New head coach Jared Bednar’s fast, attacking style was on display early in the Colorado Avalanche’s season opener Saturday night and one of Colorado’s newest additions made a welcome return to the Mile High City in a 6-5 win over Dallas.
Joe Colborne, signed in the offseason as a free-agent, played his college hockey at the University of Denver (2008-10) where he amassed 32 goals and 40 assists for the Pioneers. He went about trying to match those numbers with Denver’s professional club in short order, netting three goals in less than two periods for his first career hat trick.
Colborne scored twice on the power play in the first period and his third goal gave Colorado a 5-2 lead at the 7:05 mark of the second. A relentless attack was slowed a bit when Dallas netted a pair to close the period and bring things within one. Tyson Barrie distanced Colorado at 13:47 in the final frame and they would hang on to win by one.
Bednar promised his team would play fast and aggressive, which they certainly were through the first 30 minutes of play. As they did much of last year, Colorado struggled to keep their opponent at arm’s length, twice allowing Dallas to pull within one goal of squaring the game. Semyon Varlamov stopped 23 of the 28 shots he faced to earn the victory.
The Avalanche remained perfect under Bednar, who led Colorado to an undefeated preseason. The Avs travel to Pittsburgh next to take on the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, the first in a daunting four-game road trip that also includes Washington, Tampa Bay and Florida.
