Little things doom Avs in a heartbreaking loss to Hurricanes

That was a hell of a hockey game.

During the course of the 82-game regular season, there are always a few that stand out ahead of the others. Colorado’s 2-0 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes tonight will absolutely be one of those games we look back on and remember that this one was just a bit different.

Without a goal for the first 54 minutes of the game, it was a heavyweight bout between the two teams atop the NHL’s standings. It was best-on-best from each conference, a highly-anticipated matchup and for most of it, it absolutely lived up to it.

Then Ethan Bear threw a puck from the point towards Colorado’s net and it hits Nazem Kadri’s stick and then hits the ice before finding its way past Darcy Kuemper’s pad. What should have been a nothing shot turned into a chaotic game-changing play that gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 lead.

To say it was a controversial sequence would be a generous retelling of events. In the shift leading up to Bear’s goal, there were arguably two separate infractions on Kadri during the play that went uncalled and the zone entry itself could have been argued to be offside.

Head coach Jared Bednar looked at the replay for a long time before deciding against challenging, a decision itself controversial because it was not a clear-cut call in either direction, even after watching several replays. It would have been open to interpretation and Bednar clearly felt it wasn’t worth taking the chance so they moved on.

Avalanche players, however, did not move on well and had plenty of words for referees Wes McCauley and T.J. Luxmore. After Sebastian Aho’s empty-net goal made it 2-0, Gabe Landeskog was tossed from the game following choice words for Luxmore.

Landeskog said after the game he told Luxmore he had a tough night and Luxmore clearly didn’t appreciate the message or the manner in which it was delivered and gave Landeskog the gate.

The entire sequence marred what was an otherwise excellent hockey game. Shots at the time of the Bear goal were 34-34 and each team had killed three power plays to that point. It was as even a hockey game as you could get.

Bear’s goal ended up deciding one of the best-played games of the season and obviously the Avalanche walk out of tonight with their second consecutive loss and end their three-game road trip just 1-2 and facing a reality of having lost four of their last five games. They also just got shutout for the first time this season.

After an absolutely lifeless loss in New Jersey, however, this was a significantly more encouraging hockey game. Colorado survived a white-hot start from the Hurricanes before settling into the game and dominating the second period. No goals were scored during either team’s run of dominant play, but watching how they matched each other left no doubt as to why they were the two top teams in the NHL to this point.

Skilled and hungry, both clubs attacked and attacked and attacked. Each team was facing lineup deficiencies thanks to injury issues. It was, simply put, an excellent hockey game that was decided by the most hockey things you can think of – questionable officiating and weird bounces.

Instead of takeaways, I’m just going to say that I’m tipping the cap to Darcy Kuemper tonight, who was absolutely fantastic in bouncing back following a hard-luck night in New Jersey and a couple of iffy starts before that. As the game progressed, I found myself thinking on multiple occasions, “This is why you got this guy. He’s awesome.”

Nathan MacKinnon wasn’t completely dominant like we’ve seen, but he was definitely an engine to Colorado’s offense with six shots on goals. Linemates Andre Burakovsky and Mikko Rantanen, however, combined for just one shot and both were nearly complete non-factors. Rantanen’s recent struggles really culminated in a frustrating night for the Finnish winger.

While Kadri didn’t get the benefit of the doubt from the officials (a shocking new development, let me tell you), his line drove some play and really looked good. Kadri, Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin all had legitimate scoring chances. That line might just stick for a while.

Beyond that, Colorado’s lineup had its moments. The top pairing continues to play well but Cale Makar and Devon Toews weren’t quite as dominant as they are against, you know, worse teams. With no Sam Girard, the rest of the defense acquitted itself well and Ryan Murray continued a strong run of form as he looks increasingly comfortable in his return from injury.

I’m not sure what else to say about this one. An excellent hockey game came down to one shift where things just didn’t go Colorado’s way. There was no big defensive breakdown or gross misplay this time. It was just one of those hockey things. No one person or thing to blame beyond the nebulous concept of puck luck.

That’s life sometimes, and so frequently this season the Avs have been on the other side of the good times. Now they’re struggling through the doldrums of a long season and facing some adversity.

As Calvin’s dad taught me in a childhood spent reading Calvin & Hobbes, it all builds character. The Avs get the Hurricanes in Denver next month. Before that rematch, they have plenty of work to do just to get back on the winning path following a much-needed two-day break as they resume play on Sunday back in Denver.