The Colorado Avalanche lost the worst game of the season on Monday night. The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the Avs 8-2 in what can only be described as a shellacking.
Following the game, coach Jared Bednar talked to the media, mentioning how the team just wants to put this game behind them and move on.
Now, I wouldn’t have normally taken such comments at face value. But given the way things have gone for the Avalanche over the last couple of weeks, the team gets a pass.
Bednar was honest in stating, “Our brains were not turned on.” While certainly amusing, the comment underscores what tends to happen in professional spots. From time to time, even the best athletes have lapses.
After all, how many times have we seen pros miss easy putts or drop a routine fly ball? It happens in every sport. It’s how teams and athletes react to those experiences that set them apart from the others.
That’s why Bednar’s comments ultimately make sense. The Avs have to put this dreadful game behind them and move on. They can’t dwell on one bad performance. As Bednar stated, they have a gauntlet coming up. The Avs are getting set for what could make or break their season.
If they get out of the gauntlet in good shape, they’ll be a better team for it. Otherwise, the Avs season could end much sooner than expected.
The gauntlet could define the Colorado Avalanche's season
In medieval times, a gauntlet was a proving ground where knights and soldiers demonstrated they belonged. Every sport has a gauntlet. There’s a part when athletes must prove they belong. Pick any sport and it’s got its own gauntlet.
For the Colorado Avalanche, that gauntlet begins on Wednesday night when they take on the Vegas Golden Knights. Then, it’s back-to-back games against the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Coincidentally, the Avs are battling the Oilers for a wildcard spot while chasing the Stars for third place in the Central.
The next three games in four nights could define the Avalanche’s season. A sweep could put Colorado in the driver’s seat. Three losses could put the Avs in quite a predicament.
As such, the Avalanche need to get as many points of out the next three games as possible. That approach starts with getting both Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen focused and ready to battle. Sure, the Tampa game stung.
It’s one that will stand forever.
But would the game really matter if the Avalanche won the Cup? Would anyone care that the team got blown out in November when they’re celebrating in June?
The point is that one game does not make or break a season . But it can be a turning point, for better or worse. Like all great champions, the Avs must lick their wounds and move. The next three games could be the most crucial stretch of the season.