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Colorado Avalanche Need to End Decade with a Bang

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 31: Fireworks go off after the New Year's Eve match up between the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Islanders at the Pepsi Center on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Islanders 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - DECEMBER 31: Fireworks go off after the New Year's Eve match up between the Colorado Avalanche and the New York Islanders at the Pepsi Center on December 31, 2017 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Islanders 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche need a win tonight. Not only will they end the decade on a high note, they need to get back to their winning ways.

The Colorado Avalanche started the decade on a high note. On January 2, 2010, they beat the Blue Jackets in Columbus. It was the first game of the decade we’re concluding tonight.

Tonight, the Avalanche are at home, in Pepsi Center. They’re hosting a Central Division rival, the Winnipeg Jets. They really need to win tonight’s game. They’ve dropped some four-point games recently, and tonight would be a good time to recoup some of those losses.

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The Avalanche pretty much always play a game on New Year’s Eve. And they’re more often than not victorious. So, on this New Year’s Eve that’s also New Decade Eve, let’s look at some keys to the game.

Special Teams

The Colorado Avalanche have struggled with special teams of late. They’ve failed to find goals with the man-advantage, but they’ve been allowing goals on the penalty kill.

During practice yesterday, the team shook up the power play. They removed Gabriel Landeskog and Nazem Kadri from the first power play unit and replaced them with Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi.

Okay.

And then Bednar announced he’s going to double-up Nathan MacKinnon on the power play. That reminds me of a Brett Hull quip. He stated he’d make a bad coach because he’d just keep playing the best players until they puked.

Ah, well, my criticizing the movement means the gambit will work. You’re welcome.

Third Period Leads

They need to stop blowing those, third period leads that is. They’ve done so in four of the last five games, which has cost them all four of those games.

They need to stop giving up leads of any kind. Put the boot on the throat when they have a lead. The Winnipeg Jets are a good team. They’ll take that proverbial mile if you give them an inch.

Five-Man Defense

We all know the Avalanche players can skate. And we know they can score, usually anyway. But their defense has been lacking.

I’m not pointing fingers at the defensemen. Colorado’s defense is designed to function as a five-man unit. Too often the players are forgetting to work with their teammates on both the forecheck and the backcheck.

Those are the basics the Avs need to get back to tonight. Because I really do want to see them end the decade with a bang, not a whimper.

Next. Evaluation of Sam Girard. dark

How to Enjoy the Game

Game Time: Dec. 31, 6:00 pm MT
TV: Alt 2, TSN3 (Jets’ feed)
Radio: Altitude Radio (FM 92.5/AM 950)

After tonight’s game, the arena entertainment crew will put on an indoor fireworks display. They’ve done so for a couple years now, and it’s very popular with the fans.

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