For the first time all season, things don’t feel like they are going as smoothly as possible for the Colorado Avalanche. Considering the fact that they had just three regulation losses coming into Tuesday night is quite the statement to make.
After losing to the Florida Panthers on Sunday, the Avalanche looked to rebound against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Instead, they suffered their second consecutive regulation loss, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Lightning.
The First Real Adversity of the Season
Just to make it clear: the Avalanche are still 11 points up in the division and have a game in hand on the Dallas Stars and two in hand on the Minnesota Wild. Things are still excellent, and the world is not falling. That said, this is the first case of real adversity facing the Avalanche.
Injuries are beginning to mount. Devon Toews is “week-to-week”, Gabriel Landeskog will “miss some time,” and Mackenzie Blackwood is hurt yet again. The Avalanche might be the deepest team in the league, but you can only lose so many pieces before it becomes tough to manage.
Losses happen and, while they might not be ideal, are not the end of the world when you have an .821 points percentage. The lineup is going to have to play above board for the next couple of weeks until the critical pieces can return.
The Avalanche Lacked Jump in Their Game
While it is tough to lose those pieces and feel like things haven’t changed, there is no excusing the complete lack of jump that the Avalanche seemed to have on Tuesday night. Maybe it’s just the inevitable Tuesday night lull, but the Lightning played with more intensity and a greater sense of urgency.
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The Avalanche have become known for their team speed and tenacity, but that was largely missing on Tuesday. They pushed late in an effort to cut the deficit, but it really wasn’t enough to make a difference.
For now, we’ll chalk this up to one of “those games” that even the best teams have. The Lightning are no slouch, either. They are tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference, and sometimes you lose to good teams.
Depth Showed Up
Looking on the positive side of things, the depth for the Avalanche showed up. Brock Nelson continues to be excellent, scoring his 19th of the season to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead halfway through the second period.
On a night where Nathan MacKinnon was quiet – and lost the scoring lead to Connor McDavid – it was nice to see others step up to make contributions. Nelson’s addition really can’t be talked about enough. He’s on his best points-per-game pace since 2023-24, when he scored 34 goals and registered 69 points.
As dominant as MacKinnon and Cale Makar have been and can be, they can’t dominate for 82 straight games. The fact that the depth of the Avalanche had them in position to grab the lead late into the game speaks volumes.
It’s Time to Rebound
The Avalanche have a nice stretch coming up against teams lower in the standings or struggling. They are also home for the next seven games and have a chance to build up a nice winning streak before heading out on the road for four games.
If they lose to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday, it might be time to be a little nervous. The Avalanche are still a strong team even with those important pieces missing from the lineup, and it is time to bounce back as soon as possible.
