Jared Bednar needs “more” out of his second line as Avalanche head back to Denver

The Colorado Avalanche haven't gotten much production from the second line through two games of the playoffs, and head coach Jared Bednar knows that he needs to see more from that line

BY TRENT FINNEGAN

Apr 22, 2025, 12:18 PM Updated: 12:18 pm

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The Colorado Avalanche are heading back to Denver with the first round series against the Dallas Stars tied at one apiece after an overtime loss on Monday. Nathan MacKinnon has been great for the Avalanche so far with three goals and one assist, and the fourth line has also provided a much needed spark to keep the team afloat while the top guys are catching their breath.

However, the second line has been nonexistent for the Avalanche through the first two games. The combination of Jonathan Drouin, Brock Nelson and Valeri Nichushkin have tallied just two assists in the first two games with zero goals to show for their efforts. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar was asked about what he wants to see out of the line moving forward.

“I need to see more,” Bednar said.

He was clearly not willing to talk any more about that group of skaters any further. Among offensive line groups that have played at least 10 minutes together in the playoffs this year, the Avalanche’s second line is the third-worst in the league in expected goals per 60 minutes. The first and fourth lines (third line doesn’t qualify due to Colton’s injury) rank fifth and sixth in that category, respectively.

What needs to happen? Bednar has to swap the wings on the lines. Whether it’s bumping Nichushkin or Drouin up to the MacKinnon line, just any change is warranted to try and provide a spark to that second line. The combination of Artturi Lehkonen, MacKinnon and Nichushkin was the Avs’ second best line combination in the regular season in terms of scoring (minimum 90 minutes), so the first line would theoretically be fine if that change were to happen.

No red flags are being waved yet, but a shake up in the lines would not be the worst thing to happen for Bednar and the Avalanche. The glory of the Stanley Cup Playoffs is seeing which teams can adjust better, and this is one of the first points of this series in which Bednar has to make an adjustment to give his second line a spark.