Bednar calls out team’s effort as Avs fall short in Wild battle for first place

The battle between two of the hottest hockey titans over the last 10 games was won by the visitors on Wednesday.

The red-hot Minnesota Wild have now picked up points in 20 of their last 21 games, after knocking off the smoldering Colorado Avalanche, who were vying for first place. The Avs had only lost one of their last 10 and moved to just a game behind the Wild. But thanks to a 4-2 win by Minny, they’ve extended their lead in the central to three with a game at hand.

It was one of if not the biggest game the Avs have played since hoisting Lord Stanley’s Cup last summer. And the significance of the match was understood.

“Certainly, we don’t want to run into the Wild in the first round if we can help it, right?” said Avs head coach Jared Bednar after the morning skate. “They’re the hottest team in the league. It should be a really good contest tonight. I think however it shakes out, it’s going to be a really fun hockey game.”

Bednar wasn’t giving his squad enough credit in terms of hotness. However, if it weren’t for deference, what exactly would Canadians do for dinner conversation?

The friendliest this match-up got was when former Boston College teammates Alex Newhook and Matt Boldy went out for a treat Tuesday at Little Man Ice Cream. But whatever nostalgic conversations they may have had—Well, I got her numbah! How do you like them apples?—were shelved as a sold-out crowd urged on a 60-minute bloodbath.

All year, the Avs have had an annoying habit of leaving players unattended by the side of the net. The Wild took advantage of this bothersome trend netting the game’s first goal. Marcus Johansson was lonelier than the attendees of the Nathaniel Hackett fan club at a weekly meetup. With nobody paying attention, MoJo had no problem beating Avs goalie Alexander Georgiev short side at 3:24 of the first.

Halfway through the period, there was an odd series of penalties that gave the Wild a four on three. They were on the doorstep but lost possession. As the puck was flung off the boards to center ice, Bo Byram came flying out of the box from his penalty. Like Thor retrieving his hammer, the puck magnetically locked on Bo’s blade. Cool as the homemade vanilla inside a Little Man Big Dip Waffle cone, Bo deked Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson, beating him with a wicked wrister to tie the game at 1-1.

The back-and-forth action tilted towards the Wild minutes later. Sam Girard lost a battle to the man of Sam Steel as the Avs’ kryptonite appears to be defending in front of their own net. Steel’s crafty backhand flip beat a stunned Georgiev to make it 2-1 as the teams headed into the first intermission.

One thing the Avs have learned this year, nothing comes easy. There was no reason to expect anything less. The teams settled into a more stingy defensive posture in the second. Neither team was willing to take big chances. Both teams tightened the screws defensively. Taking away the Avs’ speed and explosiveness is the scariest part of a dangerous Wild team.

Oskar Sundqvist boarded big Valeri Nichushkin halfway through the second. Any headfirst hit into the boards takes your breath away, and this was no different. The derailed Choo Choo train got to his feet only to see his team fall off the tracks on the power play.

Nathan MacKinnon was deep in the Wild zone. He fired the puck unintentionally off Jonas Brodin’s skate. Cale Makar got his feet crossed up at the blue line, causing the unthinkable to happen. Frederick Gaudreau picked up the loose puck. Flying down the ice unabated, he beat Georgie top-shelf. The shocking turn of events stunned the Avs faithful. It was only the third short-handed goal allowed by the Avs on the year. They were tied with the Wild with the least allowed shorties. This gut-punch was just another small way the Wild turned their knife into the Avs’ gut.

“I think we had some passengers the first period-plus,” Bednar said, calling out his team’s effort.”I think we handed them a couple goals. It’s a game of mistakes and we made some big ones.”

In the third, the Avs turned up the heat. The Wild were outshot 44-28. The intense pressure was significant when Devon Toews made a pinpoint pass to Lars Eller for a deflection goal, making the score 3-2 with six minutes left.

Late in a nationally televised showdown, the beating heart of the Stanley Cup champs was now pounding like a drum. The breathless faithful rose in anticipation on every positive possession.

Could their heroes find the will to finish a miracle comeback?

The answer was no. But it wasn’t because they lacked the grit or determination needed to win. Sometimes games just don’t go your way.

“That’s a little bit of a heart-breaker because it’s on us,” a ticked off Bednar said after the game.

Despite losing the ability to claim first, the Av could still pass their bitter rivals.

However, it may all be a moot point.

Last year, the Avs only lost one road game on their way to claim the cup. This season they have picked up more points on the road (49) than at home (45.)

These facts may make a tough loss a bit easier to swallow. It’s not the end of the world, but it certainly is a sign that the Avs have soft spots to address.

The most obvious missing piece is captain Gabriel Landeskog. Their last four home games against playoff teams have all been losses: New Jersey, 7-5, Seattle, 3-2, Los Angeles, 5-2, and Pittsburgh, 5-2. The sooner the superstar returns, the better.

The three-way battle for first will turn another chapter this weekend. Saturday night will prove to be another stern test as the Stars sashay to town. Looking to avenge a 7-3 humiliation at the hands of Dallas in early March, the Avs will need to bring their A-game otherwise the streak could turn to five straight.

Bednar made it clear he was disappointed in the effort by some of his players but it wasn’t his top guys he is worried about. Also Georgiev didn’t have his best game. pic.twitter.com/WsKjYyS1d1

— Darren McKee (@DMacRadio) March 30, 2023

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