The Colorado Avalanche had to be riding high coming into Thursday night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. On Tuesday, they fell behind 4-0 in the first period to the Buffalo Sabres before making the epic comeback for the win. The challenge on Thursday, however, was a lot more daunting.
The Avalanche unfortunately were not up to the task. Though they looked like they might make it a game late, the Avalanche ultimately fell to the Hurricanes 5-3. Let’s get into the three most important takeaways from Thursday night’s loss.
The Avalanche Were Visibly Outmatched
It is no secret by now that the Avalanche are going through the season from hell. Look at the injury report and you will immediately notice key role players like Jonathan Drouin, Ross Colton, and Miles Wood (the last two on injured reserve). Against a team like Carolina, it’s a tough ask, especially on the road.
The Avalanche are going to be linked to any number of players for the remainder of the season simply because of their injury woes. As was the case to begin the season, it seems like the Avalanche are just going to have to buckle down and get through yet another tough stretch.
The Hurricanes are one of the best teams in the league, partially because they are so deep. When the Avalanche have everyone, they can compete with anyone. With so many names out, it’s tough to expect them to consistently compete with the upper-echelon teams like the Hurricanes.
Nuke(lear) Hot
The most positive takeaway from the night has to be the play of Valeri Nichushkin. The Avalanche needed him to be at his best upon returning to help mitigate some of the losses felt to the lineup. He may have had a slow start in November, but he has been red-hot of late.
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Nichushkin scored a pair of goals, the first of which was a sweet rush that culminated in a nasty snap shot past Pyotr Kochetkov to cut the Hurricanes lead to 3-2. After Martin Necas made it 4-2 a few minutes later, it took all of 24 seconds for Nichushkin to bring the lead back down to one again.
After a two-game reprieve, Nichushkin is hot once again. In his last seven games, he has a goal in at least four of them. That’s eight points in his last seven games, but he is stepping up at a time when the team needs him the most. It is a very positive sign, especially given how his year ended last season.
Scott Wedgewood Is Not a Solution
The trade for Scott Wedgewood felt a little confusing in the moment, but it was clear the Avalanche felt that they needed a veteran backup for Alex Georgiev. Given the latter’s performance this season, it feels obvious that the solution should have been someone who could platoon with Georgiev.
Wedgewood was fine on Thursday, not doing anything truly egregious but not playing well, either. He’s a career backup, someone who can show up in spot duty. It’s clear at this stage that the Avalanche are still going to ride with Georgiev for the bulk of the starts for better or for worse.
Against a team like Carolina, goaltending is critical. Wedgewood just isn’t the kind of goaltender who is going to steal a game like this. The Avalanche are hoping that Georgiev can find himself for good and become the dependable starter he has been the past two seasons. It is clear by watching Wedgewood that all of their eggs are still in the Georgiev basket.
A Break in the Schedule
The Avalanche do get a bit of a reprieve going forward. In their next five games, they play struggling teams like the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Utah Hockey Club, and Nashville Predators. The last two are especially important for their place in the Central Division standings.
Unfortunately, the Avalanche find themselves in yet another spot where they kind of have to survive until reinforcements come. They’re not in quite as bad a spot as they were earlier in the season, but injuries are looking like they may be too much to overcome at this point.
