The Colorado Avalanche must practice better game management to start getting some road wins. That’s the only way they have a chance of making the playoffs.
The Colorado Avalanche are about to embark on a three-game road trip through Canada. In fact, they play only five out of 14 of their February games at home.
This fact is a little tough for the team because they have been wizards at home, but not on the road. At home, they’re 18-7-1, which is really impressive. On the road, they’re a far less impressive 9-11-2.
So, if the Avalanche want to keep their playoff dream alive, they’re going to need to get their road game figured out. Naturally, one of the biggest challenges for any team on the road is that the home team gets the last change. That means the home coach can make the match ups that he wants.
Particular to the Avs, they’ve been found out. They’re fast, and the other teams know that. The Montreal Canadiens found a way to slow them down– by hitting heavy before they have a chance to take off. So, coaches can make the changes they want and put their heavy hitters out against the MacKinnon line.
Colorado can’t control that, but they can control what plagued them in St. Louis — game management. All the players who spoke to the press after the game, including Nikita Zadorov and Alexander Kerfoot as well as coach Jared Bednar, talked about not playing a full 60 minutes.
This is an issue that has long plagued the Avalanche. When they’re on their game, they can beat any team in the NHL, or at least make a good game of it. However, they take long periods of the game off — by the players’ own admission.
So, here’s a little armchair coaching advice that I don’t think anyone can really argue with.
First Period: Come Out Strong
The Colorado Avalanche seem to take a minute to get warmed up. A minute in hockey is a long time. You take the first few minutes of a period to get settled into playing, and the other team starts scoring.
The Avs players need to warm up during warmups. Whatever their pregame routine is, they need to complete it before they come out onto the ice for the start of the game.
So, when they line up for that first face off, they need to be in full game mode. The players need to approach those first few faceoffs like they’re numbers 12, 13 — with focus and comfort in their game.
Second Period: Keep up the Momentum Midway Through
Colorado Avalanche
Colorado sees some sustained pressure at the end of the first, but the buzzer cuts them off. They’re keeping that vibe up as they skate into the second period. Somebody’s giving good speeches in the first intermission locker room.
However, at about the mid-game mark, they can sometimes get lackadaisical again. This is true whether they’re up or down or dead even on the scoreboard.
If they’re up, they let opponents off the ropes. If they’re down, they start getting too cute trying to score by themselves rather than within the system.If they’re dead-even… I don’t know, maybe they get a little bored. Somehow, they just lose focus.
So, midway through the game, they simply have to double down on their focus. Stick to playing within the system.
Third Period: Don’t Wait for the 5-Minute Mark
Whatever speeches worked in the first intermission somehow fall flat in the second. Quite often the Colorado Avalanche come out flat in the third. In fact, they often play the third period like the first, like it takes them a few minutes to get warmed up.
And we don’t see really good Avs hockey until there’s about five minutes left in the game. When they’re trailing, that’s disastrous. You’re not going to wear an NHL goalie down. They should know that — Semyon Varlamov can make 50+ saves and not collapse from fatigue. They’ve asked him to do it.
Here’s where the top line needs to come out and lead the charge, especially if they’re trailing. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog have to come out with their best game in the early minutes of the third. They have to make a statement — not just to opponents, but to their own teammates.
Next: Avs Need to Sustain their Success in the Rebuild
The Colorado Avalanche play the Vancouver Canucks tonight, the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, and the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. All three of those teams are Western Conference rivals, with the Jets as actual Central Division foes. Colorado needs to win at least two of those games. And they’ll need to manage their game to do that.