Sunday’s unstructured lineup turned into a polished parade for the Avalanche, and the beer-league look might also be used in Tuesday’s big game at Minnesota.
The Avs used one less forward (11) and an extra defenseman (seven) in defeating the New Jersey Devils 3-0 at the Pepsi Center, and the line combinations and defensive pairings changed as the game went on.
“There’s something about that, that just kind of takes you out of your routine,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after Monday’s optional practice.
Star center Nathan MacKinnon logged a team-high 22:02 Sunday, often playing with different wingers from shift to shift, and no defenseman reached 20 minutes of ice time — mostly because rookie blue-liner Ryan Graves was added to the mix.