A one-goal lead heading into the final minute of the third period ended up in a loss.
In regulation.
The Avalanche were defeated 4-3 by the Nashville Predators on Monday in the most stunning of ways. They led 3-2 in the final minute before the Preds tied the game up after a lengthy attack in the offensive zone with their goalie pulled. Forward Filip Forsberg eventually got one past Avs goalie Alexandar Georgiev to knot the game up at 3-3 with just 38 seconds remaining. But it didn’t stop there.
On the ensuing shift, defenseman Cale Makar was trying to flip the puck around the Avs net using the glass. The puck took an errant bounce and ended up deflecting right back in front of the goal, which quickly led to a scramble and a goal for Yakov Trenin. It came just 16 seconds after the game-tying goal to stun the Avs.
Colorado came away empty-handed, unable to get the game to overtime to at least salvage a point. It’s the second time this season that the Avalanche have given up the game-winning goal in the final minute of regulation. Andrew Cogliano, Devon Toews and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avs, who fell to 11-6-0.
Outside of the last-minute breakdown, Colorado did a lot of good. Several players continued to build on what has been a recent hot stretch for a team coming off a three-game winning streak.
Cogliano’s tally was his third in three games and came shorthanded. The assists belonged to Makar and Nichushkin. Makar ended up tallying a helper on the other two goals as well, increasing his point streak to seven games (goal, 15 assists). He has also recorded three assists in each of the last three games, becoming just the fourth defenseman to tally at least three points in three consecutive games in NHL history. Makar leads the NHL with 23 assists. His 27 points are one back of Quinn Hughes for most among defensemen in the early parts of the season.
Nichushkin’s two points improved his recent stretch to five goals and seven points over the past four games. MacKinnon also had two assists.