Image Source: Jess Shelton
Key Takeaways
- The Colorado Avalanche lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 in overtime, despite having a late power play opportunity to win the game.
- The Avalanche’s power play struggled to capitalize on chances, going 1/3 on the night, and failed to score on a crucial late-game opportunity.
- The team’s lack of urgency and inability to generate scoring chances in overtime ultimately led to their defeat.
- The Avalanche will look to regroup and improve their power play before their next game against the Nashville Predators on Friday, January 16.
- The team is currently missing key players due to injury, which has affected their performance.
Introduction to the Game
The Colorado Avalanche’s current seven-game home stand took a hit as they dropped their third game to the Toronto Maple Leafs, with a final score of 4-3 in overtime. As the Avalanche’s power play once again failed to capitalize on a late-game opportunity, the team was left to ponder what could have been. According to the team’s analysis, "your power play cost you this game, in my opinion. It wasn’t even a bad statistical night for the power play, as the Avs went 1/3 on it. However, you were given an absolute gift of an opportunity to win this game very late in regulation and head out of the building with two points instead of one, and instead of turning that situation into an absolute shooting gallery and putting everything on net to try and get one to bounce into the net late, you, and stop me if you’ve heard this one before, pass the puck around the zone, looking for a perfect passing play, resulting in you not not being able to capitalize and win that game."
First Period Analysis
The game started off with the Avalanche having the early jump, but it was the Maple Leafs who struck first. Easton Cowan’s attempt to get a back-door tap-in goal resulted in the puck deflecting off Brent Burns’ skate and into the net, giving the Leafs the lead. However, the Avalanche were quick to respond, with Martin Necas making an "absolutely ridiculous move" to get free from Jake McCabe and find Cale Makar with a cross-ice pass, resulting in Makar tying the game. As the period came to a close, Brock Nelson continued his hot streak, scoring on a power play to give the Avalanche a 2-1 lead.
Second Period Breakdown
The second period saw the Avalanche’s play become a bit lax, allowing the Maple Leafs to tie the game. Bobby McMann was able to beat out every Colorado player and create a breakaway, scoring on Trent Miner to tie the game 2-2. The period ended with the score tied, setting the stage for a intense third period. As the team’s analysis noted, "the Avs weren’t able to really generate anything beyond the one chance from MacKinnon that barely stayed out of the net. Outside of that, it felt like they were in survival mode the entire overtime period."
Third Period and Overtime
The Maple Leafs struck first in the third period, with Auston Matthews scoring at 4-on-4 to give Toronto a 3-2 lead. However, the Avalanche were able to tie the game once again, with Nathan MacKinnon finding Necas in front of the net, resulting in Necas scoring to tie the game 3-3. The Avalanche had a late power play opportunity to win the game, but were unable to capitalize, sending the game to overtime. As the team’s analysis stated, "you got a point, fine, I can be happy enough with that. And yes, before I start, I acknowledge that you’re missing some key players right now with injury as well, which is going to affect things."
Post-Game Analysis
The overtime period was a bit of a mess, with the Avalanche struggling to generate scoring chances. Nathan MacKinnon had a chance to win the game, but hit the post, and at the other end, he gave the puck away, resulting in William Nylander scoring the winning goal for the Maple Leafs. The Avalanche’s power play was once again a topic of discussion, with the team’s analysis noting that "it really feels like you gave a point away tonight, and it was because of your power play." The team will look to regroup and improve their power play before their next game against the Nashville Predators on Friday, January 16.
Conclusion and Next Steps
The Avalanche’s loss to the Maple Leafs was a tough one to swallow, especially given the late power play opportunity that slipped away. As the team’s analysis noted, "it’s January, you have plenty of time, but you need to figure something out by the time the playoffs roll around in the spring." The team will have three days off before taking on the Predators, and will look to use that time to regroup and refocus. With key players still out due to injury, the Avalanche will need to find a way to overcome their power play struggles and come out on top in their next game. As the team looks to move forward, they will need to take a hard look at their power play and make adjustments in order to succeed in the long run.
https://www.milehighhockey.com/colorado-avalanche-game-coverage/60970/recap-colorados-power-play-costs-them-another-game