After a productive four-game homestand, the Colorado Avalanche hit the road for four games, beginning with Monday’s matchup against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Colorado went 3-1-0 at home over the last week, defeating the Carolina Hurricanes, Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings before falling to the Washington Capitals 5-2 on Friday. While winning three of four during a homestand is a respectable outcome, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar wasn’t accepting any consolation prizes after Friday’s clunker.
“I didn’t like our game really at all,” Bednar said. “In its simplest form, it looked like we were second to the puck all night, and our execution was not good. We had a tough time stringing together two passes. When your fourth line gets you two goals, (with) limited ice time, should be a good sign, but the bulk of the rest of our team struggled.”
Parker Kelly and Nikolai Kovalenko were the fourth-liners who found the back of the net for Colorado. Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon failed to register a point for the first time in 12 home games this season and finished without a shot on goal.
“They blocked shots and stuff,” Cale Makar said. “I just didn’t think we generated, got enough to the net, whether it was us shooting from the point or going to the net off rushes of putting it there, and that resulted in — I don’t know how many shots we ended up with — under 20.”
Indeed, Colorado finished with just 19 shots — a number that the team will look to increase Monday against the improving Flyers.
Philadelphia is 4-0-1 in its past five games after trouncing the visiting Buffalo Sabres 5-2 on Saturday.
Travis Konecny registered two goals and an assist and has totaled six goals and six assists over his last six games.
“When we’re going, it seems to be that he’s on his game,” Travis Sanheim said. “I think he understands that, he recognizes that and he wants to be the guy that is leading the way. He’s doing a good job and it’s nice to see him have some success.”
Sanheim chipped in a goal and an assist as did Egor Zamula, while Ivan Fedotov made 23 saves. The Russian netminder has been more solid over his last three starts — all wins — after a rough beginning to his NHL career.
“I think he certainly feels more comfortable to me,” Flyers coach John Tortorella said. “He’s competitive. He just looks the part. He didn’t even look the part his first starts. He looks the part now. He’s just got to stay within himself and keep on playing.”
Erik Johnson, who played for the Avalanche from 2011-23, skated in his 1,000th career NHL game for the Flyers.
“I just love coming to the rink, showing up and playing and working,” the 36-year-old Johnson said.
The teams split two games last season with the Avalanche posting a 7-4 win in Philadelphia. Three players scored all of Colorado’s goals in that contest, as Logan O’Connor notched a hat trick and MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each tallied twice.
