Jared Bednar had a good feeling Gavin Brindley would pick up right where he left off before his injury. “I actually think he’s going to come back and be really good,” Bednar said after morning skate. Sometimes a coach just knows. Brindley, playing his first game in three weeks after r ecovering from a lower-body injury, picked up a goal and an assist in Colorado’s 6-2 blowout victory over the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. As the game went on, Brindley rose up the lineup, ending up on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen. Part of that was due to his play, and part of that was due to Martin Necas struggles getting over illness. Either way, coach was right. “Told you I had a feeling,” Bednar joked after the game. The young forward was asked after the game by the Altitude broadcast what it was like having the 1996 Stanley Cup team in the building for the win. Considering Brindley was born eight years after that team lifted Lord Stanley, he might not have the best answer, but his youthful energy may have helped him hit the ground running after an extended absence. “I thought the first period, pace was pretty high, both teams were pretty fired up, but after that, I feel like coming into the second period, kind of settled in a little more and was more myself,” Brindley said after the game. In past years, the Avalanche have dealt with a lot of injuries and it’s been the job of assistants Shawn Allard and then Toby Petersen to make sure they’re ready to go when they are healthy. Petersen left over the summer, taking a head coaching job in the Dallas Stars system, and was replaced by new skills coach Mark Popovic. The 42-year-old Popovic played professional hockey for 15 years and spent a lot of time with Brindley the last few weeks. It looked like his work paid off. “(Popovic) touched on everything,” Brindley said. “He’s a really well-rounded skill coach and really good at his job. I feel like it’s just a comfortability thing of what you want to work on and things that he’ll mix in with you. Just stuff to get you healthy and get you ready to play.” Popovic has done some consulting work the past few years for the Avalanche, so he wasn’t an unknown quantity to Bednar, but he’s been a welcome addition to the coaching staff. “It’s been great,” Bednar said of Popovic’s fit. “Another guy that’s played the game, does a lot of talking. It’s not just the skating side of it, but the mental side of it too. (Popovic) is really into that, picking guys’ brains and what’s bothered them and being in-tune with what the coaching staff wants some of the guys to work on and relaying that message…he’s been an awesome addition.” With the win, the Avalanche became the first team to hit 50 points in the NHL. The Dallas Stars lost in Minnesota, so Colorado’s lead in the Central Division was extended to four points. They also have a game in hand on the Stars. Avalanche 6, Panthers 2 What happened: The Avalanche stepped on the throats of a Panthers team that played the night before in Utah. What went right: Nathan MacKinnon is now the leader in goals scored in an Avalanche uniform with his 392nd career goal. “I can’t keep track of his milestones because it seems like he’s getting one every game,” Bednar said. What went wrong: Colorado did technically score a power play goal, but it was overturned due to Martin Necas being offside. Other than that, it was a disappointing effort from a power play that had scored in two consecutive games. Avalanche goal scorers: Malinski (3), Nelson (12), Brindley (5), MacKinnon (25), Lehkonen (12), Landeskog (6) Panthers goal scorers: Gregor (1), Samoskevich (4) Between the pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood was strong in net, stopping 23 of the 25 shots he faced. What’s next: The Avalanche will host the Predators on Saturday at 7 p.m. ...read more read less