The Colorado Avalanche had to fight back against the Calgary Flames in order to snap their own two-game losing streak tonight. What turned out to be a back-and-forth game, the Avalanche scored three unanswered goals for a final of 6–5. It was not the prettiest game they have played, but Colorado got the job done. Several messages were received in order to win, and I will break them all down here.
NATHAN MACKINNON! Avalanche lead 6-5 late in the third!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/6Xzq4HeplG
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 12, 2023
Takeaways
— The defense for the Avalanche needed to step up more on some plays. Josh Manson left the scorer of the second goal for the Flames, Nazem Kadri, in the corner to stand and dribble the puck. Manson did not step up on Kadri until Andrew Mangiapane crashed down the slot and Kadri set him up perfectly. Cale Makar did not step up on the goal right after that, either. They gave Blake Coleman the chance to take the shot when Makar could have taken one step toward Coleman to attempt a poke check.
Blake Coleman squeaks one home on the rush, giving Calgary a 3-2 lead!#Flames pic.twitter.com/xqZHM8QCLC
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) December 12, 2023
— Stopping passes from the wall to the center of the ice in the neutral zone is crucial. By applying pressure in the neutral zone, the Flames scored their first goal of the night. In a panic, Mikko Rantanen tried passing to the center and Colman took it right off of his stick.
— Rantanen breaking his nine-game goalless streak will be the biggest thing to come out of this game. According to a teammate’s father in an interview, Rantanen’s training intensity was lower this summer compared to previous years. Upon hearing the interview, he understood the message. Scoring one goal and two assists to help in helping the win, Rantanen definitely proved the man wrong.
"One of our Finnish NHL players' dad was talking shit about me," Mikko Rantanen had a direct message postgame. pic.twitter.com/0Hgo58zNIX
— DNVR Avalanche (@DNVR_Avalanche) December 12, 2023
— The coach’s decision to replace Alexandar Georgiev with Ivan Prsvetov during the second intermission was a message to the team—not that Georgiev could not finish the game and perform while doing so, even though he was 17 for 22 for saves. It was a message to the entire team they needed to step their game up.
Analysis
The Avalanche snapped a two-game losing streak, barely. With three unanswered goals in the third period, they secured a victory. In the game’s first two periods, the disoriented Colorado club struggles. The lack of a strong second line center has become an issue, as Ryan Johansen’s numbers are not what everyone expects them to be. Up next, the Avalanche will be at home once more against their former longtime defenseman Erik Johnson and the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night.