Takeaways from Colorado's overtime loss to St. Louis

ST. LOUIS – Another Avalanche overtime game, another confusing loss. With the Avalanche surrendering the first short-handed overtime goal in St. Louis Blues history tonight, they found yet another creative way to lose in the extra session, falling to 1-6 on the season in the format.

This one was particularly brutal because it came just moments after a crazy penalty call that nobody in the arena understood until after the game. The Avalanche had just gone on the power play 1:31 into overtime and it didn’t end up mattering as 34 seconds later Ryan O’Reilly (naturally) scored on a breakaway to give the Blues two overtime wins over the Avalanche this season.

The overtime loss wasted what was a pretty solid overall game for the Avalanche as they outshot St. Louis 42-28 and looked like the better team for long stretches of the game. The teams traded scoring punches as the Blues struck first but Colorado responded with two of their own to claim the lead.

St. Louis jumped back in front with two straight goals but the Avalanche tied the game with under seven minutes remaining in the third period and earned their sixth overtime loss of the season. The Avalanche get right back to it with a game back in Denver tomorrow night against the Dallas Stars.

Takeaways from the game

• Colorado’s top line looked really out of sync early on. They were missing passes and just didn’t seem to have the chemistry that has defined their remarkable run together.
• The second line, however, was absolutely on fire to start the game. Their goal was created by perfect passing up the ice as Jost found Compher in stride and Compher chipped it to Andrighetto, who had no issues dusting everyone else once he was free. It was good to see an Av cash in on a breakaway-like chance, too. They’ve botched so many recently it was starting to turn into a thing.
• The first Blues goal was set up by Colorado’s fourth line getting caught against the top line from the Blues. Ryan O’Reilly outworking guys down low really created the opportunity and Parakyko’s shot was low to the ice and hard to pick up. Overall, the Avs were just outmatched on the play and a good example of why matchups matter.
• The second Blues goal was the kind of thing that needs to get Erik Johnson an earful. He had beaten Barbashev into the defensive zone by several steps but Johnson never looked back to pick up his man and lazily skated towards the front of the net and lost a footrace he never should have been in to help create the tying goal at the time.
• Colorado’s four-minute power play was nothing short of atrocious. Going back to the top unit being stagnant early on, they generated just one shot on goal in four minutes with a man advantage and it was a relatively harmless Landeskog slap shot just a few feet inside the blue line. With the Avs up 2-1 at the time, it’s safe to say that was a turning point of the early game. Colorado had a chance to essentially bury the Blues early and not only did they fail, but they also did so in such a spectacular fashion that it wasn’t hard for the Blues to gain all the energy from an easy kill.
• Matt Calvert’s dusting of Vince Dunn in the first period should raise very real questions about Dunn’s viability as a defender in the NHL. Dunn is the same guy who got turned inside-out by Matt Nieto back in Denver on November 30. Nieto later tried to do the same thing and it almost worked again. Dunn’s offense better be electric to keep him around.
• The decision to switch Colin Wilson to PP2 and put J.T. Compher in his spot essentially got the Avalanche a point tonight as he banged home a rebound in the third for the game-tying goal. Had that been Wilson, he would have been on his backhand and it would have been a much tougher finish. Bednar postgame credited the decision to Ray Bennett.
• Compher’s goal really only enhances the “Ginger Drury” label I’ve bestowed upon him. He’s got that extra something where he seems to find himself making game-changing plays time and time again. I’m not a big believer in “clutch” but Compher sure does make a compelling argument with nights like tonight.
• Compher nabbed the Gordie Howe Hat Trick tonight with his game-tying goal. He had a great assist on Andrighetto’s goal and fought Brayden Schenn in the first period for good measure.
• It was another inconsistent showing from Grubauer as there were some huge saves along the way but two low-to-the-ice slappers beating him for goals feels a touch weak. I know there was heavy traffic and the second one was tipped by Cole but when the defense is set up to allow those shots, you have to stop them. Those are among the lowest percentage shots in the game and giving up two is the kind of thing that, well, costs teams points.
• Given I thought Colorado’s top line wasn’t very good tonight, it’s hard to believe they combined for 20 shots on goal. 20!
• What’s not in dispute is how poorly Tyson Barrie played. He was among the worst Avs tonight and his decision-making very much played a role in his team not walking out with two points tonight. These are the kinds of nights where you just wonder what’s going on with him. Of course, had he won the game with a slapper from the point, the conversation would be way different. But he didn’t, so it isn’t.
• Speaking of players with up and down tendencies, Sven Andrighetto was all over the place tonight and it once again showed why his talent is so tantalizing for the Avalanche. He shows these flashes of speed and skill and he fits the team identity perfectly but this version of Andrighetto doesn’t show up often enough. What a goal he scored tonight, though.
• The penalty call in overtime was one of the wildest I’ve ever seen. Colton Parayko apparently has an “exempt” stick due to his height and because of that, it can’t be used by other players, triggering the penalty call against Vladimir Tarasenko. Had Tarasenko picked up the stick of someone with a normal stick, it would have been no big deal. That’s an insane spot by an official under any circumstances.