Avalanche win streak ends with 2-1 loss to Montreal Canadiens
Colorado lost the momentum it had been playing with ahead of the matchup against the Montreal Canadiens and it cost two points.
Colorado's win streak ended at nine games after a 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens Tuesday night. The Avalanche lacked intensity in their game and made some mistakes that cost them a win.
"I mean we just weren't pushing the way we can. Energy, looked like the energy was down, yeah," head coach Jared Bednar said after the loss. "I've said this before I don't like our team after full days off but we have been on a pretty good run here lately, big emotional games. I mean it can happen. You just don't have it every single night, right? But, still frustrating."
The lone Avalanche goal came from Nathan MacKinnon less than a minute into the game on a shovel pass from Mikko Rantanen. MacKinnon extended his home point scoring streak to 35 and his overall streak to 19 with his addition to the scoresheet.
The Canadiens responded less than 10 seconds later to tie the game. Colorado managed 28 shots on goal in the game but couldn't find the back of the net again.
"I mean, their track record lately, they've just been out working teams and we knew that coming in. It just wasn't, obviously we didn't come in prepared again. And it's just another lesson, we have to take that as learning," Cale Makar said. "The teams we're continuing to play now, they're going to be playoff teams and every team's going to try and outwork us because that's just, they want to. So for us we got to be able to show up every night and just felt like overall we didn't simplify our game plan tonight enough."
Colorado has said it scouts their opponent but focuses more on its game. The 25-year-old defenseman said the team did not necessarily underestimate the Habs but just did not play to their ability against them.
"I think we knew — even my dad was telling me like how good they've been lately just in terms of just work ethic," Makar said. "So we're always prepared going into games, it's not like we're underestimating teams. You have to respect every team in this league, like Jack (Johnson) said. And for us, it's just sometimes you got to simplify I think that's what it came down to tonight."
Bednar said Justus Annunen played a solid game and gave the team a chance to win but the Canadiens' goaltending was good and the team blocked a lot of shots to keep the puck out of the net.
"I like the way our team's defended but not in the first period against Pitt (Pittsburgh Penguins), not in the first period tonight. And tonight it cost us, right? Like they go up one on us and we fight the whole game trying to get it back and their goalie played well and we missed on some really good opportunities — and we don't get the equalizer. We had fight the whole game to try and get it, couldn't get it so every time you lose it's frustrating but yeah, it is what it is, we got to take it, learn from it and move on."
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