Last place in the NHL, 11th win of the season — just the third for the goalie between the pipes in his 15th start. The Chicago Blackhawks were built to tank this season and on Thursday, the Avalanche were defeated 3-2 by the worst team in the league. It’s yet another in a long list of games that got away. But this one stings a little bit more, simply because, it was about as close to a must-win as Colorado’s had all year.
And now they’ve hit rock bottom.
Despite their 20-17-3 record and 1-6-1 stretch since the holiday break, many believe in the Avs and their ability to rebound and qualify for the postseason. One glimpse at the standings shows that while yes, things don’t look great, it’s by no means an unattainable goal. But the bigger question is, does this team even believe in itself right now? It’s hard to think they do after another lackluster performance, where it’s easy to lose count of all the lapses in their game.
Where do we begin?
Poor communication on a routine line change, 0-for-5 on a lifeless power play,12-plus minutes without a shot to start the second period, outplayed, outclasses and outsmarted by a team primed for a lottery ticket for this year’s No. 1 overall pick playing without their top star Patrick Kane. And to add injury to insult, Colorado’s veteran forward Darren Helm left the game early and did not return.
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The Avs finally got goaltender Pavel Francouz back into the lineup, giving starter Alexandar Georgiev a much-needed break after starting 12 straight games. Francouz made 27 saves but it wasn’t enough. Colorado surrendered the first goal after a defensive lapse led to a breakaway for Sam Lafferty. The teams ended up exchanging goals and were tied 2-2 heading into the third.
But even with two points up for grabs, you can almost feel the disappointment in the second-period performance — and the feeling that the game was lost before the Blackhawks even added the eventual game-winner.
The season isn’t over by any means. The Avs have the skill to string together five, six, or even 10 straight wins. And they probably will.
But until they figure out what’s ailing them beyond injuries — whatever it is that’s led to this poor stretch — they’ll likely continue to fall in the standings.
The skill is there. But the belief doesn’t seem to be.