Scrappy Avalanche rally, but not enough in potential Cup preview
Jan 18, 2024, 7:45 PM
The Colorado Avalanche got down again on Thursday night.
This time they couldn’t complete the comeback.
The Avs fell 5-2 to the Boston Bruins, in what could potentially be a Stanley Cup preview later this summer. Colorado was down 2-0 and 3-1 in the first period, unable to climb back up the mountain. A slow and sleepy start doomed them, as the effects of a long road trip were apparent early.
The Avalanche had already visited Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa on the five-game swing, with those three games coming over four nights. They were down 4-2 to the Senators before reeling off five-straight goals in a 7-4 victory.
Superstar David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins early, just 44 seconds into the game, and Boston held the lead for good. He added two goals late in the third period for a hat trick, including an empty-netter.
Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev gave up three total in the first period, but was fairly solid the rest of the way. The hole the Avs dug was simply too deep, only getting as close as 3-2.
Miles Wood got Colorado on the board in the first period, and Nathan MacKinnon in the second, but they couldn’t hit the twine the rest of the way. The loss dropped the Avs to 29-14-3, but their 61 points still have them right near the top of the Central Division and Western Conference.
After a historically good season a year ago, the Bruins aren’t nearly as dominant, but they still have the most points in the Eastern Conference with 63. There’s no reason this can’t be a potential Cup Final come June. The Avs beat Boston 4-3 in a shootout at Ball Arena earlier this month, so the season series will end tied a game apiece.
The team is in a tough spot right now, finishing a grueling road swing and doing it without Valeri Nichushkin. He’s in the Player Assistance Program, attempting to address his issues “once and for all.”
It’s a tough loss for the Avs, but they showed heart. In what looked like it could be a blowout early, Colorado kept it close and had a chance late until the game got out of hand.
Hopefully these two teams meet again, with a lot more on the line in a little more than five months.
