The Colorado Avalanche return home Friday night, looking to put their back-to-back East Coast losses behind them.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are rolling into town, and won’t make it any easier to end the slide. The Bolts are riding a three-game winning streak, and will be looking to continue bashing some heads.
Colorado has scored 4.10 goals per game, good for second in the NHL, but the recent defeats have raised questions about how good the Avalanche really are this season. In particular, the low-scoring losses in Philadelphia and New Jersey have exposed the lack of depth scoring beyond the usual suspects.
The Avs have an opportunity to quickly push the reset button, though the power play, in particular, remains a massive question mark.
Logan O’Connor to play though Avalanche still missing key pieces
Logan O'Connor is expected to return Friday, giving Colorado a valuable bottom-six forward and penalty killer back in the lineup.
O’Connor started the season on LTIR, thus making Friday’s appearance his season debut. His energy will be most welcome as the club looks to stabilize the forward group.
The problem is that O'Connor's return won't solve Colorado's lineup issues by itself. With Nic Roy and Zachary L'Heureux still out, the Avalanche are likely to stick with an 11-forward, seven-defenseman setup.
The club sent Gavin Brindley back to the AHL on Thursday, a decision that does raise some eyebrows, considering how well Brindley has played in the limited action he’s seen. The move is somewhat puzzling, as the Avalanche could really use another talented, and, above all, healthy forward in the lineup.
The 11-7 approach gives Jared Bednar flexibility on defense, but it also puts more pressure on the available forwards.
Against a hot Lightning team, Colorado could use the depth and energy of a full lineup. For now, though, the Avs have to make the best of what they have.
MacKenzie Blackwood looking to get the club back on track
MacKenzie Blackwood is expected to get the call in net, and his season numbers don't tell a simple story. Through seven appearances, he has a 4-3-0 record, a 2.90 GAA, and an .889 SV%.
That save percentage is hardly spectacular, but it doesn't mean Blackwood should get the blame, either. He stopped 30 of 32 shots against Pittsburgh on Oct. 16, then made 21 saves in the 3-2 loss to Philadelphia. In his previous win over Dallas, he stopped 24 of 26 shots for a .923 save percentage.
Blackwood’s recent outings are proof that he can keep the team in the game. Nevertheless, the Avalanche need more consistency in front of him, too, rather than expecting Blackwood to erase every defensive mistake.
Avalanche power play needs to show signs of life
Colorado's power play is another concern heading into Friday. The unit has struggled to convert its chances, and the coaching change hasn't immediately solved the problem. Brett McLean took over after Dave Hakstol left for Arizona State, but the Avalanche have had limited time to make meaningful adjustments.
There have been some tweaks already. Jaden Schwartz was promoted to the top unit, while Martin Necas moved to the second unit late in the game against Dallas. Those changes are worth watching as McLean gets more time to work with the group.
Colorado's power play doesn't need a complete makeover overnight. It does need to turn possession and talent into goals.
The Avalanche have enough offensive firepower to win this game. Now, they need their special teams to start proving it.
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