko Rantanen said Wednesday in Calgary after a 3-0 frame led to a 4-1 win. The natural follow-up: Was there something Rantanen didn’t like about Colorado’s first periods in the previous two games, both of which ended with 2-0 leads? “Oh yeah, it was I guess,” he laughed. “Yeah, that was good. I forgot about those.”
Dominant starts being treated as no biggie felt unimaginable a week ago, but they’re fueling the Avalanche now.