After an embarrassing 5–4 overtime loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday, the Colorado Avalanche needed to come into St. Louis with a powerful performance. Judging by appearances, one would think the Avalanche had lost a playoff game. Players hung their heads low, and they used the word “frustrating” frequently. The St. Louis Blues are looking to impress their new head coach and keep their pace going over the Avalanche. The Avalanche desperately needed a turnaround, and tonight was the perfect chance. Here are the takeaways from the 2–1 win over the Blues.
Takeaways
— Alexandar Georgiev played one of his best games of the year tonight. With his .966 save percentage for the night, he kept the Avalanche in the game. He made remarkable saves, compensating for the defense’s mistakes in their own zone. The last time his save percentage was higher than this was against Tampa Bay on November 27th. He had a solid .974 save percentage that night in the victory over the Lightning.
Big save from Georgie ❌#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/Xdrz6UdfGR
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) December 30, 2023
— The defense has been lax in recent games. The defense appears sluggish, struggling to reach the puck in time. They have also been out of position frequently and have led to multiple scoring chances for the opponent. Their passing looks out of sync to a point that a lot of passes overshoot the intended receiver.
Devon Toews uses Miles Wood's screen in front to put the Avalanche up 2-1 late in the third!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/xMK9tZ8SEa
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 30, 2023
— Jonathan Drouin is finding his stride with the Avalanche, currently on a two-game point streak. Looking over the month of December, Drouin played in 14 games where he had two goals and eight assists. Not too shabby for a forward that makes under a million per year. He is really showing that he is comfortable with the system and playing healthy. Not to mention, getting out of the pressure cooker of Montreal has certainly helped him.
Ryan Johansen shovels home the rebound for his 11th goal of the year, giving Colorado the 1-0 lead!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/57R3IkPFVj
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 30, 2023
— Nathan MacKinnon’s amazing 19 game point streak has ended. MacKinnon hasn’t been held off of the scoresheet since November 18 in Dallas. In the 19 games, MacKinnon tallied 56 points, 19 of which were goals. He now owns the third longest scoring streak in franchise history behind former teammate Paul Stastny.
Analysis
The Avalanche are missing one key ingredient in their win tonight: confidence. Neither the defense nor some forwards were confident in making plays outside the zone. The loss to Arizona really shook Colorado up mentally and they needed the win tonight. They have work remaining, despite their victory. Colorado needs to close the gaps defensively and work on carrying the puck into the offensive zone. Colorado’s next game is on Sunday against a struggling San Jose at Ball Arena.