DENVER — Martin NeÄas took a fist to the face before he ever found the back of the net — but by the end of the night, he was the one delivering one of the final knockout blows of the night.
NeÄas picked up his 13th goal of the season via the empty net en route to a sixth straight win for the Colorado Avalanche as they defeated the New York Islanders 4-1 at Ball Arena, but it was certainly a wild ride to get to that point.
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Late in the second period, NeÄas battled New Yorkâ€s Scott Mayfield for a loose puck that was stuck in his gear. After the whistle, they exchanged shoves before Mayfield nailed NeÄas with a punch to the mouth, yet no call was made.
With 3:20 remaining in regulation — and with the ice conspicuously bare as both teams drifted into a line change — NeÄas lofted the puck over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty. The Czech wingerâ€s expression in the aftermath said everything: a split second of disbelief, regret, and the unmistakable realization that heâ€d just handed the Islanders a lifeline.
Martin NeÄas was in utter disbelief after launching the puck out of play.
The Islanders quickly pulled Ilya Sorokin for the extra attacker, turning NeÄas†lapse into an unintended 6-on-4. The sequence produced a few uneasy moments for Colorado, but Scott Wedgewood was unmoved, capping the kill with a sharp denial on a Bo Horvat one-timer from the slot to keep New York stuck at a single goal.
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But NeÄas didnâ€t allow his gaffe to dictate the rest of the game. He got back onto the ice and made a positive impact and scored the first of two empty-net goals to put the game away for the Avs. The second empty-netter was scored by former Islander Brock Nelson.
But Jared Bednar couldnâ€t help but poke fun at NeÄas a little bit.
“He owed us that one. I mean he threw it over the glass with time when the whole rink was empty,†he laughed as the media reporters on scene joined in on the laughter.
“So, it put a little bit of stress on us, but he goes out and does the right thing. He stops in the house in d-zone coverage, and he just stays with it. You got to move on from mistakes, and you got to try to do the right thing and make a difference in your next shift and he did that.â€
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It could have been a worse outcome, but given the Avalanche still came out of it with a clear and decisive victory, we can all laugh a little bit about the game and what could have been.
After going cold for a few games, NeÄas is certainly back on track as heâ€s tallied three goals and two assists for five points in his last two games. Nathan MacKinnon leads the NHL with 14 goals, but NeÄas is right behind him at 13 in a three-way tie for 2nd along with Edmontonâ€s Leon Draisaitl and Montrealâ€s Cole Caufield.
The Avalanche (13-1-5) take on the visiting New York Rangers (10-8-2) on Thursday at Ball Arena. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. local time.
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