Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen spoke to the media following Wednesday night’s beatdown at the T-Mobile Arena against the Vegas Golden Knights.
The lopsided 8-4 score made the Avs’ performance look much worse than it really was. The Avalanche got off to a strong start, opening the scoring in the first period. But then, the Golden Knights pulled away, eventually opening up a 7-4 lead before burying an empty-netter to seal the win.
After the game, Rantanen addressed the media following his brilliant three-goal performance. While Rantanen lauded his teammate’s efforts to put up goals, he was visibly frustrated with the defensive side of the equation.
At one point, Rantanen stated: “Fall asleep even for a little bit, I feel like it’s going into our net now.”
Reading between the lines, Rantanen’s comments allude to the shaky outing by Alexandar Georgiev and Justus Annunen. The duo combined for seven goals allowed on 20 shots.
Of course, it’s unfair to pin the blame solely on the netminders for the loss. However, there is a point where goaltenders need to bail out their teammates. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen on Wednesday night.
Moving forward, there will be all sorts of questions asked about the goaltending situation in Colorado. With Georgiev in the final year of his current deal, and with Annunen not taking a step forward, a goalie controversy could emerge for the Avs.
Perhaps it’s too premature to push the panic button. But in the meantime, the Avs need to find quick answers to the situation. A prolonged losing streak to open the season could significantly damage the Avs’ chances at playoff success.
Exploring goaltending options for the Colorado Avalanche
Finding a solid number-one goaltender is easier said than done. The goalie market is bone dry at this point in this season. There are limited options that could be had, especially on the trade market.
If the Avs wanted to explore other options out there, the club may need to wait till the New Year to see which teams are out of contention. For example, a team like the Anaheim Ducks might be willing to part with John Gibson close to the deadline.
As for internal options, the cupboard looks bare. Trent Miner and Kevin Mandolese don’t look like they could leap in and run with the NHL job. While both are serviceable netminders, the likelihood of them taking over the starting role is doubtful.
Overall, it seems there are limited options for the Colorado Avalanche. The best scenario is for the goaltending situation to sort itself out by having Georgiev and Annunen pull things together. But if there are no visible signs of improvement soon, the Avs may need to scramble for a solution.