Avalanche finally returning home after losing on the road again
Feb 15, 2024, 8:10 PM
The Colorado Avalanche have played just two games at home in the past five weeks but after a six-game trip wrapped up on Thursday, the Avs are finally coming home on Sunday.
Colorado only earned three points in the standings over the half-dozen games on the East Coast. And what briefly looked to be like the trip ending on a high note, finished with a 5-3 Avs loss to Tampa Bay Lightning.
Nathan MacKinnon took a puck to the face during the contest but returned with a new bubble on his helmet and a busted nose. He tallied the Avs key assist to put them up 3-2 on a goal by Artturi Lehkonen three minutes and 40 seconds into the third period. Just 20 seconds later Steven Stamkos scored on a breakaway to tie the score and four minutes later Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winner to make it 4-3. The Bolts ended an empty netter as they toyed with the Avs most of the later part of the contest.
Nathan MacKinnon went straight down the tunnel after taking a puck to the face 😳 pic.twitter.com/R0F5dtcqVc
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) February 16, 2024
Lehkonen had two points to follow up his two-goal game on Tuesday. Bowen Byram scored two of the Avs goals in the game, including a fun slingshot one. But backup goalie Justus Annunen didn’t have enough in the tank to stop the high-powered home team.
The 'ol slingshot… pic.twitter.com/EgSqgdy4wz
— Mike Kelly (@MikeKellyNHL) February 16, 2024
The Avs still hold second place in the central but the Jets are now just a point behind and have four games at hand. Colorado has been caught from behind in the division and topped by Dallas, who lead the Central by four points. Thankfully the Avs have built up quite the lead on the wildcard teams so the playoffs won’t be in question with 27 games to play.
More importantly, Colorado is finally coming home with two in a row in Denver and seven of the next 10 at Ball Arena. The Avalanche clearly need home cooking after dropping five of the last six all away from the Centennial State.
