Avalanche Special Teams Becoming a Noteworthy Problem

The unit had a critical chance late against Nashville, the score tied 2-2. They failed to convert and lost the game in overtime. It feels like a big issue is partially the decision-making by Nathan MacKinnon, partially a lack of action as everyone watches him.

This is largely the same personnel group that was the eighth-best unit in 2024-25, so it’s not like some big change is the culprit. With good net-front players like Artturi Lehkonen and Nazem Kadri, it feels like the skill players should be working the perimeter and putting pucks on net for those guys to deflect or get rebounds to put back.

The Penalty Kill Is Treading Water

While the power play struggling isn’t a new issue, the penalty kill being decidedly average is. The unit wasn’t even all that bad against Nashville, though they over-rely on goaltending at times. Still, they looked lost on Nashville’s overtime power play, which ultimately produced the game-winner.

As it stands, the group is 17^th in the league with a 76.9% kill rate. That’s not awful but it certainly is a far cry from the group that led the NHL in that category a season ago with an 84.6% kill rate. While teams don’t need to have dominant special teams, they do need to be about league average in one category and top-10 in another.

The Avalanche have historically had a good penalty kill – their lowest finish since 2024-25 is 15^th overall – it just feels like they aren’t playing as well as they have in the past. With guys like Devon Toews, Brock Nelson, and Kadri, the group should be better than it has been.

A General Malaise Impacting the Team

The special teams are just part of the problem. Goaltending has regressed from a season ago but not so drastically that it is openly costing them games. At times, it feels like the Avalanche are more content to play a perimeter game, peppering with shots from the outside.

The Avalanche have played a lot of hockey in recent years due to their playoff runs, so it could be just a case of guys working through fatigue. They may also be playing with a bit less game-to-game intensity after falling short in the Western Conference Final after such a blazing regular season.

In the end, feeling good about both units is still possible. Even with their issues, the power play is right on the cusp of league average. The penalty kill has been better before, and it might take a figurative boot in the rear end to get that group back on track.

In an ultra-tough Central Division, the Avalanche may just be going through the motions as well. They know how tough the division can be and may be thinking long-term rather than on a game-to-game basis. In any event, special teams have to find their groove or we’re going to be asking a lot more questions of the Avalanche.