The Colorado Avalanche forgot they had a game on Tuesday night in New Jersey.
The Avs lost their second game in as many nights, this time dropping a 4-3 decision to the Devils at the Prudential Center.
The game wasn’t nearly as close as the score suggested. The Avalanche were down 4-1 late in the third period after pulling the goalie with over four minutes to go. The game seemed on ice, but two late goals pulled the Avs to within one. In the end, Colorado just ran out of time.
Sure, teams go through slumps throughout the season. But this has gotten to the point of concern for the Avalanche. On Tuesday night, the Avs just didn’t have anything going.
The first period told one heck of a story. Colorado was outshot 15-4, and somehow managed to escape tied a one. The second period wasn’t any better. The Devils peppered 17 more shots on Scott Wedgewood, and somehow only managed one goal.
By the time the third period rolled around, the Devils pulled away, Avalanche comeback notwithstanding.
So, you have to wonder if it really is time to worry about the Avalanche. Is there something going on that we don’t know about? Is this 11-7 setup doing the team much more harm than good? The Avs do have some cap space to call up healthy bodies, but it just doesn’t seem to be on the organization’s radar at this point.
While it’s just October, the current funk Colorado is in could be a harbinger for the rest of the season. That’s why the team needs to do something about the situation now, before it gets out of hand.
Special teams continues to be a problem for the Avalanche
On Tuesday night, special teams were once again a problem for the Avalanche.
The Avs did not generate anything on the power play. The Avalanche ended up going 0-for-1, with some signs of life showing up now and then, but nothing to really get excited about. The Devils' penalty kill deserves credit, but you have to think that the Avalanche need to do so much more than just pass the puck around and hope that a Nathan MacKinnon one-timer somehow gets through.
As for the penalty kill, the Avs killed off the only penalty they took in the game. That’s a positive, but the fact that the power play did not connect is something that certainly hurt Colorado.
Would a power play goal have made a massive difference in the game’s complexion?
What would have happened if the Avalanche turned on the jets much sooner in the game, instead of trying a desperate rally in the third?
All those are what-ifs at this point. But they are legitimate points of concern moving forward. Colorado will need to address these issues if they want to have any serious shot at generating consistent momentum.
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