DENVER — Alex Beaucage understands what is holding him back from a roster spot with the Avalanche.

"My skating is a big thing to improve, so I focused on that all summer,” Beaucage said. “That’s pretty much it for me.”

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The work seemed to play off Sunday in Colorado’s victorious exhibition home opener, 3-1, over the Golden Knights at Ball Arena. Beaucage notched the Avs’ first home goal of the year, on a power-play chance, with a blast from the top of the circle. The 21-year-old winger also showcased quick feet all night.

Beaucage, a Quebec native, appeared in 40 AHL games last season. He tallied 12 points (eight assists) for the Colorado Eagles.

“He’s got an NHL mind. You saw it tonight. He’s got a heck of a shot,” said Eagles head coach Greg Cronin. “He’s not afraid. He plays hard and he’s fearless. The narrative with him for the last two years has been (about) skating. … I know he’s a real coachable kid and he wants it. You can improve that.”

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Olausson update. Avalanche 2021 first-round NHL draft pick Oskar Olausson played on the top line Sunday with center Evan Rodrigues and winger Andrew Cogliano. Olausson did not record any points but showcased his impressive shot on several occasions.

“They’re really good players. They’re NHLers. I’m just trying to be good with them, don’t make mistakes and find open spots,” Olausson said of his linemates. “I got a couple of chances. I wish they went in. Other than that, it was a decent game. A couple of mistakes (where) I could do better.”

Cronin expects Olausson to be with the Eagles throughout this upcoming AHL season.

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“We’ve got to get more drive out of his game. He's got to get inside people’s hands instead of reaching for pucks. That could be a reflection of maturity, right?” Cronin said. “If we can get that out of him, more drive to his game and more tenacity around pucks, he has a chance to be an NHL player. … It’s a process.”

Quotable. Alexandar Georgiev on his first preseason start for the Avalanche: “I think it went pretty well. It’s really exciting to get back into it. We had a great atmosphere in the building. … I felt pretty in it from the start.”