Struggles continue for the Colorado Avalanche in 6-2 loss to the Islanders

DENVER, CO – For the third time in a row the Colorado Avalanche registered at least 30 shots, including 34 tonight against the New York Islanders. But for the third game in a row, the result, and the effort, left much to be desired.

The night also marked the return of Avalanche pioneer and the greatest goalie of all time, Patrick Roy, the now Head Coach of the Islanders. The four-time Stanley Cup Champion, of which two came in Colorado, was back in Denver for the first time in 8 years.

The Ball Arena crowd of 18,017 paid homage to the legend whose #33 hangs in the rafters during a brief acknowledgment. Both his club and the Avalanche were seeking their first wins of the season, with the irony being that the focus for both clubs was on their respective netminders.

For Colorado, there is no secret over two games the struggles that have plagued anointed starter Alexandar Georgiev. His performance has not been even close to what the injury-plagued Avalanche need to be successful. Tonight, after enduring a less-than-warm welcome by the crowd when being announced as the starter, Georgiev seemed to have gained some confidence back. When he was tested at the onset, he made the saves you’d expect, looking sharp, and confident with some life to his game.

Perhaps it was the boost of playing with a lead and the joy that a player’s first NHL goal brings to the group. Cal Ritchie in his third game in the National, scored his first goal as a pro. At 1:01 of the first, the 19-year-old moved to the net and took advantage of Oliver Wahlstrom who got caught sleeping, leaving Ritchie all alone to bang home a perfect pass from Josh Manson into a fairly open net for the 1-0 lead.

The confidence carried for Georgiev but a defensive breakdown by Sam Girard and Casey Mittlestadt would lead to a tie game when Anders Lee banged in a rebound. With 2 minutes to play Kyle Palmeri found himself on a breakaway and Georgiev went for the diving poke check that failed costing the Avalanche, and sending the burgundy and blue to the room down a tally.

The first half of the second lacked luster with no jam or jump. The Avalanche, still trailing by a goal Found themselves in a total breakdown. A bad pass and turnover by Cale Makar led to a tough sequence that ultimately caught Oliver Kylington (playing in his first game) flat-footed which led to another attempted poke check by Georgiev that ended up in the back of the net compliments of Brock Nelson.

Minutes later the Avalanche would go to the man advantage. Makar with the puck on his stick at his own blue line, coughed up the puck in a rare mishandle that gave Nelson a partial breakaway that ended in his second of the night and a 4-1 lead for the Islanders. The period would conclude with New York outshooting Colorado considerably and the defense looking in total disarray.

Nathan MacKinnon would do MVP things to start the third period. The way he moves and the velocity at which he moves the puck are just a few of the things that make him the reigning Hart Trophy winner. Comfortable on the left side, MacKinnon dished the puck high to the offensive zone blue line, drawing the entirety of the Islanders side to it like a mosquito to the UV light. As quick as it was dispersed, it was returned to him only for him to send a cross hash mark pass to the tape of Mittlestadt, who hammered it home to cut the lead to 4-2. MacKinnon now has 5 points in 3 games to start the season.

That would mark the last of the scoring for the Avalanche. A turnover high in the zone led to the Islanders working the puck deep, and Makar was caught behind the net puck watching while his man Anthony Duclair beat him to the front of the net, where he pushed around Georgiev to score the fifth of the game at 6:48. An additional empty netter at 18:48 by Matthew Barzal sent the sellout crowd home, and the Avalanche back to the drawing board with an 0-3 start to the season.

The road gets no smoother as the 2-2 Boston Bruins come to town for a Wednesday evening matchup. The Avalanche will still be most likely without the services of recently injured Devon Toews and Jonathan Drouin, in addition to the other absences that have been well documented.