Avalanche play mouse as cats from Florida pounce in 5-2 loss

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN

With the Colorado Avalanche feeling good after a 2-1 start to a very difficult road trip, the waiting Florida Panthers presented a new set of challenges as yet another upper-echelon Eastern Conference foe. The Avs started off well in a way they haven’t all season, avoiding the early-game penalties that have plagued them throughout the first week of the season.

In fact, it was an early penalty on the Panthers what would prove crucial as Avs defenseman Tyson Barrie one-timed a Matt Duchene pass and Blake Comeau’s tip combined to beat Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo and give the Avs a 1-0 lead.

Panthers defenseman Jason Demers would tie it up minutes later but Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar immediately challenged the call on the ice for offsides and replays revealed Florida was indeed quite offside on the play in question and the goal was ultimately waived off.

Despite more sloppiness and being outshot 13-11, the Avs maintained their 1-0 lead going into first intermission.

An early penalty on Jarome Iginla to begin the second period burned th Avalanche as ageless wonder Jaromir Jagr made a cross-ice pass to defenseman Aaron Ekblad and just like that it was 1-1 barely a minute into the period.

A Panthers-dominated period came to an ugly end for the Avalanche when a bad read by Nikita Zadorov left Erik Johnson defending a 2-on-1 and he was unable to make a difference as Shane Harper scored to make it 2-1 Florida heading into the third.

Colorado would kill off a carry over Panthers power play but Florida didn’t really care anyway as minutes later Jonathan Marchessault scored on a breakaway after an ugly passing sequence by the Avs forwards.

Taking chances to try to stay in the game, Erik Johnson pinched in recklessly and cost the Avs as Florida got yet another two-on-one break and converted as Shane Harper scored his second goal of the game to make it 4-1 and really remove doubt from the outcome.

The Avs finally showed a little fight and push back when Patrick Wiercioch made the classic “pass off the pads” and Matt Duchene was waiting to put the rebound home to make it 4-2 and maybe give the Avalanche some life.

It wasn’t to be, however, as an ugly miscommunication between Erik Johnson and Semyon Varlamov allowed Vincent Trocheck to tap in a puck from behind the net as Johnson was trying to get Varlamov to cover it and pushed the game to its final score, 5-2 in favor of Florida.

THREE STARS

1. Shane Harper
2. Jonathan Marchessault
3. Greg McKegg

PLAY OF THE GAME

Florida’s first goal of the game was an absolute power play clinic in passing and Ekblad’s back door goal was in and out of the net so quickly not many people realized he had actually scored.

TURNING POINT

The Avs still had some life after killing off the penalty to start the third period but the Marchessault breakaway goal essentially broke the spirit of the visitor’s and put the game firmly in control of the Panthers.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S NEXT

Colorado’s absurd early-season schedule continues as they return home and now have a week off to sit around because their next game isn’t until next Friday against the Winnipeg Jets. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. local time.