What’s a losing streak?
As the grueling southeast road trip concluded with a tough third game in four nights, the Colorado Avalanche dropped their second game in a row in regulation in a 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colorado didn’t have their best game yet again with exhaustion setting in and finding their lineup much thinner due to recent injuries.
The Game
It was a cautious start for both teams with each earning a power play in the first period. Tampa Bay capitalized on their opportunity as Jake Guentzel stood to the left of Scott Wedgewood and picked his spot to put the Lightning up by one with just 12 seconds left on the clock until the first intermission. Tampa Bay also crafted a 12-7 shot advantage in the period as well.
As lackluster as the first 20 minutes were for the Avalanche, they turned that around with renewed purpose in the second period. It took a hard-working shift by the fourth line to create Colorado’s first goal of the evening. Zakhar Bardakov found a loose puck by the side of the crease and tucked it behind Andrei Vasilevskiy but the puck rebounded back to the net front. Parker Kelly was waiting to put that rebound back into the cage for a tie game.
Right at the end of a penalty kill Cale Makar and Brock Nelson were sprung on a rush and the latter finished the play on one the star Lightning netminder would probably like back and suddenly the Avalanche had the lead with a 2-1 advantage.
That’s not how the period would end, however, as an extended shift in the Avalanche defensive zone led to multiple breakdowns and eventually Zegmus Girgensons was alone on the doorstep and put the puck past Wedgewood. As the momentum shifted, it was a tie game again at 2-2 after 40 minutes of play.
Usually this is exactly how it sets up where Colorado just steamrolls the third period and picks up another win but it was the Lightning who found the go-ahead goal. Brandon Hagel was the ultimate beneficiary when Colorado got stuck in their own zone again on a cycle play. Only down one the Avalanche pulled Wedgewood for the extra attacker and found some pressure but Anthony Cirelli produced an empty net goal to give Tampa Bay a 4-2 victory, which was their eighth straight win.
Takeaways
Three road games in four days against tough opponents was always going to be a battle but injuries are starting to become a factor. Inserting both Taylor Makar and Ilya Solovyov into the lineup for an injured Gabe Landeskog and Devon Toews definitely weakens depth. Ironically, the fourth line had the best energy, created the first Avalanche goal and were the analytic warriors of the night but Makar and Bardakov saw one shift together in the third period. Managing a roster through less than ideal conditions is going to be the next task on the horizon for this club. Nathan MacKinnon looked ineffective, Cale Makar appeared exhausted. Not the best way to start the second half of the season.
Upcoming
Kicking off a seven-game homestand, the Colorado Avalanche welcome the Ottawa Senators at 7 p.m. MT on Thursday, January 8th.
Category: General Sports
