Avalanche Turning Point: Post and Out (+)

In the Turning Point, we’ll take a look at one moment in the previous Colorado Avalanche game that changed the momentum in the game, whether in a good way or bad way.

While the Avalanche ultimately dropped their fourth consecutive game on Monday to, this time to the Vegas Golden Knights, they had their chances to change the game.

This game’s turning point came towards the end of the first period, when 13 seconds resulted in a massive momentum swing for the two teams.

Rantanen Hits Iron

Imagine how different this game could have gone if the Avalanche had jumped out to a two goal lead in the first period.

After several games with slow starts, the Avalanche actually had some legs early. Nathan MacKinnon scored on the opening shift, they had a great powerplay halfway through the period, and then this glorious opportunity.

MacKinnon burst up the ice, and Mark Stone, one of the leagues best two way players, took out his own defenseman, creating a two on one. MacKinnon hits Mikko Rantanen on the back door, and Rantanen does everything right. He doesn’t settle the puck and wait, he lets it rip.

Unfortunately, it hits the inside of the post and rings out. The Avalanche are shooting an NHL low 5.95% at even strength. Rantanen has been the one guy all year who could consistently finish. Sometimes, you just need to catch a break for things to turn around.

Not here.

What happens afterwards just makes it feel all the worse.

Stephenson Sneaks By

The puck rings off the post with authority, allowing the Golden Knights to get started on a breakout.

They get the puck up to Nicolas Roy, and Sam Girard does a nice job of standing him up before he can even get settled with the puck. Unfortunately, when he whacks the puck away, it eludes the back checking Artturi Lehkonen, and both MacKinnon and Rantanen are still recovering from the prior rush.

It does straight to Chandler Stephenson, one of the quicker forwards on the Golden Knights, who is able to enter the zone with speed and avoid a hit from Lehkonen.

Deflection Goal

Lehkonen stands up Stephenson just enough for him to lose the puck, but it just goes to the wrong guy in Stone, who rarely makes a bad play with the puck on his stick.

He drops the puck to Nicolas Hague, who has some time and space because Lehkonen and MacKinnon might be a little mixed up as to who has who. Hague gets a clean shot off, which Michael Amadio flies by and tips past Georgiev.

Coach Jared Bednar wasn’t that unhappy with how the play unfolded after the game.

“We did the right thing,” Bednar said. “We tracked it all the way back, came back hard. It was between Nate and Lehky trying to get over to that lane. We were just a little bit late getting there.”

The only thing you might want to see done better here is the defensemen picking up the forwards in front. Neither had to deal with much in terms of resistance.

I do think Amadio makes a smart and underrated play, which deserves credit. The natural instinct of a forward is to crash to the net and cause havoc.

Instead, Amadio drifts to the high slot, away from Girard, which frees up his stick for an easy deflection. If he goes straight to the net, his stick might not be free.

In a game as fast as hockey, I’m not sure the Avalanche did a whole lot wrong, but this goes to show how quickly a game can change. Sometimes, the opposing team just makes a play. Instead of a two goal lead late in the first period, the Avalanche head into the second period tied.

Unfortunately, we know how that second period went.