Avalanche defenseman Nikita Zadorov, 20, carries himself like a 30-year-old veteran. He oozes confidence. Just ask him.
“I hear that before, yeah, people saying I have too much confidence. But it’s what I have, it’s who I am,” Zadorov said Tuesday.
In another line of questioning, Zadorov was asked if he is happy with how he has played in his first two games with the Avs.
“Always happy with my game,” he said, grinning.
Zadorov doesn’t seem cocky. The Russian is just confident in his ability to play hockey at its highest level despite not being old enough to legally buy a beer in Colorado.
After two games, Zadorov appears to be top-four material on the Avs’ blue line. He is minus-2 and without a shot on goal, but he has averaged 18 minutes, 38 seconds of mostly smart and smooth defensive hockey.
Zadorov, listed at 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, began the season on a third pairing with Nick Holden but finished the last game with Tyson Barrie, who is averaging 19:41 of ice time. When Colorado acquired Zadorov in a trade from Buffalo in June, the team envisioned he would be Barrie’s left-shooting partner.
Zadorov’s extraordinary confidence probably erased the Avs’ desire not to put too much pressure on him.
“I don’t know. I never thought about that,” Zadorov said about the team possibly trying to bring him along slowly. “I enjoy playing with everyone. Doesn’t matter who I play with, but I love playing with Tyson and I’m happy with him right now.”
Barrie is a 5-10, 190-pound, right-shooting speedster who has the green light to take the puck — and chase the puck — anywhere on the ice. Zadorov is his complementary backup.
“We’re thinking the same way. We’re trying to move the puck quickly, trying to join the rush all the time,” Zadorov said of the paring. “We just enjoy to play together.”
Avalanche coach Patrick Roy, whose 1-1 team hosts the Boston Bruins (0-3) on Wednesday night, said this about the Zadorov-Barrie combination: “Z has a lot of size, and I think that will help Tyson. I think it’s good mix — a stronger, physical defenseman with Tyson, who loves to move the puck.”
Boston is limping into Denver, having lost its three games at home. The Avs are concluding a three-game homestand to begin the season.
“It might be good for them to be on the road,” Roy said. “But at the same time, we have to focus on us. It’s an important game. It’s our last game (of the homestand).”
Mike Chambers: mchambers@denverpost.com or @mikechambers
BOSTON AT COLORADO 8 p.m. Wednesday, ALT; 950 AM
Spotlight on Zdeno Chara:
Boston’s 6-foot-9 defenseman returned to the lineup Monday after a preseason upper-body injury prevented him from playing in the Bruins’ first two games. Chara, 38, was minus-2 in 21:29 against Tampa Bay on Monday. Chara is playing on a $7 million salary this season and is under contract through 2017-18, when he will turn 41.
NOTEBOOK
Bruins:
They are 0-3 and have allowed 16 goals, losing 6-2 to Winnipeg, 4-2 to Montreal and 6-3 to Tampa Bay. “Instead of bending a little bit when there’s times where the other team gets a little bit of momentum, we’ve broken down,” Boston coach Claude Julien told The Boston Globe. … Left wing Brad Marchand is doubtful with a head injury. He suffered a concussion Saturday against Montreal. Marchand practiced Tuesday and is traveling with the team, hoping to return at Arizona on Saturday. … Defenseman Joe Morrow (flu) is questionable. … Boston’s top line is center Patrice Bergeron between Loui Eriksson and Brett Connolly. David Krejci centers the second line with Matt Beleskey and David Pastrnak. Former Avs forward Max Talbot is the 12th or 13th (scratched) Bruin up front.
Avalanche:
Semyon Varlamov will make his third consecutive start in net. … Colorado has a league-leading 66.7 percent power play (4-of-6) and is averaging five goals per game. … No changes to the forward lines are expected, with Matt Duchene centering Blake Comeau and Jarome Iginla, Nathan MacKinnon between Gabe Landeskog and Alex Tanguay, wingers Cody McLeod and Jack Skille with center John Mitchell, and former Bruin Carl Soderberg centering rookie Mikko Rantanen and second-year pro Borna Rendulic. … Mikhail Grigorenko will be scratched for the third consecutive game, and defensemen Nate Guenin and Brandon Gormley also will sit out.
Mike Chambers, The Denver Post
