November 30th 2024.
In a game that showcased the Colorado Avalanche's ongoing struggles, both within their control and out of it, the Dallas Stars emerged victorious with a 5-3 win at the American Airlines Center on Friday night. The Avs' issues with their penalty kill, goaltending, and defensive work in front of the net were on full display, resulting in their second loss in three games after a brief period of success during this injury-plagued season.
Head coach Jared Bednar was quick to point out the team's shortcomings, stating, "We didn't handle their offensive rushes well, especially in the first and second periods. When you give a team like the Stars multiple high-quality chances off the rush, they will capitalize. Despite our players' effort and energy, the difference in the game was their ability to convert on their rush chances and take advantage of our special teams."
The Avs' biggest concern going forward is the availability of defenseman Josh Manson, who left the game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Bednar did not have an update on his status after the game, adding to the team's already extraordinary level of injuries. However, some reinforcements have arrived, but the Avs have now lost three players in just four games, including forwards Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood.
Up until now, the Avalanche's defense had managed to avoid the injury bug that has plagued their forwards. However, that luck ran out with Manson's injury. Defenseman Cale Makar expressed his hope that Manson's injury is not too severe, stating, "He's a crucial part of our back-end. His absence will be felt, but we have to find a way to push through it. I believe we did a good job with just five defensemen for the rest of the game."
Manson's role on the team goes beyond his on-ice performance. He is known for his physicality in front of the net and his ability to log heavy minutes on the penalty kill. These are areas where the Avs will need to improve, with or without Manson in the near future.
Despite a valiant effort from the Avs in the third period, where they scored two goals and closed the gap to just one, the concerns from the first two periods remained. The team's star players, including Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, were able to overpower the Stars, even while shorthanded, but it was not enough to secure a win.
The game started with the Stars scoring the first goal on a power play, with Tyler Seguin finding the back of the net off of a scramble in front of the Avs' net. The Avalanche responded later in the period with a power-play goal of their own, courtesy of Valeri Nichushkin, who has been on a hot streak since returning from suspension.
The Stars' next two goals were similar, with a rush from the other end of the ice resulting in an easy goal from close range. Despite the Avs' best efforts, they were unable to prevent these goals from happening. Jamie Benn and Roope Hintz were the beneficiaries of these plays, extending the Stars' lead to three goals.
The Avs' struggles on the penalty kill were evident throughout the game, with Dallas converting on their power-play opportunities. Bednar acknowledged the team's poor performance on the penalty kill, stating, "We have decent numbers, but it's not a combination of our goaltending and what we're allowing. Our penalty kill needs to improve as a whole."
As the Avalanche continue to deal with injuries and fight for consistency, it is clear that waiting for healthy bodies to return is not a viable solution. The team will need to find a way to improve and push through their issues if they want to have success in the future.
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