Colorado Avalanche Getting Behind in Games Too Often
By Ross Sellers
The Colorado Avalanche need to stop getting behind in games if they want to be able to string any sort of win streak together.
It’s been tough sledding for the Colorado Avalanche recently, and especially during this most recent home stand.
There’s no way for them to salvage the home stand, as they are now 0-3-1, but a win against the Dallas Stars is still imperative.
With Gabe Landeskog still out of the lineup, the Avalanche are trying desperately to fill the hole he has left behind.
Related Story: Landeskog's Invaluable Intangibles
Hence why Rocco Grimaldi was called up yesterday. Grimaldi leads the San Antonio Rampage in points with 15 in 19 games.
On a side note, I’ve been excited to see what this kid can bring to the ice since he was acquired from the Florida Panthers. Hopefully he’ll bring that missing ingredient the Avs can’t seem to find. In other words, hopefully he’ll impact his line with his play.
Moving on. After the game tonight, the Avs go on a four-game road trip against some good talent. The way they’re playing on home ice though, I imagine their anticipating that road trip with relief.
More From Mile High Sticking: Patrick Roy was Right About the Core
Nonetheless, they will be playing against some tough competition. Of course they’ll want to head out on that trip coming off a win against the Stars. And, in order to do that, the Avs need to find a way to score the first goal.
Avs Getting Behind in Games Too Often
This season, the Colorado Avalanche have scored the first goal a grand total of six times. It’s not like their record is great in those games either, as they are just 4-2. Still, that’s much better than their 5-10-1 record when they don’t score first.
When you give up the first goal 16 times out of the 22 games you have played, you cannot expect to win in this league. Plain and simple.
More From Mile High Sticking: Avs Culture Change Needs to Start Now
The worst part of it is that the Avs don’t give up one and then hang on until they score. They usually let the other team score in bunches. In other words, the Avs have been behind by two goals in the first period six times this season.
And that’s only their first period two goal deficits. Once again, a team can’t expect to win if they are going into the second period already down by two goals.
Unfortunately, the Colorado Avalanche are also playing their best when they’re behind. Which goes to show that there is no urgency to score that first goal. That should be every team’s ultimate desire in this league. The fact of the matter is though, good teams score the first goal, and bad teams give it up.
Conclusion
I’m not sure what to say. The Avs need to figure out a way to start scoring first. Or, they need to find someone who will help them do that. Which means they will need to facilitate a trade and shake this locker room up.
Related Story: Avs Need to Make a Trade
If they don’t show up tonight, I honestly don’t know what else the Avs could logically do other than start entertaining any and all trade offers.
Unfortunately, there are the same glaring problems the Avs have had in recent years. They need another top six forward, and they also need a top-four defenseman.
There’s no way to pull that kind of trade off. So, they have to choose one, or the other, at the detriment of the other. In other words, they need to choose offense or defense, and recognize that whatever choice they make is inevitably going to damage the other option.
If the Avs start scoring first, then this dilemma suddenly gets less important. Which is why I’m releasing this post the day after I called for a trade. Start putting the puck in the net first, and suddenly a bunch of issues disappear. However, the Avs might need to make some trades in order to facilitate that ability to score first.
Time will tell, but it starts tonight at 7:00 pm MST in the Pepsi Center against the Dallas Stars.