If it’s full steam ahead coming out of the All-Star break, then the Avalanche are going to want a do-over.
Colorado entered the break riding a hot streak — going 11-3-1 in its last 15 games. It’ll need to win 11 of its next 12 games to match that stretch. The Avs once again were defeated on Thursday, falling for the third straight game (0-2-1) since the week began. This time, a 5-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena in a game that saw a lot of the same poor habits that have hurt this team on the road all week — and even in previous road trips.
Slow starts, poor special teams, and an inability to keep the puck out of their net.
The Hurricanes scored the first three goals, a natural hat trick by Martin Necas, before the first period was three-quarters of the way through. While the Avalanche did breathe some life into the game late in the first period, it was ultimately all they had to offer in terms of offensive production. They also went 0-for-6 on the power play — falling to 0/12 since the break. And they surrendered five goals for the second straight game. Colorado has just six goals in three games at the halfway point of its season-long six-game road trip.
Trailing 3-0, the Avs managed two goals in five seconds inside the final minute of the opening frame. First, a setup from Logan O’Connor to Zach Parise gave the 39-year-old veteran his first in an Avalanche uniform. On the ensuing faceoff, Andre Cogliano won it back to Samuel Girard, who fired a dump-in toward the goalie from just inside the red line and beat Pyotr Kochetkov. The knuckler helped set an Avalanche record for the quickest two goals in franchise history.
Colorado seemed to have life, but it was short-lived. Carolina added the only tally of the second period before eventually adding an empty netter in the third. Kotchetkov played the first and final periods, making 16 saves on 18 shots. Antti Raanta replaced him to start the second before suffering a lower-body injury after just 20 minutes. He made nine saves.
The Avs’ power play was stymied all night by an aggressive Hurricanes penalty kill. It was reminiscent of how both the Rangers and Devils played shorthanded against Colorado earlier in the week. And it was what superstar defenseman Cale Makar described as a wake-up call post-game.
If the Avs are looking to figure out their road woes, it starts with a successful power play. Their 20-5-0 record at home is not as strong and effective when they’ve managed just a 12-11-4 record on the road. And that includes winning the first four games away from Ball Arena to start the season. They are 8-11-4 since.
The trip continues on Saturday against the Florida Panthers, who came into Ball Arena and handed Colorado one of its five losses on home ice. Florida doubled up the Avs 8-4 in January.
