Recap: Avs flatline against Lightning in final game of disastrous road trip

7 months ago  /  Mile High Hockey

Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images


Avalanche lose 6-3 as they lose fifth game in six. As the Colorado Avalanche eyed their final game of a grueling six-game road trip they were looking to feed off of their first win in five games and go home with back-to-back wins.
Recap
The first period is what most would describe as a good road period. The Avs didn’t play well to start but were able to jump ahead early. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen made a familiar give-an-play at the top of the zone on the rush as Bowen Byram zoomed to the back post. A beautiful pivot move by Rantanen gave him the space to feed the cutting Byram. After a two-point night against Washington Byram was able to tip the pass into a yawning cage for his first goal since returning from injury.


Tic-tac-toe we're up 1-0! #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/0br0hmVZKx— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 16, 2024




Barely two minutes later, the Lightning struck twice (no pun intended) and snatched the lead from the Avalanche. The first came from Brayden Point, who got the puck all alone in the slot after a funky bounce off the stanchion gifted him a goal. Tampa’s second goal came 67 seconds later when the Avs got caught in their zone and Brandon Hagel fed Nikita Kucherov for a one-timer that Justus Annunen had no chance on.


2️⃣1️⃣ can you do somethin' for me? pic.twitter.com/NF0Z1w8LWr— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 16, 2024






HOT OFF THE PRESS! A KUCHEROV GOAL pic.twitter.com/uJwLLXFtkR— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 16, 2024




The Avalanche weren’t the better team that period but it’s fair to say they probably didn’t deserve to be down.
They came out much better in the second period and controlled play throughout. They had some breakdowns and the Lightning were able to create some quick strike chances but Justus Annunen stood tall and kept the Avalanche within one.
During one of the Avs's better shifts of the game, Nathan MacKinnon took a puck hard under the visor after it was deflected by Nick Paul. MacKinnon went down the tunnel with blood pouring down his face but later returned with a seemingly broken nose.


Ouch. Hope MacKs okay. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/5q1WgMFcId— Mile High Hockey (@MileHighHockey) February 16, 2024




Following the MacKinnon return the Avs got an extra jolt of life and Annunen’s aforementioned quality allowed the Avalanche to eventually tie the game on a play extremely reminiscent of one of their last trips to Tampa Bay.
Ross Colton had a mini breakaway on the Tampa Bay net and was able to flip a backhander on Andrei Vasilevskiy. It appeared that Vasilevskiy swallowed the puck in his chest until Bowen Byram zipped behind the netminder and the official began frantically signaling goal at the net. Further inspection showed that the puck squeaked behind Vasilevskiy and Byram was the only one who noticed, allowing him to tuck the puck into the net and tie the game with his second of the night.


Another look at Bo’s second goal ⬇️#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/JvBgQnyq7w— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 16, 2024




That gave the Avalanche life as they were finally rewarded for their hard work in the second. They entered the third period tied and had a chance to take the lead with a powerplay less than five minutes into the final frame.
It was a sloppy powerplay to start. Colorado constantly had to regroup and struggled to muster any chances. Eventually, MacKinnon just threw a puck on net and Artturi Lehkonen masterfully pulled the puck towards the net with his tick to give the Avalanche the lead.


How it happened #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/YNQH5VjLkb— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 16, 2024




Somehow that was where the wheels fell off the bus for the Avalanche.
The shift after, Steven Stamkos snuck behind Bowen Byram and Devon Toews. Nikita Kucherov noticed the cherrypicker and flipped a puck toward his captain at the Colorado blue line. It barely got to him in time to stay onsides and he was able to deke Annunen on a clean breakaway to tie the game.


Cap doin' what he does best pic.twitter.com/6LOtF2CXtY— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 16, 2024




Things got even worse for the Avalanche when four minutes later they got caught with four guys out high in the defensive zone, despite not having the puck. This left Tampa Bay with a two-on-one deep in the Avalanche zone and Nikita Kucherov was able to get his second goal of the game in an incredibly similar fashion to his first.


2 goals, 3 points, and the game isn't even over. That's #EasyToCelebrate pic.twitter.com/Zx7RybeDPg— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) February 16, 2024




Yet again the Avs lead quickly dissipated before their very eyes. And despite having over half of the third left it felt like the Avs were never particularly close to tying the game. Tampa Bay shut them down and got two empty net goals to make the game 6-3.
Takeaways
This has been an incredibly frustrating two weeks for the Avalanche and their fans. There’s not a whole lot of positives to take away from this game or most of the five games before it.
Byram and Annunen were the Avs's best players tonight and they both deserved much better than what they got. Annunen hasn’t been lights out or anything in the games he’s played this year but he looks much sharper and effective than in years before. It’s even more impressive considering the team in front of him has given him minimal support in all three games. Byram is finally taking the steps the Avs needed from him. These past two games he’s been, for my money, the Avs best skater and it’s been reflected on the scoresheet. His confidence is likely at a season high and he needs to carry that down the stretch.
As for his fellow defensemen, I was not thrilled tonight. Cale Makar and Devon Toews especially just looked rough. I’m not entirely sure what’s going on with both of them this year. They just continue to make these brutal defensive plays together that end up in the back of their net. Not good from a top pairing.
For the rest of the team, I thought they were fine all things considered. This team just needs to get home and reset. They have some work to do to even up from this rough six-game road trip.
Upcoming
The Avalanche have a much-needed two days off before they finally return home to finish their season series with the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday at 4:00 p.m. MT. Mile High Hockey will have you covered then....

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