Francois Beauchemin scored with 32 seconds left to give the Avalanche a 2-1 victory, their 5th win in the past six home games. On a night when much of the attention was on the return of Ryan O'Reilly, Colorado's young talent shone brightly and got major contributions from its most tenured veterans.
If you're a fan of sloppy neutral zone passing and the general avoidance of entering the zone with possession, this 1st Period was for you. Both teams struggled for most of the period to maintain control and take meaningful shots.