Next-Gen Night was a success for the Colorado Avalanche, as they handled the Columbus Blue Jackets comfortably in a 4–0 win on Saturday afternoon. It’s the 17th straight win on home ice, dating back to early this season.

While the score was big, the contributors were certainly surprising. Despite playing the team currently in last place in the Eastern Conference, they’re still at .500, and Colorado played its part to keep on rolling, even with struggles against teams from the East.

View From the Mountaintop

The win came from the help of those down the lineup sheet. Brent Burns scored two goals, making it a second straight game that a defender for the Avs has scored two goals. Victor Olofsson finally got the goal monkey off his back with a tally of his own. Even Ilya Solovyov chipped in with his first career NHL goal. He quietly has points in his last three games, filling in nicely for the injured Devon Toews.

Another nice contributor came in the form of the netminder – no, not the usual starters of Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood. Trent Miner got the nod with his first NHL start, his first-ever NHL win, and his first NHL shutout. Not only did he achieve a lifelong and amazing accomplishment, but he did so by standing strong with 29 saves. He becomes the third different goalie this season to record a shutout for the Avalanche.

The help of others was key, even with the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Artturi Lehkonen, and Martin Necas recording zero points. Parker Kelly and Gavin Brindley also got two points of their own, with Olofsson tallying an assist to end with two points himself. Even on an off-night for the big guns, others stepped up in a big way. They continue doing this, even with the injury bug going around and keeping guys out like Gabriel Landeskog. If they’re doing this now, how does one even stop this team in the future? It truly looks unstoppable.

Up Next

The homestand continues with a big game on Monday night against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Puck drop is at 8:00 p.m. MT. Altitude Sports and KTVD will broadcast the game.