One of the most hyped first-year players in NHL history arrived at Ball Arena on Monday night, and for the second time in five days Colorado Avalanche rookie goaltender Justus Annunen outshined him.
Nathan MacKinnon continued to dominate on home ice with a four-point night, a couple of guys snapped long goal-scoring droughts and Annunen made 36 saves as the Avalanche cruised past the outmatched Blackhawks in a 5-0 win.
Annunen has now put together four consecutive strong starts for the Avalanche, including back-to-back shutouts against Chicago. He earned plenty of praise in a 6-3 loss at Tampa Bay that included two empty-net goals and some obvious defensive breakdowns.