The last time we saw the Colorado Avalanche, they dropped their eighth game in overtime or a shootout, losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Given the Avalanche have a winning percentage north of .800, it probably didn’t register on the radar of most fans.
With the good news of Mackenzie Blackwood returning to the lineup, it felt like Friday night’s game against the Nashville Predators would be the quick rebound we have all come to expect. Instead, the Avalanche got put in their place by their division rival to the tune of 7-3.
Brock Nelson is Still on Fire
Let’s start with the positives before getting into the negatives. Very positive: Brock Nelson is still playing like his hair is on fire. Nelson scored two of the three Avalanche goals on Friday night, a key reason they were down just one with less than five minutes remaining in the game.
Brock Nelson, Colorado Avalanche (Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images)
Since Christmas – 10 games – Nelson has 10 goals and 15 points. If there is one minor criticism over that span, he’s a collective -3 but plus/minus has always been a somewhat deceptive stat. In any case, it is hard to ignore the kind of offensive output he has had so far this season.
With 24 goals and 40 points in 46 games, Nelson is playing like an elite second-line center. He has been exceptional overall, playing the tough, smart two-way game that was expected of him when he was acquired last season. He has been a major reason for the success of the Avalanche so far this season.
Net-Front Defense was Awful
The real culprit for last night’s loss is the team’s defense below the hash marks and in front of the net. On the very first goal just 30 seconds into the game, Ryan O’Reilly cut behind a defender and walked right in on Blackwood, finishing with a nasty backhander.
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O’Reilly was a consistent presence in front of Blackwood, causing havoc all night. The Avalanche also got a little unlucky, particularly on O’Reilly’s second goal. He attempted a pass in front of the net that went in right off the stick of Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard.
Nashville’s top line of O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg, and Luke Evangelista were dominant, combining for four goals and five assists. A lot of that work came from the hash marks and in, making it tough for Blackwood throughout the night.
Mackenzie Blackwood Wasn’t Great
Speaking of Blackwood, he wasn’t done many favors by his team, but he also wasn’t his best. Playing for the first time since Dec. 31, and hopefully this was one of those “shaking the rust off” performances.
Blackwood gave up five goals on 28 shots to what has generally been a bad Predators team. Again, he was done few favors by his team but there were a few instances where it felt like he could have made the stop and simply did not.
Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Like the team as a whole, it is tough to criticize Blackwood. When he’s been healthy, he has been excellent, posting a 13-2-1 record with a 2.26 goals against average and a sparkling .917 save percentage. Sometimes you have an off night and that feels like the case with Blackwood.
Get Back on Track
It is hard to be super critical of the Avalanche at this point. This was just their fifth regulation loss of the season and even good teams lay an egg sometimes. They could probably stand to add a little depth, but their lead in the Central Division is still 11 points and they have games in hand on both the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild.
All that said, it is a little disconcerting that the Avalanche now have a pair of losing streaks (albeit two-game losing streaks) to start the New Year. This team is good enough and deep enough that this shouldn’t be a prolonged issue, but it starts by making a statement the next time out.
