The Colorado Avalanche entered the season as a serious Stanley Cup contender. Three games into the campaign they are winless and searching for answers.
Colorado dropped to 0-3 after a 6-2 home loss to the New York Islanders on Monday night to extend its early-season funk. The Avalanche have allowed 20 goals – 17 with a goaltender between the pipes – despite having Cale Makar and reigning league MVP Nathan MacKinnon on the roster.
Colorado has been through tough stretches before. They began 2021-22 losing three of the first four before going on to win the Stanley Cup, but it’s not a comfort to coach Jared Bednar.
“Yeah, every year, multiple times,” Bednar said. “I just don’t like it because it’s at the start of the year.”
The first two losses this year – 8-4 at Vegas and 6-4 against Columbus on Saturday night – were due in large part to poor goaltending. Alexandar Georgiev, who led the NHL with 38 wins last season, was pulled from both losses and has allowed eight goals on 25 shots through the first two games.
He was better against New York despite allowing five goals, but it was the play in front of Georgiev that was the issue Monday night.
“I thought that was the worst defensive game of the three by a mile,” Bednar said. “It looked like we were cheating the game. If you’re going to cheat it for offense, then things aren’t going to look good defensively.”
“I’m just not moving my feet, not playing my game,” Makar said. “I’m hard on myself, but at the end of the day, I’ve got to be better for these guys. It’s definitely a lot closer game if I don’t play tonight.”
Colorado is missing four of its top-six forwards and played Monday without Makar’s partner, Devon Toews. Gabe Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) and Valeri Nichushkin (suspension) have yet to play this season, and Jonathan Drouin has been out since the season opener with an upper-body injury that could keep him out for weeks.
The injuries have forced Bednar to play several rookies and other young players. Calum Ritchie, a 19-year-old winger, scored his first NHL goal on Monday night but didn’t do much else.
The schedule doesn’t get easier, but at least the Avalanche will be at home. Colorado hosts Boston and Anaheim on Wednesday and Friday with an opportunity to halt its losing skid.
“Just try to find a way, maybe, to simplify the game a little bit and just not try too hard ... because it seems like it’s not working for us now,” Mikko Rantanen said.
Goaltending Woes
The Avalanche’s goaltending situation is a major concern. Georgiev, who was acquired from the New York Rangers last season, has struggled mightily to start the year. His performance in the first two games was so bad that he was pulled from both games. While he was better against the Islanders, he still allowed five goals. It’s not just the goals against, but the overall lack of confidence and composure that Georgiev has shown. He doesn’t look like the same goalie who won 38 games last season.
Depth Concerns
The Avalanche’s roster depth is also a major concern. The team is missing four of its top-six forwards and a key defenseman in Toews. Bednar has been forced to rely on young players, which has resulted in some inconsistent performances. The Avs need to get healthy, but it also highlights the need for more depth.
Will They Turn Things Around?
It’s only three games into the season, so it’s way too early to panic. However, it’s clear that the Avalanche need to make some adjustments. The goaltending needs to improve, and the roster depth needs to be bolstered. If the Avs can get their goaltending straightened out and get healthy soon, they’ll have a much better chance of turning things around. But if these issues persist, the Avalanche could be in for a long season.
A Time for Change?
The Avalanche are at a crossroads. Their goaltending situation is not sustainable, and their roster depth needs to be addressed. Will the Avalanche make a move to address these issues? Or will they hope that their current players can turn things around? The next few weeks will be telling. It will be interesting to see how the Avalanche will respond to these challenges.
