Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said the team is using Tuesday night's win over the New Jersey Devils as a blueprint for setting its identity.
Intensity, commitment and effort are key words both head coach Jared Bednar and the team's leaders used in reference to what factored into Tuesday night's 6-3 over the New Jersey Devils.
"We played to our strengths. It just really seemed like we got back to playing the way we should be playing and guys were moving their feet," Cale Makar said after the win Tuesday night. "That's a good indication when the team's playing well."
Makar said the team was more excited once it got going and when it realized it could dominate, it became fun. That feeling was part of the intensity of the game which both Makar and Mikko Rantanen want to continue.
"Intensity was the best we've had all year. Both sides of the puck we were really checking hard and trying to win puck battles," the 27-year-old Finnish forward told The Hockey News after practice on Wednesday. "Good team effort — effort was the best and intensity."
The fact that all four lines were solid — something the team has had an issue with so far this season — was the most impactful difference in that win.
Bednar said the team's play in the most recent win set the bar moving forward. He didn't go over video so much in a tactical way, but more so to use as an example of what to keep doing and strive to improve on.
"I've relayed what we've seen, the players agree with it. Now we got to go again. You've got to bring it every night in this league.
"We're getting a little bit more comfortable in understanding exactly what it's going to take to win on a nightly basis. So I expect our guys to keep trying to beat, meet or exceed that bar from that standpoint moving forward," Bednar said after practice on Wednesday.
The top line and leaders on the team were crucial in setting the intensity level — which managed to spread throughout the bench. Rantanen spoke with his teammates about the importance of staying engaged even if the other team scores first.
"With confidence and wins, now we saw we can do it," Rantanen said. "Now we just mentally got to prepare ourself that there's going to be tough games ..."
Nathan MacKinnon said the team needs to focus on playing their best and said it's important to keep the momentum going after the victory against the Devils.
Ivan Prosvetov will get the start between the pipes and Riley Tufte was recalled from the Colorado Eagles to be in the Avs lineup against the Seattle Kraken Thursday night.