Adam Foote came back from injury last week, but the Avs' woes continued unabated
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The not-so-triumphant return of Adam Foote meant nothing to a super-slumping Avalanche squad last week. Even after pressing the Sharks to the brink in San Jose, Colorado only managed a pathetic shootout loss.
That extra-time L did garner Los Avs a point to bring them to 60 points on the season. However, a 5-1 home downer at the hands of the West-worst Edmonton Oilers (good for two 5-1 home losses to Edmonton in as many weeks) erased any lingering positive vibes from a competitive outing in San Jose.
Now the Avalanche get into a tough stretch of games that will likely extend their atrocious post-All Star Break streak of mostly losses (1-12-2 or a 0.07 winning percentage.)Â This week features games against a series of smash-mouth clubs, capped by back-to-back contests Friday and Saturday versus Anaheim and at Nashville.
To boot, promising power forward Ryan Stoa ended up rupturing his appendix and needing surgery. He will miss at least two weeks.
Can it get any worse in Avalancheville? Yes, yes I believe it can…
Tuesday, March 8th @ Minnesota Wild (6:00 MST)
Back when the Avalanche were scoring 3.5 goals per game, they took an early lead in the season series versus the Northwest Division’s resident thugs. A 7-4 win and a 4-1 victory in Minnesota sandwiched around a 1-3 loss to the Wild at home had Colorado looking like they might have finally figured out the gritty boys in green.
Then the Avs returned from a relaxing All Star Break and lost a 3-4 heartbreaker at home to the Wild wherein Colorado managed an absurd 41 shots on goal. That game started Colorado’s current slide, and may have been the demoralizing straw the that broke the Abominable Snowman’s back in a season plagued by injuries and missed opportunities.
A 3-2 loss at Minnesota a couple weeks later was more reminiscent of Colorado’s historical struggles against the Wild, and we’ll go ahead and predict a similarly frustrating outcome in this one.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 2, Wild 3
Friday, March 11th vs Anaheim Ducks (7:00 MST)
As a seasoned fan of teams that manage epic slumps (Avalanche, Nuggets, Rockies, Saints, Red Sox… this is getting depressing) sometimes you just have to look for the little victories amidst a big steaming pile of crap.
Well, I think we’re going to beat the Ducks at home on Friday. If you go to one game the rest of the year, make it this one… because we may not win again… ever.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 4, Ducks 3
Saturday, March 12th @ Nashville Predators (6:00 MST)
At Nashville after a slugfest versus the Ducks the night before? Blech.
Plus the Predators are just wrapping up a luckless slide full of bad losses. Their standard response in such situations goes – 1) beat the Avalanche 2) go on a tear. Double blech.
PREDICTION: Avalanche 1, Predators 3
**BONUS COVERAGE**
Looking for more little golden nuggets in that big pile of fetid brown waste? Okay, fine:
Ryan O’Reilly scored his first goal since January 4th in that 5-1 loss to Edmonton.
Adam Foote is now 39th in games played by a defenseman after moving ahead of Borje Salming, his childhood hero, on Saturday.
Having gone 3-0-1 so far this season against the surging Oilers, and with the Ottawa Senators playing improved hockey featuring former Colorado backstop Craig Anderson, the Avalanche are rapidly moving towards the worst record in the league and a #1 Overall Draft Pick…. hooray?
