The final stretch for the Colorado Avalanche is crucial. The team is battling for a top spot in the Central Division but has hit several road bumps.
Valeri Nichushkin and Yakov Trenin have been absent because of injury, but both rejoined the lineup in tonight’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. While both players undoubtedly make a monumental impact on the team’s performance, the game against Edmonton was the second game in a back-to-back run
The good
The beginning of the game was off to a hot start. Corey Perry from Edmonton scored an early goal with a fortunate bounce, but Jonathan Drouin evened the score at the 12-minute mark with an assist from Nathan MacKinnon.
Drouin with the equalizing goal assisted by none other than Nathan MacKinnon.
Tied at 1 with the Oilers outshooting the #Avs 13-4.
6:13 to go in the first frame. #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/M1T15MnYyL
— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 6, 2024
The quick bounce back into the game was promising, especially against a team as successful as the Oilers.
Even better, Ross Colton lit the lamp only four minutes later, giving the Avalanche the advantage. The game looked promising, and with all players back on the ice, it had the potential to be a good game.
Ross Colton puts the Avs ahead by one.
2-1 #Avs. #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/OngezBjC9Q
— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 6, 2024
Despite being outshot 16–6 in the first period, the team held strong and scored on the few chances they had.
The Avalanche were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill. Against a competitive team, the ability to shut down any advantage is key.
The bad
The game quickly fell apart after Mikko Rantanen took a hard hit in the second frame and headed down the tunnel. Because of an upper body injury, Rantanen would not return to the game, and his absence was noticeable.
With a quick line shuffle, everything seemed okay. They entered the second period tied up with two goals, but they would quickly find themselves in a hole they could not dig themselves out of.
Despite Colorado’s reputation for unlikely comebacks, Edmonton’s relentless efforts and excellent defensive skills successfully prevented the top scorers from reaching the net.
They quickly took the lead 3–2 and added an insurance goal with a buzzer beater.
This is the goal that was under review.
EDM is heavily outshooting the #Avs 24-9. #GoAvsGo @TheRinkColorado https://t.co/txKeEX1SkT
— Savvy Rafkin (@savvyrafkin) April 6, 2024
Early in the season, this performance can be acceptable. But with five games left in the season and the Central Division playoff seating on the line, allowing four goals in two periods and being outshot 47–23 will have huge consequences in the postseason.
The team only won 33.9 percent of faceoffs and had 12 giveaways, both of which make winning the games unfavorable.
Takeaways
Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev is not entirely to blame for this loss, but his performance in the last few games he has played has been concerning.
Overall, he has a successful record. He sits 37–15–4 on the season, but in the last few games he has looked panicked and disorganized.
He allowed four goals against the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 4. Luckily, Justus Annunen has stepped up to the plate and provides reliable relief to Georgiev. Annunen’s relaxed presence in the net is exactly what the team needs from a secondary netminder.
If Rantanen has a long-term absence, the modifications to the lineup could take some time to find chemistry. The top line for the Avalanche has been not only consistent but also very successful.
Rantanen is one of the top point scorers for Colorado, and his chemistry with MacKinnon is a huge contributor to the team’s overall success.
The next five games are crucial to the team’s postseason run. They are only three points away from the Dallas Stars. With their game on April 9 against Dallas, a win would be a monumental step forward.
Moving forward into the ultimate games of the regular season, the team’s performance will be a good indicator of what to expect, especially if Rantanen does not have a timeline to return.