The Colorado Avalanche had two slow starts in their back-to-back games, and it cost them. They need to be better.
The Colorado Avalanche started two games late, and it cost them because, unfortunately, their opponents did not start late.
Colorado got a slow start in the Friday home game against the Dallas Stars, and it was very disappointing for several reasons. One was that the Avs had blown a third period, two-goal lead at home against the Florida Panthers on Wednesday, so the hope was that they’d come back ready to fight.
Another was that they had lost a second star, Gabriel Landeskog, and the hope was they’d come out ready to fight.
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Another was that they were playing against a Central Division rival, so there were four points up for grabs.
Alas, it didn’t matter. Colorado came out soft in the first period, and they allowed a goal late in the period. As they were still trying to get themselves into fighting shape, they allowed a short-handed goal in the second period. They finally got into their stride midway through the second, but it was too late. They fell to the Stars 2-1.
So, the Colorado Avalanche came into the Arizona Coyotes game with the above three memories — and their captain with a booted foot but a darling new baby girl — and they still came out completely flat in the first period.
Yes, they had just played in Denver the night before and could be tired… blah-blah-blah. Phoenix isn’t that far of a flight away from Denver, and every team has to travel. And the Avs did a better job of winning without selfsame Landeskog and Mikko Rantanen last season… when they had less depth.
Anyway, they came out flat in the first period, and this time it cost them two goals against. And this was against a stingy Arizona team that play mucky in the middle. So, when Colorado came back with their speed and finesse in the second period, it didn’t matter.
And then the Avalanche gave up a goal on the Coyote’s first shot of the period late in the period. And they went on to get shut out for the first time in the season.
I’d be “ok,” at least on some level, if the Colorado Avalanche just looked hard-pressed to put offense together with two of their best stars out of the lineup. However, that’s not what I saw. I saw a team that didn’t show any jump at all in either first period. I saw a team that didn’t bring it on until the second period, and by then it was too late.
When you’re missing two of your best stars, you can’t expect to take time off can come back to win. It’s just not going to work out that way.
Hopefully the Colorado Avalanche have actually learned that lesson with the Arizona game. Luckily, they got off to a red-hot start, so they have a few points to play with. But they can drop like a lead balloon quickly if they don’t get back with the program.