The Colorado Avalanche face tough teams in the last half dozen games but head coach Jared Bednar said he will pace his team before games get more intense in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Colorado Avalanche suffered a tough and surprising 4-1 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets Monday night. Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov stood on his head and was the primary reason for the Avalanche's loss.

While it was a rough night for the Avalanche, one positive came from it. Veteran forward Chris Wagner scored his first NHL goal of the 2023-24 campaign, and it was a beauty. The hard-nosed forward skillfully tipped a Sean Walker shot from the point past Tarasov.

The last time Wagner scored at the NHL level was back during the 2020-21 season with the Boston Bruins. Since then, he has played in just 12 NHL regular-season games split between the Bruins and Avalanche over the last three seasons. He has instead primarily played in the AHL.

Wagner was recalled by the Avalanche on an emergency basis before this matchup because Valeri Nichushkin and Joel Kiviranta were sidelined. It is safe to say that Wagner took advantage of the opportunity by scoring his first NHL goal in multiple seasons.

Wagner now has one goal, one assist and a plus-3 rating in 10 games with the Avs this season. Down in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles this campaign, he has four goals and eight points.

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