Avalanche forward Ryan Johansen said he has been focusing more on the competitive side of his game as of late. It's been since Dec. 29, 2023 that Ryan Johansen last scored a goal and he netted two in the Avalanche's 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. “You try to find ways to do as much as you can and [I] definitely wasn’t happy with my game there for a minute," the 31-year-old forward told The Hockey News' Colleen Flynn. "I’ve really been focusing and trying to do more and it feels good to contribute with a win here tonight and hopefully keep it going.” Jared Bednar said after morning skate that he felt Johansen has played more competitively in his last few games. After the game, the Avs' head coach praised his center for his effort. "I thought he played hard again tonight. I just see — like there's just a little bit more competitive spirit in his game here recently. The team has been digging in. He's a veteran player. It looks different for everybody," Bednar said. "You know that competitive spirit but he's been working hard and doing what he can and he gets rewarded for some of that work here tonight. He's good, you know, nice to see him get rewarded." Alexandar Georgiev made 24 saves — some crucial, big ones — but attributed the success of the win to his team's defensive side. “Just knowing that they are a really good team and we’re trying to build back our good habits and just get ready for a big game and just play my game like usual. I think the guys played great defensively [tonight] and great offensively,” the 27-year-old netminder said. With the win, the Avalanche climbed just two points behind the Dallas Stars in the Central Division's No. 2 spot before they face off against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. RECENT COLORADO AVALANCHE ARTICLES How Avalanche match up against Canucks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/featured/how-avalanche-match-up-against-canucks] 'Just learning from them': Rick Tocchet is impressed with the Colorado Avalanche from the top down [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/commentary/just-learning-from-them-rick-tocchet-is-impressed-with-the-colorado-avalanche-from-the-top-down] 'I thought we did a ton to win': Why Avalanche victory over Coyotes was so important [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/news/why-avalanche-victory-over-coyotes-was-so-important] Nathan MacKinnon suffered broken nose against Lightning [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/news/nathan-mackinnon-suffered-broken-nose-against-lightning]
