Compher isn’t a household name yet, but Avs forward emerging as offensive threat

DENVER, CO – Prior to the Avalanche erasing a 2-1 deficit against the Stars last Saturday with a pair of late third-period goals, Colorado coach Jared Bednar decided to swap J.T. Compher from the fourth line to the second to play alongside Tyson Jost and Alex Kerfoot.

The result was Compher’s rebound goal off Kerfoot’s shot with under three minutes to play, a lamp-lighter that eventually led to Mikko Rantanen’s game-winner a short time later.

“It was a spur-of-the-moment decision,” Bednar explained that night. “I like what J.T.’s been doing lately — he’s got a hot stick — and we were running out of time, so I was just trying to get him and some other guys out there who might have a chance to score for us.”