Tightly Bunched West Standings Cause Some Hassles

“Plan D” is working out A-OK for the Colorado Avalanche. When Jared Bednar looks for a player to slot in next to Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, he has a list of traits in mind. They include being a trusted defensive player, being able to play a lot of minutes at a high energy level, playing with ruggedness and a desire to forecheck, and being a hard, competitive player at the front of the opposing team’s net. The first three players who come to mind are captain Gabe Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen.

The Broncos delivered a beatdown and earned a breather. Now they’ve returned from a long weekend and find themselves in relatively unfamiliar territory as they launch back into a regular schedule. They’re big favorites in Week 8. As of Monday morning, Sean Payton’s team is favored by 7.5 points over Carolina in Sunday’s game at Empower Field. If the line holds, it’ll be just the fifth time Denver’s been favored by 7 points or more since the beginning of the 2021 season.

At every level of the organization, the Nuggets are acutely aware of the scrutiny they’ve faced this offseason regarding their shortage of 3-point shooting. Special assistant to the head coach Andrew Munson even sent his boss a myth-busting text this summer. Most of Denver’s best single-game offensive ratings in 2023-24, he informed Michael Malone, had very little to do with exorbitant numbers of 3-point attempts.

SAN JOSE — The high-flying, supercharged Colorado Avalanche did not show up Sunday at SAP Center, but Justus Annunen made sure that version of the club wasn’t needed. Annunen made 25 saves, including a few key ones while the Avs were clearly on the back foot, and Colorado defeated a plucky San Jose Sharks outfit, 4-1.

Most might overlook the play, but it exemplified Tremon Smith’s value to the Broncos’ special teams. Lined up as a gunner for the punt return unit in Week 5’s matchup against the Raiders, the 28-year-old cornerback backpedaled down the field while staying in front of cornerback Darnay Holmes. When Marvin Mims Jr.

TUCSON, Ariz. — Shilo Sanders would have preferred playing a great game against Kansas State on Oct. 12 at Folsom Field, but he didn’t. Colorado’s senior safety had a miserable game that night, but the real trial came after. He spent a week hearing about it from every corner of social media.