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Different problems, same outcome as Colorado Avalanche allow Columbus Blue Jackets to come back

By November 6, 2021 | updated 4 years ago

DENVER — For the second straight game the Colorado Avalanche carried a one-goal lead into the third period, and for the second straight game they let the Columbus Blue Jackets tie it up. Alexandre Texier picked up a generous bounce off the boards and put it past Darcy Kuemper’s skate.

Cole Sillinger added his third goal of the home-and-home series with 1:02 left in regulation and Colorado didn’t have another extra-attacker goal in them, falling 4-2 and to 4-5-1 on the season.

“We have an unbelievable team. We just (have) to find our game,” saod forward Andre Burakovsky, who scored both Avalanche goals. “I don’t think we’ve been having a lot of games this season where everyone has been playing their best. We can get a little more out of everyone.

“I think we just have to keep our heads up. Obviously it sucks right now after the game that we probably should have won and didn’t.”

The Avalanche aren’t outscoring teams at the moment, and stretches of complacent defense are predictably hurting them. Kuemper staved off disaster until Texier’s goal, making some of the best of his 38 saves one right after another.

“He was overworked tonight,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He was outstanding for a large portion of the game. Without him, I think the score is much worse much earlier.”

Colorado got Mikko Rantanen, Devon Toews and Burakovsky back in the lineup after all three missed time due to injury. Burakovsky’s first came off a sneaky pass from Nazem Kadri five seconds after a power play expired.

Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins appeared to be readying for an icing call that didn’t come. Jake Bean tried to move the puck up the boards but Burakovsky, operating in Bean’s shadow, took it away. Burakovsky came off the boards and roofed the puck without breaking stride.

Turnovers the other way were the big story, Bednar indicated. The top line started well with the reinsertion of Rantanen but largely disappeared.

“They didn’t have a great night with the puck and created a lot of problems for themselves as a line, and Mikko was part of that,” Bednar said.

Rantanen cited a slow start to the 2020-21 season. Before the 10-game mark the Avalanche had strung together a five-game point streak, though the season was shorter and structured differently.

“We haven’t started well to our standards and now we just have to look in the mirror and defensively get better and not give up so much. It’s just the effort,” Rantanen said.

“If you want to win in the playoffs, or if you even want to get into the playoffs, this is not how you play hockey.”

Win streak halted, Colorado Avalanche look to get players back in lineup

Extra-attacker rally gives way to overtime loss for Colorado Avalanche against Columbus Blue Jackets

Kate Shefte kate.shefte@gazette.com

Reporter

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