The Avalanche left Nashville with more questions than answers after a 6-2 loss to the Predators, and the most alarming part is how familiar this kind of night is starting to feel.
Colorado came into the game looking for a reset after a second straight loss, then followed a solid 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning with a flat outing that unraveled in a hurry. A lighter stretch on the schedule gave them a chance to build something. Instead, they gave away four power-play goals and never recovered.
Special teams told the story early and late. The Avalanche went 0-for-4 on the power play, but the bigger mess was the penalty kill, which surrendered four goals on seven Nashville chances.
That was the most power-play goals the Predators have scored since 2012. The numbers around Colorado’s special teams are starting to stack up in an ugly way, too: the penalty kill sits 22nd in the league at 75%, while the power play is 23rd at 17.9%.
That combination is tough to survive for long.
Scott Wedgewood was also part of the problem. With seven penalties to kill, he was under siege, but he still didn’t give Colorado much help.
Several of the goals came with chances he should have had before drifting out of position and letting them slip away. He was excellent a season ago, but that version of him hasn’t shown up here.
At this point, he’s been a solid backup - not the kind of goalie who can drag the Avalanche through rough patches. Mackenzie Blackwood is expected back in net when Colorado hosts the Devils on Wednesday night.
The defensive issues go beyond one game, though. The Avalanche are allowing 3.25 goals per game, which puts them 20th in the league.
For a team that has lived near the top of that category in recent seasons, that’s a major step backward. Some of that is on the goaltending, sure, but not all of it.
The breakdowns are showing up in the structure in front of the net, and they’re costing Colorado points.
There’s also a broader feeling around this team that something is off. The effort doesn’t look reckless or careless, but it hasn’t carried the same edge from night to night that it did last season.
Colorado can’t afford to keep drifting like this in a Central Division that won’t make life easy. The talent is there.
The urgency needs to catch up.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Just Missed On A Goalie Move Fans Will Feel
The market for a top-tier goalie can move quickly, and the Carolina Hurricanes were right in the middle of it as they tried to pry Connor Hellebuyck away from Winnipeg. Multiple trade ideas were explored, but the Jets asking price was never fully met, leaving Carolina to keep searching while other clubs kept tabs on the same opportunity.
For Devils fans, the more relevant twist is that New Jersey was the team that got the deal done. In a race where one contender kept trying to bridge the gap and came up short, the Devils emerged with the kind of move that can reshape a season, and the fallout from Carolinas near miss only makes the swap look even more consequential around the division. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Are Still Waiting For Hellebuyck To Address One Thing
Connor Hellebuycks arrival in New Jersey has already stirred plenty of attention, and not just because the Devils added a name that instantly changes the conversation around their crease. According to Elliotte Friedman, the Winnipeg Jets moved to trade him in part because they wanted to avoid a public mess, with concern that Hellebuyck might address the media after a required physical and turn an internal issue into a very public one.
Now the Devils are the ones waiting for the next chapter, because Hellebuyck is expected to debut soon and his first trip back to Winnipeg will carry its own weight. For New Jersey, the hockey part is obvious, but the larger storyline still hangs over the move: how he handles the inevitable questions, and whether the explanation for his exit ever becomes as important as his play. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Fans Finally Got Their First Look At A Stunning New Era
Connor Hellebuyck finally stepped onto the ice for his first practice with the Devils after arriving from Winnipeg in the multi-asset deal that immediately changed the look of New Jerseys roster. It was the sort of first glimpse fans had been waiting on since the trade, a chance to see how a major acquisition fits into a new locker room and a new structure.
Around the league, the ripple effects of the goalie market keep showing up in real time, with Logan Thompson and Jakob Chychrun leaving Capitals practice early because of injuries, including Thompsons lower-body issue. Elsewhere, Taylor Hall was back with the Hurricanes after his own lower-body injury, while newly signed Alexander Nikishin still had not rejoined Carolina after putting pen to paper on his one-year deal. [Read more 🡒]