Mile High Sticking
Fansided

Colorado Avalanche Can’t Win After Christmas

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 27: Tyson Barrie (4) of the Colorado Avalanche reacts to Mikkel Boedker's (89) of the Arizona Coyotes game-winning goal in overtime during Arizona's 2-1 win.The Colorado Avalanche hosted the Arizona Coyotes at the Pepsi Center on Sunday, December 27, 2015. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 27: Tyson Barrie (4) of the Colorado Avalanche reacts to Mikkel Boedker's (89) of the Arizona Coyotes game-winning goal in overtime during Arizona's 2-1 win.The Colorado Avalanche hosted the Arizona Coyotes at the Pepsi Center on Sunday, December 27, 2015. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

For the last five seasons, the Colorado Avalanche have been unable to win the game that comes right after the Christmas break.

The Colorado Avalanche have trouble winning after Christmas. Last night, the Avalanche dropped a 3-1 decision at home to the NHL-worst Arizona Coyotes, a team they had just beaten 6-2, all on secondary scoring.

That got me to thinking about something Gabriel Landeskog had said, “Maybe it was too many Christmas cookies, I don’t know.” This is not something the captain said after last night’s loss. In fact, you’d have to go back to the golden Why Not Us season of 2013-14 for that quote.

That post-Christmas game wasn’t particularly golden for the Avalanche. They lost to the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2 in Chicago.

Paul Stastny and Gabriel Landeskog were the lone Avalanche scorers. Their first goal came midway through the second period when the Blackhawks were already up 5-0. J.S. Giguere started out in net, but then-coach Patrick Roy put Semyon Varlamov in for the third period. (Four of the Hawks’ goals came in the second period.)

The next season, the Avalanche played the Blackhawks again after Christmas, this time at home. The Blackhawks won 5-2.

More from Mile High Sticking

In that game, Colorado started the scoring with a goal from Nathan MacKinnon. Erik Johnson scored one after an answering goal from the Blackhawks. But then Chicago scored four unanswered goals, and that was it for the Avs. This time coach Roy left the goalie, Calvin Pickard, in for the whole game.

It wasn’t just the Blackhawks who gave the Avalanche trouble after Christmas. The best Colorado managed in the last five seasons is an overtime loss at home during the 2015-16 season — to the Arizona Coyotes. They weren’t league-worst that year, but they finished four games under .500.

In that game, future Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla started the scoring. However the Coyotes tied it up in the third period. Do you want to know who stabbed the Avalanche in the heart in overtime? Future Avalanche Mikkel Boedker. Varlamov was the goalie for that game.

Last year, the Colorado Avalanche only won three games all of December, and one of them was not the post-Christmas game. Rather, they lost 6-3 at home to the Calgary Flames.

Once again, the Avalanche started the scoring, this time a goal by Landeskog. However, Calgary scored four straight before Iginla potted one in. Two more for Calgary, and Landeskog scored again. Calvin Pickard was in net for the whole game.

The Colorado Avalanche don’t have that much trouble before Christmas. They’ve won three (including this season), lost one in regulation and one in the shootout. However, it doesn’t matter if the team is at home or away, if they’re facing the Blackhawks or some other team, Colorado has been unable to win after Christmas the last five seasons.

Next: 4 Keys for the Long Home Stand

Hopefully captain Gabriel Landeskog talks to them about those Christmas cookies — and overall sluggish play — coming out of the three-day holiday. And hopefully they get back into their hockey groove for the upcoming game against the Maple Leafs at home.

Enough holiday cheer, boys.

Home/Editorials