SUNRISE, Fla. – A slow start for a team with high expectations is a familiar feeling for the Avalanche.
To begin the shortened 56-game 2021 season last January, the Avs lost their first game and stood just 3-3 after six games. They went on to win the President’s Trophy with the NHL’s best record.
This time, however, Colorado (1-2) isn’t trying to find its game early against rebuilding teams like the Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in what was the West Division. This time, the Avs must complete a three-game trip against two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams. They visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday and the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday.
Tampa Bay, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, needed six games and some luck to oust Florida in the first round of last season’s inter-division playoffs. It might have been the Bolts’ toughest series of the postseason.
“You don’t want to risk a Game 7 because that’s a hell of a team over there,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after that series.
The Avs, who took Wednesday off while staying in Fort Lauderdale, will again be missing multiple players Thursday. But the ideal first line will be in place for the first time this season.
Left wing Gabe Landeskog completed his two-game suspension in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss and center Nathan MacKinnon — who was minus-5 against the Capitals — will surely be better in his second game after an eight-day COVID quarantine.
MacKinnon and the rest of the Avs allowed too many odd-man rushes and were outshot 27-13 through the first two periods Tuesday. The Capitals’ first two goals came on a breakaway and 3-on-1 rush.
“What good teams do is bounce back after a loss,” said Mikko Rantanen, the right winger on MacKinnon’s line. “That’s our expectation. We have to make sure and look in the mirror as a unit and be better.”
Rantanen was also minus-5 against Washington, along with top defenseman Cale Makar.
Avs coach Jared Bednar expects his team to try to make up for what unfolded on Tuesday. Because it’s not rocket science in what went wrong.
“We got out-competed in a lot of areas,” Bednar said. “Gave up way too much — cheating or gambling for offense instead of working the right way to create it. And they went the other way on us. Way too many odd-man rushes, not getting the bump checks, not doing the things we talk about on a regular basis. I just thought they were the faster, bigger, stronger team tonight, start to finish.”
A better performance is also expected from new goalie Darcy Kuemper, who is 1-2 with a 3.79 goals-against average and .890 save percentage.
“I’m new here. But I know it’s an experienced group, obviously, a group that’s had a lot of success,” Kuemper said after Tuesday’s game. “Everyone knows what we have to do. We’ll just keep working and I’m confident we’ll get this righted.”
He added: “I know we’ll turn it around.”
Footnotes. The Avs will again be without forward Valeri Nichushkin (upper-body injury) and probably defenseman Devon Toews (shoulder). Both are on injured reserve. Toews, however, is traveling with the team and skated in a non-contact red jersey in Washington on Tuesday. Bednar said Toews could make his season debut on the trip if he’s cleared for contact and practices in a regular sweater. Colorado will have a morning skate at the renamed FLA Live Arena (formerly BB&T Center).
