Mikko Rantanen gives warm praise to the Finnish surprise: “He kept us up” | Sport

Colorado has started the NHL hockey season with four consecutive losses and four consecutive wins.

The Finnish hockey players of the 2021–22 Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche have been able to heave a sigh of relief when the game has found its groove and there have now been four wins in a row. The night before Friday, Colorado beat the rookie team Utah 5-1.

Colorado’s season started with a bang. It lost its first four matches and conceded a total of 25 goals. Colorado’s star forward Mikko Rantanen according to the team’s losses in the opening week of the season. Problems were identified and solutions were considered together.

– The defensive game was probably one that we didn’t do at our best in the first four games. It was a bit left so that the Paks take care of the defense and the attackers are just ready to attack. Then it usually doesn’t work. Now the attackers have helped the packs in defense. The five guys have to defend, Rantanen tells Urheilu.

Rantanen himself has scored four goals and provided nine assists, including two in the victory over Utah. A teammate in the same match Joel Kiviranta hit the goal.

Kiviranta, who scored his four goals in the last three matches of the season, feels that the confidence of the entire team has grown, which is also reflected in his own play.

– The first games we defended as hard as it hurt, there were lapses and personal mistakes. Now they have been weeded out. This was the last game of the tough Road (away tour) for us, says Kiviranta.

Rantanen, who has played his entire NHL career, i.e. almost a decade in Colorado, thinks that the Avalanche have a good chance of another successful spring in 2022. However, that would require that the best players avoid injuries and other setbacks.

– The giants with a pretty big role have been gone, and of course that has an effect. When we get the important forwards back, we suddenly have a pretty deep lineup and a good chance to succeed again, says Rantanen.

A lot of responsibility given to Annus

Mikko Rantanen especially praises the second goalkeeper in connection with Colorado’s face wash Justus Annuswho has started to get more responsibility and has made three saves in a row. Against Utah, Annunen stretched in front of the puck 25 times and the score was close.

– I have to give Annus credit. He has played really well in goal and kept us up when there have been difficult moments. He has taken big saves, which helps, Rantanen says.

Annunen, 24, played in only two of the first four games of the season, and even then he was replaced Alexander Georgiev substitute in the middle of the match. Last Sunday, Annunen got to start Colorado’s goalie for the first time this season.

– There were a few weak black moments in the early season, of course it showed quite badly. There were a few difficult games at the beginning, when you had to jump in, and it didn’t quite go as it should have. Now we have played a lot of games in a row, which of course makes my job easier, Annunen says.

– That also makes it easier, that now I have been able to play more. It’s a really good feeling.

Annunen has played the last few seasons mainly in the Colorado Eagles’ AHL team. Now the goalie coach is hoping to become Colorado’s number one goalkeeper Jussi Parkkilan i learned

– You just have to continue the same daily work, do your best and prove yourself every day, says Annune.

Colorado’s goalkeepers also include Kaapo Kähkönenwho Colorado picked up from the transfer list earlier in October. Kähkönen moved to the Winnipeg Jets in the summer, but did not establish his place in the club. Kähkönen has not yet played a single match this season.

Neither do the Finns of Colorado Artturi Lehkonen has not yet played this season after his shoulder operation.

Corrected at 8:25 p.m.: Colorado last won the Stanley Cup in the spring of 2022, not 2023.