Avs should have learned a good lesson in Pittsburgh tonight

PITTSBURGH – In my mind, this was a great outcome for the Avalanche tonight. The Avs lost a game in overtime, and they fully deserved to lose it. Yet, they still got a point on enemy ice here at PPG Paints Arena.

Let’s face it, the Avs might have gotten away with at least one of their previous five wins on what had been a perfect season to this point. Another win here, one they wouldn’t have deserved, might have gotten the players’ heads bigger. Maybe they would have started thinking they were better than they really were.

The Avs of 2019-20 learned, two weeks into the season: the harder-working team still wins more often than not. And yet, they still got that point. They still haven’t lost in regulation yet this season. When these guys learn that hard work, and nothing but hard work, over 60 minutes is what it takes in this parity-parity-parity NHL, then they’ll become a real dangerous team.

“I said it a couple of games ago: we didn’t play great, but we found a way to get two points. I think today was maybe a bit of a reality check,” Avs goalie Phillip Grubauer said.