Recap: Colorado falls completely flat in Vancouver

1 day ago  /  Mile High Hockey

Photo by Derek Cain/Getty Images


An overall unfortunate and frustrating night for the Avs starts the road trip out West on a sour note. That was probably one of the most frustrating games of the year. The Colorado Avalanche fell completely flat against Vancouver to open up a three-game road trip out West, falling by a final score of 3-1.
Let’s look back on how it all happened.
First Period
It would take a while for either team to get on the board, but it would be Vancouver who would score first at the 16:14 mark. Colorado was having another slow first period, what else is new, right? This play initially looked pretty harmless as the puck was sent in front of the net, and it looked like Mackenzie Blackwood froze it and made the save. However, the puck would end up sitting to the left of Blackwood, and Kiefer Sherwood would tuck it home to make it 1-0.


KIEF CLEANING UP IN FRONT❗️ pic.twitter.com/nUaV72Ti2f— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 17, 2024




Second Period
Hopefully, it will become an option in the NHL at some point or another to decline a power play opportunity, seeing how Colorado’s power play costs them. They gave up a short-handed goal to Sherwood. There’s nothing really special about this goal, the power play just did exactly what it’s done up until this point in the game (which is absolutely nothing.) In fact, they turn it over on the zone entry this time, and it costs them a goal, putting them down 2-0.


KIEF IT GOING. pic.twitter.com/a8vhC4FbYM— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) December 17, 2024




Third Period
Colorado had a power play opportunity late in this period where it actually looked like a powerplay where they got pucks to the net, so yippee! They still failed to convert though. Sherwood would score on the empty net and end his night with a hat trick, too.


FIRST CAREER HAT TRICK FOR KIEFER SHERWOOD! pic.twitter.com/9cWabDu4rz— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 17, 2024




Valeri Nichushkin would spoil the shutout at the 19:14 mark in the third period. However, it was too little too late, giving us a final score of 3-1.


Thanks Val #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/EDwLJXELYp— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) December 17, 2024




Takeaways
First and foremost, I’m not sure about anyone else, but watching the Colorado power play is the equivalent of getting teeth pulled, it’s just painful to watch right now. They seem way too pass-happy and constantly look for the one extra pass that’ll lead to an easy goal, and just aren’t able to do anything meaningful, which has to change. Looking for an extra pass isn’t inherently a bad thing, but with the way it’s going right now, you just have to get pucks to the front of the net, under any circumstances. The power play directly cost them a goal in the second period by allowing a short-handed goal. All of that being said, the Avs are somehow still ninth in the league in power play percentage on the season, so that’s at least some encouraging news.
This game was just frustrating beyond anything else at the end of the day. Colorado seems to finally get some stops from Blackwood against Nashville on Saturday, and here tonight, but the skaters just aren’t able to get anything done in front of him against Vancouver. You’re going to go through ebbs and flows all season, games like this happen. Take what you can from this game, forget the rest, and move on. To use a quote from one of my favorite TV shows, Ted Lasso, be a goldfish.
Upcoming
Colorado heads out to San Jose to visit old friends Alexandar Georgiev and Nikolai Kovalenko on Thursday, and Mackenzie Blackwood returns to his old team as well. Puck drop will be at 8:30 p.m. MT.
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