Colorado Avalanche left winger Artturi Lehkonen has turned into a goal-scoring machine this postseason.
In Game 4 of their first-round Western Conference series against the Winnipeg Jets, Lehkonen scored a goal with 8:10 left in the first period, giving Colorado a 1-0 lead.
Lehkonen is one reason the Avs lead the series 2-1. Thus far, the 28-year-old has scored a goal in every game and is tied for second on the team in points (five).
Lehkonen missed 35 regular-season games after suffering a neck injury against the Seattle Kraken in November. He finished with 16 goals and 34 points in 45 contests. According to Corey Masisak of The Denver Post, he would’ve set career highs in both categories if he had played the entire season.
Lehkonen is making up for lost time in the postseason, and his teammates have given him a new nickname: “The Warrior.”
“We all call him that,” Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson recently said, via NHL.com. “He goes to the hard areas, plays that tough-style game, forechecks hard, blocks shots. He goes to the hard areas and does exactly what we need to do in the playoffs, and I think that’s why you see all of the success he’s had in the playoffs because his game flourishes.”
If Lehkonen keeps thriving, expect Colorado to make a deep run. As of Sunday, FanDuel gives the Avalanche the third-best Stanley Cup odds (+550) behind the Edmonton Oilers and Carolina Hurricanes.