It has been tough sledding of late for the Colorado Avalanche. Coming into Wednesday night’s contest with the Winnipeg Jets, the team had lost four of its previous six, including a 3-0 shutout at the hands of the Jets on Jan. 11. That made this matchup all the more important.
Though they did manage to take a point with them, losing in overtime to the Jets was a major disappointment. There are a few important takeaways from this one, so let’s dive right into it in the aftermath of the 3-2 overtime decision.
Offense Is Stagnant
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that the offense has looked a bit rough of late. Sure, Cale Makar is in rarified air and the Nathan MacKinnon Show is chugging along toward another MVP. Having said that, it’s become similar to the start of the season when the big three had to carry the ball in the wake of so many injuries.
Speaking of which, the injury to Valeri Nichushkin is clearly hampering the Avalanche. He was playing some of the best hockey of his career before having to exit the lineup and had found a niche with MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. The disappearance of the middle six hasn’t helped matters.
It’s unfortunate that the offense has gone soft during critical divisional games, like managing just one goal in a loss to the Minnesota Wild. In the last eight games, the Avalanche have managed three goals or more just four times. They’ve scored one goal or fewer in three of those games. Something has to change because the bread and butter of this team isn’t getting it done.
Blackwood Needs Help
After a scorching start, it seems to some that Mackenzie Blackwood isn’t quite where he was after being acquired by the Avalanche. He’s given up three or more goals in his last three starts but the numbers don’t tell the entire story. Just look at this most recent game against the Jets.
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Blackwood was solid, stopping 22 of 25 shots on the night. That said, you can only really blame him for one goal, the overtime winner by Neal Pionk. The other two goals were clear defensive lapses that put Blackwood in an untenable position that most goaltenders aren’t going to get out of.
Team defense has been lacking for stretches this season. A clear example came midway through the second period. Up 1-0, Morgan Barron streaked down the middle of the ice as Juuso Parssinen hovered just out of reach. Barron was untouched in front, finishing a great pass from David Gustafsson. Team defense has got to be better if they’re not going to score.
The Team Looks Tired
The Avalanche have looked a little sluggish of late. That jump, particularly on the offensive end, has been missing for the last little while. The big names are producing by sheer force of will, but they don’t look quite as dominant as they have throughout the season.
It’s a long season and giving your all for 82 games is a tough thing to do. It happens. That said, it’s been bordering on double-digit games that they have looked like they’ve been lacking jump. They need to find that gear and push the pace like they do when they are on top of their game.
Things Need to Turn Around
What was once the hottest team in the NHL has suddenly become lukewarm, at best. The Avalanche are just 4-4-2 in their last 10 games, losing two critical games to the Jets in the process and one to the Wild. Giving away points to the Chicago Blackhawks doesn’t help, either.
The coming stretch is a favorable one. The Boston Bruins, New York Rangers, and New York Islanders are struggling. The next 10 games will be pivotal before finishing out the month with home games against the New Jersey Devils and the Wild. The Avalanche are still in the thick of it, but the margin for error is becoming slimmer.
