NEWARK, N.J. — In the Avalanche’s least inspiring stretches early this season, the immediate temptation might be to label any lethargy as championship hangover. Colorado did, after all, have the shortest offseason recharge in the NHL.
Friday night’s 1-0 loss to the Devils was a special hangover of its own variety.
Three nights after winning a shootout in New York that unfolded with as much suspense as a regular season game can pack, the Avalanche crossed the Hudson River and failed to sleepwalk through New Jersey, despite outshooting the Devils 24-23.
Colorado (4-3-1) had been shut out only once in its previous 153 games and only five times in the last three seasons, including playoffs.
“We were a little stubborn with the puck or soft with the puck,” coach Jared Bednar said. “Too many turnovers in the offensive zone.”
Everything the Rangers game was, this wasn’t. That thriller featured 90 combined shots and breathtaking goalie play to keep the score modest through overtime. This matchup was still revolving around the race to 10 shots on goal as the 10-minute mark of the second period neared. The teams combined for 47 shots.
“I thought the game was relatively low-event for me,” Bednar said. “Not a lot of great quality scoring chances on either side of it.”
The most threatening Avalanche opportunities were a Cale Makar shot off the crossbar in the first period — the defending Norris Trophy winner still has not scored this season — and an Evan Rodrigues clean shot at the net when Colorado trailed in the third period. He tried to maneuver to his backhand, but Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek denied him. A crowd gathered in the crease, but the puck leaked away behind the net.
The most exciting action of the night around Vanecek’s goal was at that moment: It came dislodged.
“Low intensity in the forecheck side of it,” forward Mikko Rantanen said. “They were breaking the puck out all night, it felt like. So if you can’t forecheck the puck back and make them make turnovers, it’s hard to win.”
The difference was a New Jersey power play goal scored by Jack Hughes with 17:01 remaining and while Avalanche netminder Pavel Francouz was screened off. The Avs had killed nine consecutive penalties before surrendering that eventual game-winner, which stemmed from a Bowen Byram penalty.
The Avs are 0-3-0 with Francouz in net, though he managed to keep them within reach Friday. Two of his losses are one-goal games decided in the third period.
If it was in fact a hangover after the victory in Manhattan, then it’s one the Avalanche cannot afford to repeat Saturday (5:30 p.m. MT) in Long Island. The Avs face the Islanders in the second portion of a back-to-back before leaving for Finland.
Colorado entered the game with the league’s best power play percentage by a wide margin (50%), but it went 0-for-6, including a last-ditch opportunity in the final minute.
The absence of second-line wing Val Nichushkin played a role. He had scored seven goals and tallied 12 points in the Avalanche’s first seven games, but he was out Friday with a day-to-day lower body injury. Half of Colorado’s 10 power play goals this season belong to him.
“Kicked the puck around a little bit,” Bednar said. “Not using the extra man that we have on the ice. Not willing to shoot it enough was part of it.”
Bednar tried mixing lines in search of an answer, even rolling out Nathan MacKinnon with Martin Kaut and Dryden Hunt at one point. Kaut had started the night in Nichushkin’s second-line spot, but he ended it alongside a mixture of top- and fourth-liners. Jacob MacDonald started on the fourth line but barely played in the second half of the game. Bednar said it was not injury-related.
This was the Avalanche’s first 1-0 loss since Feb. 14, 2021 against Las Vegas. New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff described said this “felt like a playoff game.”
One team’s playoff game is another team’s historically low-output snoozer.
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