Prior to a tough 2-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche had been hot as can be. You can’t win every game, and it took a pivotal late goal for the Blues to gain the edge. All the Avalanche could do was brush themselves off and try to get back to performances like their 4-0 drubbing of the Los Angeles Kings.
This looked for a while like they were back on track, leading 2-0 with roughly 10 minutes remaining in the game. But in the span of 0:32, the Calgary Flames had tied the game and stolen all of the momentum, eventually winning in a shootout. Let’s get into the takeaways from a tough loss at home to the Flames.
Makar’s Chase Continues
There are two individual storylines on the Avalanche that we are all watching. The first is Nathan MacKinnon’s chase for his first Art Ross Trophy as league scoring champion, and possibly his second consecutive Hart Trophy win as league MVP. The other is Cale Makar’s chase of Mike Green’s modern mark for goals by a defenseman.
Makar has to be considered the frontrunner for the Norris Trophy. He notched his 28th goal of the season and seems like a lock to win his second Norris. But there would be something about surpassing Green’s 31 goals from the 2008-09 season.
Though he and the Avalanche would prefer the Stanley Cup, this would be a nice individual accolade. Defensemen don’t score goals at that rate pretty much ever, so joining select company is awesome. He would become just the 9th defenseman in league history to hit 30 goals, so it’s something worth pushing for.
It Feels Like the Avalanche Are Throttling Down
Until recently, the Avalanche were in contention for the second spot in the Central Division. The problem is that the Dallas Stars remained hot while the Avalanche went on their run. Now that the Avalanche have lost two in a row, the Stars have won six straight, and the gap is eight points with seven games to go.
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The fact of the matter is that the Stars and Avalanche have been on a collision course for a long time now, it was just a matter of who gets home ice. The Avs don’t feel like they are playing their hearts out anymore, and it’s cost them a couple of games.
Though they have a six-point lead on the Minnesota Wild, they need to be careful not to get too lax. Saving something for the playoffs is fine, but there still needs to be a little bit of heart and passion in the lineup to prevent going into the playoffs on the wrong foot.
The Late Collapses Can’t Happen
For two periods, it looked like the Avalanche were back on track. They limited the Flames to just 12 shots total, never really giving up a high-danger chance. They also got a depth contribution from Logan O’Connor, giving the team a 2-0 lead that felt insurmountable at that stage.
A couple of defensive lapses later, and the game was tied. The Flames were the better team in the third period, and it eventually carried them to the win. It’s hard to really complain about this loss, especially getting the overtime point, but it’s always concerning to see a loss like this.
These Last Few Games Feel Like Limbo
It’s hard to even criticize losses like this late in the season. The Avalanche are still playing but know that there is a 99% chance that they are going to be the third seed in the Central Division and have a date with the Stars in the opening round.
These last seven games are important for maintaining momentum, however. Going into the playoffs with some momentum can be a difference-maker, especially against a team as good as the Stars. The Avalanche don’t need to win all seven games, but they do need to show why so many people felt they were a team to be reckoned with.
