{"id":425440,"date":"2026-01-24T11:39:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T11:39:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/425440\/"},"modified":"2026-01-24T11:39:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-24T11:39:13","slug":"postgame-wrap-blackwoods-struggles-pp-issues-sink-avalanche-in-homestand-finale","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/425440\/","title":{"rendered":"Postgame Wrap: Blackwood’s Struggles, PP Issues Sink Avalanche in Homestand Finale"},"content":{"rendered":"

An Embarassing power play, terrible goaltending, and far too many careless turnovers to count.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche ended their seven-game homestand on Friday with a 7-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Ball Arena. They outshot the opposition 35-20, but Mackenzie Blackwood made just 13 saves. Blackwood was 0-2 during the homestand, allowing 11 goals on 47 shots (.766 save percentage).<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been a bad stretch for the starting goalie.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s gotta get in the groove. He hasn\u2019t played enough hockey. He\u2019s gotta get going,\u201d head coach Jared Bednar said. \u201cThere\u2019s no question he can play a lot better than what we\u2019ve seen the last couple of games.\u201d<\/p>\n

The power play had two chances early and could not capitalize. The Flyers followed it up with a power-play goal of their own and did not trail the rest of the way. After Colorado climbed back to 3-3 to start the third period, Philadelphia blew the doors open and score four times.<\/p>\n

The Avs, again, couldn\u2019t get anything done with multiple PP opportunities. To add insult to injury, Owen Tippett scored the sixth Flyers goal on a shorthanded breakaway to complete a hat trick. They later added an empty netter.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat start of that third was too sloppy,\u201d Bednar said. \u201cThey came out working, and we were kicking the puck around, and they earned another couple chances and buried them. Then it was out of reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

Parker Kelly, Victor Olofsson and Cale Makar scored for the Avalanche, who are 3-4-2 in their last nine games. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each had two assists.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche had 14 of the first 15 shots. They were all over the Flyers and had two looks on the power play. Most of their four minutes on the man advantage were good but not great. Which seems to be a somewhat recurring theme with this team lately.<\/p>\n

On the 16th shot of the game, and second for the Flyers, Owen Tippett scored to make it 1-0 at 15:02. Shortly after that, MacKinnon was called for interference while the Avs were cycling in the offensive zone. And after two successful kills, the Flyers PP scored on their very first opportunity thanks to rookie Denver Barkey\u2019s second career tally.<\/p>\n

Philadelphia took a 2-0 lead into the intermission despite being outshot 17-6.<\/p>\n

Colorado got back on track, but still had some notable gaffes. They finally got on the board. Jack Ahcan put the puck on goal, and Kelly corralled the rebound and put it past goal Samuel Ersson on the backhand. Kelly\u2019s 10th of the season pulled the Avs within a goal at 7:17.<\/p>\n

But they weren\u2019t done yet. Just over three minutes later, the top line got to work. Necas sent a pass to MacKinnon, who entered the zone before dropping it to Olofsson. The Swedish winger fired it past Ersson for his 10th of the season, knotting the game up at 2-2 at 10:29. The Avs were back in the game.<\/p>\n

On the very next shift, the Avalanche regained control in the offensive zone. Ahcan blew a tire at the Flyers\u2019 blueline, and the rush came back the other way. After initially regaining control, the Avs gave it away again, and Bobby Brink scored an unassisted tally just 32 seconds after the Olofsson goal to put Philadelphia back ahead.<\/p>\n

The goal-scoring onslaught continued as the Avs answered back yet again. Makar got a pass from MacKinnon and fired a powerful wrister from the right circle past Ersson for his 15th of the season at 12:12.<\/p>\n

Then the third period happened. And it was all over for Colorado.<\/p>\n

Tippett got his second of the game on just their 15th shot of the evening to put them back ahead just 56 seconds in. At the two-minute mark, Matvei Michkov restored Philadelphia\u2019s two-goal lead.<\/p>\n

The third of Tippett\u2019s goals was the dagger. Makar turned the puck over, and Tippett\u2019s shorthanded tally came at 10:24. Michkov added the empty-netter.<\/p>\n

The Avalanche\u2019s seven-game homestand ends 3-2-2.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor our team, regardless of personnel and some of the stuff we\u2019re going through right now, it\u2019s not quite good enough,\u201d Bednar said.<\/p>\n

Bad: Power Play<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the same story almost every night.<\/p>\n

The first power play gets some nice looks, and then the frustration starts to settle in as the game progresses. The Avalanche had some chances on its first opportunity and couldn\u2019t score. They moved the puck well on the second opportunity, but Ersson was up to the task.<\/p>\n

Then it imploaded. The third-period PP chances were an embarrassment. You can feel the frustrations in every pass. The Flyers smelled blood and started playing Colorado more aggressively, which ultimately led to a shorthanded goal.<\/p>\n

Something has to change.<\/p>\n

Even with all the new looks, the PP is just far too predictable. There\u2019s a reason why goalies are making huge saves anytime the Avs actually get something going.<\/p>\n

Coaching through this has been a challenge.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think confidence is down on the power play a little bit,\u201d Bednar said. \u201cSo, you know, being too critical kind of balancing how much we get after our guys and how much we try and encourage our guys, and fighting the urge to flip guys off and try new guys all the time is sort of the toughest challenge we have right now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Good: Parker Kelly<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to highlight anything positive from a game like that. But I will say, 10 goals for Kelly at this point of the season is exactly the type of production you want from your depth guys.<\/p>\n

\u201cParker\u2019s a true pro. Everything he does is for the team,\u201d Bednar said.<\/p>\n


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