Home is not where the Nuggets’ and the Avalanche’s hearts are.

The 1-2 punch has been a brutal blow for both Denver teams in the second round.

Not only are the Nugs and the Avs trailing 2 wins to 1 in playoff series, but they’ve lost all three games at the Ball & Puck Arena.

This is supposed to be the most advantageous home in the NBA and the NHL, not unfriendly confines. The Avalanche and the Nuggets are legendary comeback kings with furious finishes, not soft as Charmin tissues late.

After the Nuggets fell hard twice in the opening gamers to the Timberwolves now the Avalanche have seen Stars rather the Northern Lites upon return.

Dallas won 4-1, but pay no attention to the score. Denver died 2-1 before two late empty-net goals. This defeat Saturday by the Avs might not seem as awful as the Nuggets’ wipeout Tuesday night. However, the Avalanche woulda, shoulda, coulda prevailed in Game 3 with any kind of average evening on offense. They couldn’t beat the Stars 5-on-5. 4-on-4. 5-on-4 or even 5-on-3 (when two adversaries were sent into the box with one Avalanche player).

The Stars scored first and the last three goals, and the Avs had one Nathan MacKinnon scorcher squirt between the goalie’s pads and be swept out by a defenseman just as it tipped the red line, but couldn’t count.

In the good news department the Nuggets did win in Minnesota Friday night and could tie the series with the Wolves with another triumph Sunday, and the Avalanche did win Game 1 in Dallas.

Each must be Road Warriors if they expect to escape to conference finals, but neither is in a prime position on Sunday morning or at the betting windows. The Joker and Jamal must be the best on court again, and Nate The Great and Makar must be the ice men cometh once more.

On the homefront the Valeri Nichushkin streak stopped. The Avalanche ringer winger had tied the NHL record, dating to 1992, with at least a goal in the first seven games to start a post-season. He did have two legitimate shots Saturday, but they went slightly astray.

No rally.

Nichushkin and Samuel Girard are the Avalanche’s co-Comeback Players during the season and in the playoffs.

Jonathan Druin, the Avs’ nominee for the Masterton Trophy honoring perseverance and dedication, could become another comeback player next week.

Nichushkin has been on a rare tear there and everywhere. He produced the Avalanche’s first playoff goal on April 21 and their last goal in Dallas on May 9 – and, in between, seven more, including a hat trick and two game-winning tricks.

Valeri (which means “to be strong”) was away from the Avalanche from Jan. 13 to March 3 as he entered the NHL/NHL Players Association Assistance Program because of an issue probably still haunting him of the previous playoff when he mysteriously left the team after a strange event in a Seattle hotel.

Since his return for a fourth season in Denver, after being signed as a free agent when the Stars dumped him, Nichushkin has declined to discuss the circumstances of the 2023 playoffs, but, then, he rarely gives interviews.

Girard, the 25-year-old defenseman, has experienced his own injury and health problems with the Avalanche.

Early in the Avs’ 2022 skate to the Stanley Cup championship Girard was slammed into the boards and suffered a broken sternum that kept him from the rest of the playoffs. In this season on Nov. 24 Samuel’s agent stated he would be participating in the league’s players care process as the result of “anxiety and depression leading to alcohol abuse.’’ He returned Dec. 21.

However, on April 13 in a game vs. Winnipeg Girard was diagnosed with a concussion. He missed the first three games of the playoffs, but is in the lineup again.

Drouin’s own rehabilitation when mental health problems with anxiety and sleep deprivation forced him to leave the Canadiens. Recovered, Drouin joined the Avs this year after Nate MacKinnon endorsed him. The two played together in junior hockey and, this season, on the No. 1 line. Drouin, also 29, had his most positive pro season, but was the victim of a deep cut in his lower thigh in the final regular-season game and hasn’t been able to get back yet.

The Avalanche and the Nuggets need more comebacks and cowbells.