Colorado Avalanche: 3 Best Players of the Preseason
As the Colorado Avalanche’s preseason winds down, three players are outshining the others. They clearly want to make a name on this team.
The Colorado Avalanche are unbeaten, at least in the preseason. I also predict they’ll have a strong start to the regular season — teams almost always start strong under a new coach.
Four games into the preseason, three players are already distinguishing themselves — one vet, one prospect and one PTO player. Let’s look at how solid these three players have been for the team.
Rene Bourque, PTO Winger
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Right wing Rene Bourque hilariously took out head coach John Tortorella in Columbus last year. I say it’s hilarious because the fiery Torty was good-natured about it. Yet Bourque was not really seen again with the Blue Jackets — jokes flew that the fiery Torts had “done away with” the winger.
Well, Rene Bourque is alive, and he’s well enough to be making a case for making the Colorado Avalanche on a PTO contract. He’s played in three of the four preseason games, and he has a goal and three assists to his name.
Bourque didn’t manage any points in the last game, against the Minnesota Wild, but he did have four shots on goal.
Bourque is a good-sized forward — 6-foot-2, 217 pounds — with a lot of experience. He’s speedy and has a hard shot, but he can be inconsistent. If he makes the team, he’d be good for the checking line, perhaps with John Mitchell at center.
Chris Bigras, Prospect Defenseman
Defenseman Chris Bigras came to the Rookie Showcase with a bee in his bonnet, and he doesn’t seem likely to stop. The 21-year-old played 31 games for the Colorado Avalanche, but now he seems determined to be a more regular roster player.
Like Bourque, Bigras has played in three of the four preseason games. The soft-spoken defenseman has a goal and an assist. He’s been really solid in how he plays all 200 feet of the ice. In the last couple games of the preseason, Chris intends to focus on “the little things” within the new playing system.
Last season Patrick Roy had Bigras playing with Erik Johnson toward the end. Interestingly, in the one game that Johnson has played thus far, Jared Bednar followed Roy’s lead and put Chris with Erik.
Semyon Varlamov, Veteran Goalie
Remember the seminal Why Not Us season when goalie Semyon Varlamov stole games for the Colorado Avalanche. Turns out the #NextEra isn’t so different after all.
Sorry to break the news to you, Avs Nation, but the Colorado Avalanche is still getting outshot. For example, in the game against the Dallas Stars, Colorado got outshot 31 to 19. (Sound familiar?) That was Calvin Pickard and Kent Simpson saving their bacon in that game.
Varlamov has been his old self again — not the inconsistent self from last season, but the game-saver self. Despite the Colorado Avalanche being outshot 64 to 41 his two games, Varly’s only allowed a single goal. He’s largely responsible the team won both those games.
You know what they say, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Clearly Varlamov wants to sent the message that he’s still the Colorado Avalanche’s number 1.
The Colorado Avalanche face the Dallas Stars tonight in Dallas. While Bigras may play, it’s unlikely either Bourque or Varlamov will. Nonetheless, these three players are doing their best to cement their roles with the team.