Avalanche stars come to play in win over Darcy Kue…

Avalanche stars come to play in win over Kuemper, Caps originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington

Darcy Kuemper faced the team he helped lead to last season’s Stanley Cup title Saturday as the Colorado Avalanche took on the Capitals in D.C., but the goaltender’s former teammates got the better of him in a 4-0 victory.

The Avalanche’s two biggest stars — center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar — each found the back of the net, providing all the scoring they would need despite Washington outshooting them 32 to 29. Defenseman Jacob MacDonald and winger Artturi Lehkonen chipped in with goals as well.

Colorado goaltender Alexander Georgiev, acquired in a trade with the New York Rangers last offseason, recorded his first shutout in an Avalanche sweater to continue his hot start to the 2022-23 campaign.

Here are three takeaways from the Capitals’ loss the Avalanche.

Colorado’s stars shine

In addition to celebrating their first Stanley Cup championship, MacKinnon and Makar both enjoyed exciting offseasons.

The Avalanche signed MacKinnon, 27, to an eight-year extension that made him the highest-paid player in NHL history with an AAV of $12.6 million. Makar, 24, was honored with the Norris Trophy for the league’s top defenseman, collecting another piece of hardware after winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Both players showed why they’re among the best in the NHL at their respective positions Saturday. Makar got the scoring started with a goal on the 5-on-3, helping the Avalanche wear down the Capitals by keeping the puck in the offensive zone before finally pushing one through.

The following period, MacKinnon got ahold of the puck at the top of the point and added to his personal highlight reel with some impressive stick handling. He worked his way past winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel before firing a shot that beat Kuemper to his glove side.

Georgiev wins goaltending battle

Though Kuemper downplayed the matchup, the Capitals’ goaltender faced…