The Colorado Avalanche were coming into the game against the Los Angeles Kings deadbeat tired. Colorado was playing their third game in four days, while the Kings were playing their first in five days. Not to mention, both of Colorado’s previous games went into shootout or overtime, so they played more than necessary already. Here are some takeaways from the 4–1 loss against the Kings.
Takeaways
— Sam Malinski can handle the second-pairing minutes on defense. With the injury to Cale Makar, they put Malinski into the lineup for only his second career NHL game. With 17 games played for the Colorado Eagles this year, he has proven himself to be very capable on the ice. He can hold points and jump into the play when required. His jump from 12 to 18 minutes in one game showed a lot of trust from coach Jared Bednar.
— The Kings knew when to turn up their energy on the Avalanche. Both teams held pace with each other until the third period. That is when the Kings fought hard and allowed only five Avalanche shots on net to their 23 in the period. The hosts scored three goals to seal the victory.
— Colorado’s puck management on the back end suffered noticeably without Makar. So far this season, Makar has played 23 games. Sunday would have been the 24th. The mobility of Makar and his speed put the other team on edge, similar to Nathan MacKinnon.
— To improve, the Avalanche should shoot more from the top of the slot or the blue line. This could have created chaos and more pressure on Cam Talbot. It would have worn him down a lot more, too. The shots were not coming with Makar out, and it was obvious he is a big driver of the offense on the blue line.
Conclusion
The Avalanche finished the road trip with just two points out of six . Makar got lost for an unknown time frame, and it sounds like others are also banged up. They now will get to head home and start a five-game home stand. The Winnipeg Jets are the sole team posing a threat. While Malinski is talented, the Avalanche require a shooting defenseman at the moment. Jack Ahcan or Brad Hunt may be a good option for that role. Either way, Colorado needs to rest up and then shoot more on net. The next challenge will be former Colorado Eagles’ head coach Greg Cronin. So far, he and his Anaheim Ducks are 1–1 against the Avalanche and he will want to make it 2–1.
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