The Colorado Avalanche looked like a team stuck in neutral on Wednesday night, falling 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators in a game that felt flat from the opening puck drop. The Avs managed just 17 shots on goal-eight of which came in the first 40 minutes-and never really found their rhythm in a game where urgency was in short supply.
This wasn’t just a loss-it was a performance that raised eyebrows. Colorado, now 35-7-9 on the season, has hit a bit of turbulence heading into the Olympic break, going 2-3-2 over their last seven games. And while every team goes through lulls, this one felt especially uninspired.
There were flashes-brief ones-but not enough to overcome a Senators team that executed their game plan to near perfection. Parker Kelly and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 18 shots in net.
The Avs were perfect on the penalty kill (3-for-3), but they never got a single power play opportunity of their own. That’s rare in today’s NHL, and while you can argue whether they deserved one or not, it’s hard to win when you’re not generating any pressure to draw penalties.
The tone was set early in the second period. Nick Cousins slipped behind the Colorado defense, took a feed from Artem Zub, and beat Blackwood to open the scoring at 3:21.
At that point, the Avalanche had just five shots on net. Five.
Halfway through the game.
Then came a spark. Parker Kelly tied it up at 14:05 with his 11th of the season, giving Colorado a jolt of life.
But it was extinguished almost immediately. Just 17 seconds later, Ottawa answered.
Tyler Kleven fired the puck off the end boards, and Ridley Greig beat Keaton Middleton to the rebound, snapping one past Blackwood to restore the Senators’ lead.
From there, Ottawa never looked back.
Claude Giroux extended the lead early in the third, scoring at 2:06 to make it 3-1. Nichushkin responded just over a minute later with a slick backhander-his 12th of the season-to make it a one-goal game again.
But that was as close as Colorado would get. The Senators sealed it with a pair of empty-netters from Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stützle.
Let’s talk about the officiating for a moment-not to make excuses, but to highlight a few moments that raised questions. There was a play where Tkachuk appeared to catch Sam Malinski up high with an elbow.
No call. And while the Avs didn’t exactly force the referees’ hands with their play, there were certainly moments that could’ve gone the other way.
But credit where it’s due: Ottawa executed their plan to near perfection. After getting torched for eight goals by the Avs in Denver earlier this season, the Senators flipped the script.
They played a low-event, grind-it-out style that limited Colorado’s speed and creativity. James Reimer didn’t have to be a hero in goal-because he didn’t face much danger.
When you hold one of the league’s most explosive offenses to 17 shots in 60 minutes, you’re doing something right.
Now, the Avalanche have less than 24 hours to regroup before heading to Montreal. With the Olympic break looming, this stretch matters-not just in the standings, but in terms of momentum and mindset. The Avs have set a high bar this season, but right now, they look like a team trying to find their footing again.