Avs Take Rookie Showcase Title With 3-2 Win

WESTMINSTER, Colo.—After skating away with a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in the first contest of the inaugural Rookie Showcase, the Colorado Avalanche’s prospect squad was looking to repeat the performance against a more professionally experienced Anaheim Ducks team.

The Avs did just that in a gritty though unsurprisingly physical 3-2 victory at the Ice Centre at the Promenade on Sunday.

“Whenever you put your club logo on and you’re playing against another organization, the compete level goes up a little bit more and the hits go up a little bit more,” D-man Chris Bigras said after the game. “So it was a nice change being able to deliver some of those to another organization instead of someone that you’re going to be playing with down the road.”

Looking to take advantage of the Avs skating in the second of a back-to-back set, the Ducks came out hard and fast early, and it paid off. Anaheim’s Nic Kerdiles converted a tap-in pass from Julius Nattinen to take the lead just 1:34 into the match.

“It happens. The first shot goes in, then you have to regroup,” goaltender Spencer Martin said of the scenario. “I’ve been through it before as a goalie. These guys did a great job of taking it down to their end and putting some pressure back on them.”

The Avs retaliated on the power play later in the period. With Andy Welinski in the box serving a four-minute high sticking penalty, defenseman Nicolas Meloche found twine when his point-shot snuck through the legs of netminder Kevin Boyle.

If the intensity wasn’t already palpable, a center-ice bout between heavyweight blueliners Darian Skeoch and Mason Geertsen certainly brought things to the forefront.

Mason dropping the gloves late in the 1st period. pic.twitter.com/W89EdjrnED

— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) September 18, 2016

“You got the intensity that we were expecting. For us to get into that right away I think is really good for the group,” Avalanche assistant general manager Craig Billington said. “I think both teams skated well. Both teams played physical.”

Colorado came out flying in the second period, tallying what looked to be a go-ahead goal 8:46 into middle stanza when Gustav Olhaver fired a tough-angle shot on net that banked off Boyle’s arm and in.

WATCH: Gustav Olhaver (@olhavergustav) scores the second goal …

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