Logan O’Connor hadn’t scored a goal for nearly a full year when he tallied what stood as the eventual game-winner in a 2-1 Avalanche Game 1 victory on Sunday. But it wasn’t because of anything he could control.
The 30-year-old winger had six points in seven games against the Dallas Stars last spring. After the series ended, the team announced that he would be having offseason hip surgery. Between recovering for that, and a second injury that stood in his way in November, O’Connor only returned for the final 13 games of the regular season.
He didn’t score in any of them. But he did in the playoffs. Just like he did twice in Dallas in last year’s postseason.
“Super happy to get it out of the way. Felt like our line over the course of the last couple weeks here during the season, we were continuing to build things,” O’Connor said. “It was nice to get that one out of the day and finish the job off tonight.”
O’Connor has always been effective in the postseason. In 2022, he was a key piece of the fourth line with veterans Andrew Cogliano and Darren Helm, all the way to a Stanley Cup championship. But between 2020 and 2023, he had only two goals and three assists in 31 playoff games (he missed 2024 with a hip injury).
But since last year, O’Connor has seven points in just eight games. Even with a lengthy absence, even with the second hip surgery in two years. Even with all of that, he’s still producing in the playoffs.
Last season he played with Parker Kelly and Jack Drury. Right now, he’s with Joel Kiviranta and Drury. Those four guys have made up the Avs’ fourth line for the majority of the last 15 or so months.
“It’s just growth in his game, overall confidence. Playing on the line he plays on, it’s got a real strong identity. They’re a tightly knit group of three players that we have that rely on one another for their success,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “He’ll go through stretches where he creates a bunch of chances and doesn’t score easily. He has to work at it, and he has to continue to create volume. Then sometimes they go in for him, and they may go in for him in bunches, but it’s just growth.”
O’Connor’s defensive game and on-ice blue-collar mentality are what led to him earning a six-year contract extension that began this year. It’s also why he’s a fan favorite.
“We try to teach our guys to defend the right way first; it’s a non-negotiable on our team,” Bednar said. “It’s an area of our game where I feel like we’ve gotten better year over year. And then how can we expand all those players to help us even more offensively?”
Bednar couldn’t be more correct about the fourth line. Whether it’s Kelly or Kiviranta, the tightness of that group, and their ability to feed off each others’ success has helped them all immensely.
“He’s a really hard worker. He’s so fast, he’s always in the right spots. So it’s good to see him get going today,” Drury said. “And like I said, I think, you know, the last five games before the end of the year, he was really finding his stride, and it’s great to see him at the top of it.”
Scott Wedgewood was in goal for Colorado in Game 1. He made 24 saves to earn a victory in his first career playoff start. Wedgewood had to work to get to this point in his career. At 33 years old, he’s finally getting the opportunity he always felt he was capable of succeeding at.
O’Connor didn’t have the same hype as a younger player, but he was an undrafted forward that, also, has had to earn every minute he gets on the ice. Their stories are different, but also relatable.
“He’s a hard worker, he’s tenacious,” Wedgewood said. “My favorite thing is, there’s a play, and he’s on the back side of a guy, the guy feels he has a step, and he’ll strip you from behind. He’s kind of like that little water bug-energy guy, and he’s used to playing in big moments.
Wedgewood continued: “We missed him through what, 70 percent of the season. He’s a big part of that room, so his presence was missed. It’s fun to have him back in there chirping with the guys and just bringing that energy that he always brings on and off the ice. Big moment like that, scores a goal, puts us up two, kind of eases the pressure. Love him in my D zone, blocking-shot guy, gets up to the points quickly, deters them from throwing pucks on net.”
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