Jared Bednar hasn’t had many reasons to be angry with his team this season. The Avalanche gave him some good ones on Friday night.

A sloppy effort from start to finish by the home team led to the Avalanche dropping their first game in regulation at Ball Arena by a score of 7-3 to the Nashville Predators. Two of Colorado’s 13 losses this season have come at the hands of the Predators, who have given them trouble in each of the four games the teams have played. Friday’s game ends their season series, but with the Predators surging, there’s a chance the two teams could meet in the first round of the postseason.

Former Avalanche forward Ryan O’Reilly proved to be too much for the home team to handle, as he scored the Predators’ first three goals and added an assist later in the game. With O’Reilly, it’s not just about offense, as he made life miserable for Nathan MacKinnon most of the evening.

But overall, it was just a miserable evening for the Avalanche. O’Reilly scored for Nashville 30 seconds into the game and it didn’t get much better from there.

“There were no positives,” Bednar said after the game. “I hated that game from start to finish, pretty much … we didn’t do enough to win the hockey game, so there’s nothing I liked.”

The second period could have been a turning point in the game, as the Avalanche peppered Juuse Saros with 15 shots, several of them from prime scoring opportunities, but the Finnish goaltender held strong, making several key saves to keep the game tied. Nashville scored twice in the second to take the lead into the third. An early Avalanche goal gave them some momentum, but nothing they could hold on to.

It was a one-goal game with under seven minutes remaining when another turning point occurred.

Zakhar Bardakov threw a hit in the offensive zone on Erik Haula as the Predators forward was dumping the puck out of the zone. Neither of the referees on the ice raised their hand for a penalty, but with Haula down on the ice for over a minute, they huddled and gave Bardakov a five-minute major so they could review the hit. Replays didn’t really show much in terms of Bardakov doing anything illegal, but the refs gave him a two-minute minor for interference, giving Nashville a power play.

The Predators scored on the ensuing power play and then added two empty netters, sending the home fans to their cars unsatisfied for the first time this season.

Although the Avalanche didn’t play their best on this evening, it’s a tough call to make in a tight game late in the third period.

“I just asked them. I didn’t know that they had called a five and took it to a two,” Cale Makar, who spoke to the refs after the call was made, told the media after the game. “I didn’t really know you could review a two-minute penalty, so I was just curious about that, but no real explanation.”

The Avalanche still have a healthy lead in their division but have now lost four out of their last six games. Saturday is a day off in terms of on-ice activities, but the team will certainly hear from their coach.

“It’s not going to be a nice conversation,” Bednar said.

Predators 7, Avalanche 3

What happened: The Avalanche played their sloppiest game of the season on their way to their first home regulation loss.

What went right: Brock Nelson continues to score goals at a ridiculous pace, adding two more on Friday night. He’s now got 10 goals in his last nine games.

What went wrong: Turnovers were being dished out frequently by Avalanche skaters on the evening. Martin Necas had one on the opening shift that set the tone, then Valeri Nichushkin had one just prior to Nashville’s fourth goal. Those were hardly the only two, as the Avalanche looked out of rhythm all night long.

Avalanche goal scorers: Nelson (23, 24), Necas (22)

Predators goal scorers: O’Reilly (14,15,16), Bunting (12), Forsberg (17), Stamkos (21), McCarron (2)

Between the pipes: Mackenzie Blackwood returned from a two-week absence and struggled in net, stopping just 23 of 28 shots. “Some things were good, some things were bad. Overall, not horrible, but obviously I don’t think I played up to how I’m capable,” he said after the game.

What’s next: The Avalanche host the Washington Capitals on Monday afternoon at 2 p.m.