DENVER (AP) — Colorado Avalanche goaltender Trent Miner was standing near his net after the final horn when defenseman Ilya Solovyov greeted him with a big embrace.
Those two had plenty to celebrate.
For Solovyov, it was scoring his first NHL goal as the Avalanche beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 on Saturday.
For Miner, it was picking up his first NHL shutout and win. He became the second goaltender in Quebec/Colorado history to blank an opponent in his first win, joining Mario Gosselin who accomplished the feat in 1984.
“Looked sharp,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said as Miner helped the Avalanche run their home winning streak to 17 straight games. “I’m really happy for him.
“Solovyov gets his first NHL goal. We got contributions from a bunch of different guys.”
Both players followed winding paths to reach their big career moment.
Miner, a seventh-round draft pick by Colorado in 2019, spent time in the minor leagues as he waited for his opportunity. He was recently called up from the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League and told to be ready, just in case.
Colorado gave Scott Wedgewood a day off Saturday and with Mackenzie Blackwood sidelined by a lower-body injury, it was Miner’s net. He finished with 29 saves.
“In all honesty, I’m just glad that we were able to get the win,” said Miner, who appeared in two games last season for Colorado and three this year. “For sure, it’s exciting to get my first win, but I think for us to get another win at home is just as exciting.”
Miner said he wasn’t thinking about the shutout, either, even as the seconds ticked off the clock.
“I try not to think like that,” said Miner, who’s 7-2-0 with a 2.40 goals-against average in 10 games for the Eagles this season. “To get the win was amazing.”
He gave credit to Wedgewood and Blackwood, who’ve treated the 24-year-old Miner like a kid brother.
“They pick on me. I pick on them. So it’s been a great opportunity to work with both of them,” Miner said. “I’m very fortunate.”
The 25-year-old Solovyov was claimed off waivers from Calgary in October. He played early for the Avalanche and then didn’t play for a long stretch. He also was loaned to the Eagles for a conditioning assignment in December.
Now, he’s on a three-game point streak that includes his first goal. He celebrated that score by jumping into the arms of fellow defenseman Brent Burns.
“These two months, I (had) a lot of time, a lot of games, to look at the team, how the guys (play) here, what they want to do on the ice,” said Solovyov, a seventh-round pick by Calgary in 2020. “I try to learn and be in the right moment and right position.”
Solovyov said it’s helped having his family with him in Colorado.
“They (finally) have a chance to look at me, how I play,” Solovyov said. “So they probably are happier more than me, honestly.
“Maybe tonight, we will (go) somewhere and celebrate it. First goal, why not?”
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