For those who have followed me with any regularity this season, you know I like my metaphors. I also encourage you to keep eating your Activia yogurt so you stay regular. I appreciate the following!
The Avalanche season has had its fair share of turbulence, but it has become fairly clear that this aircraft was never getting off the ground. The New Age is delayed — grounded for de-icing. The Avs have had some fun moments, but the team itself is too flawed to make noise in the tough Western Conference. Those flaws have compounded into a confidence complex throughout the roster.
Tonight’s game against the Rangers was a brutal metaphor for the entire season for the Avalanche. The Avs started the game off poorly with fundamental flaws getting some serious exposure. The Avs couldn’t keep pace with the Rangers, their forwards gave the blueshirts too much space, and the Avalanche defense isn’t talented enough to handle an onslaught of attackers with that much freedom to get down low. The Rangers took full advantage for the first 40 minutes.
There is a discontinuity between the Avalanche forwards and defense, and it’s an area that will require continued improvement for the Avalanche to get better.
The first Rags goal was scored on a what are you doing line change by the Avalanche. It reminded me of when I used to spend hours playing the old NHL console video games, and I clicked the button that called for a line change on accident. I would just sit there horrified as my entire team booked it for the bench, and the opposing team had an unobstructed path the the promise land.
The Rangers goal was a beauty from the New York State of mind. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, it was a tutorial on how not to defend the ice. The forwards allowed Hayes to gather steam through the neutral zone, and Tyson Barrie got beat hard to the front of the net. Nate Guenin failed to provide backside help, and Varlamov was too shocked to react in time to make the save. A great play by Kevin Hayes, but… the Avs can’t be too proud of their effort on that one.
Then came the push back from the Avs. The “false-hope” if you will, which has been a theme of the season. Gabriel Landeskog bounced a puck in off his chest to conclude one of the finer shifts this team has played all season. Nate Guenin was outstanding on the blue-line, and kept several clearing attempts in the zone. The Avs as a whole kept over a minute of pressure on the rangers, until Nathan MacKinnon whipped a puck on net from the point. The rebound had a date with Landy’s torso, and just like that the Avs were cooking.
Then came the power play.
The Avs power play.
Uh Oh.
Let’s make it a five-on-three.
Uh Oh.
“Shirley, we can score on this one can’t we?”
“Who’s Shirley”
The Avalanche failed to score on a near full minute two-man advantage. Their power play is now goalless in ten straight games, and has gone 31 straight opportunities without even the slightest tickle of twine. Shirley isn’t pleased.
The Rangers scored on the shift immediately following their return to full strength, and it appeared the Avs were done.
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I will say, I’m proud of the way the Avalanche played the third period. They came out and gave the Rangers a fight, and shocked me in the process. I honestly didn’t expect them to play the way they did. Call it score effects, or a last ditch surge, but I enjoyed watching the first two-thirds of that period. Jarome Iginla and Jan Hejda scored for the Avs to tie the game up at 3, and I feared my metaphor theme was dead in the water. The Avs dominated the shot charts for the first half of the third.
In the end, the Rangers proved to be too much for the Avalanche. They scored 3 unanswered goals to widen the gap, although one was the courtesy empty-netter the Avs allowed them.
Overall, it’s the same old story for the Avs. This game cemented my already concrete stance that this team needs to be a seller at the deadline. There are some pieces here that would be coveted around the league, and could get the Avs a nice return. Those pieces aren’t doing the Avalanche any good now, or in the future. But more on that later. Goodnight Avs nation.