Good & Bad: Avs Lack Punch in Loss to Blues

The St. Louis Blues beat the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 in the Central Division matchup on Sunday night at the Enterprise Center. The Blues played an exceptional game with heavy forechecking to take time and space away from the Avalanche.

Colorado struggled to connect passes and played a lot of time on their heels which cost them two points. Both teams were on the second game of a back-to-back but the Avs lacked a competitive effort through most of the game.

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“They were better in every aspect of the game, for the most part,” Cale Makar said. “A lot of it on ourselves, just not moving feet, not supporting each other on the ice, and then we don’t get to the net, it’s hard to generate chances.”

Devon Toews scored the lone goal seven minutes and 49 seconds into the first period. The Avs came out of the gate with energy and grit but did not maintain that through 60 minutes.

Parker Kelly squared off with Nathan Walker, which earned the two fighting majors. Logan O’Connor got tangled up with Walker setting up a 4-on-4 but neither team capitalized.

The Blues owned the second period with goals from Brayden Schenn, Colton Parayko and Dylan Holloway.

Jordan Kyrou and Justin Faulk each earned two points and Jordan Binnington made 28 saves.

Good: Avs Top Defensive Pair

Makar earned his 400th career point with an assist on Toews’ goal. The 26-year-old defenseman shot the puck from the blue line and his D-partner deflected it past Binnington.

“Just a perfect shot for him to give me an opportunity to touch that puck. Just a generational player, fun to play with,” Toews said after the first period.

Read More: Cale Makar Makes NHL History with Outstanding Assist

Makar and Toews had four shots on goal each, the most of any other Avs players. Toews missed two shots and had one blocked. Makar missed one, had two blocked and three attempts were blocked.

Good: Mackenzie Blackwood Keeps it Close

While the Avalanche could not find the back of the net, Blackwood worked hard to keep the puck out of theirs. The 28-year-old netminder made 22 saves but may have had a chance on the Parayko goal. Pavel Buchnevich shot it on net and Blackwood made the save, but Parayko grabbed the rebound and lifted it over him.

“Unfortunate for Blacky (Blackwood) right now because we just can’t do something in front of him, can’t score goals right now. So it’s gonna come. But yeah, we just gotta find ways to be tough around our net and then be tougher in theirs as well,” Makar said.

Bad: Lack of Competitive Edge for Full 60 Minutes

If the game was summed up on a heart monitor, the Avs would have been at a peak through the first 15 minutes and then dropped a bit for the last five. The second period would have required resuscitation and the latter part of the third was the reaction to a shot of adrenaline.

The team continues to lack consistency and it’s costing points. The top line has been the workhorse but there needs to be depth to win games.

“Just all in all is, we didn’t have enough guys going with the — I don’t want to call it effort, but the competitiveness we needed to win that hockey game,” head coach Jared Bednar said.

“Can’t just be the top line, the power play and a couple D scoring. We have to find a way to chip in a little bit more with those other lines, and they’ve done a nice job in some of those games, creating chances, but we’re gonna need a few to go in the net too in order to win some hockey games.”