Is a rift emerging in Colorado?

Star forward Nathan MacKinnon isn’t shy about voicing frustration with head coach Jared Bednar’s constant tinkering, and with the Central Division hanging in the balance, the Avalanche could be paying the price.

After a 7-2 drubbing at the hands of the Pittsburgh Penguins—despite MacKinnon scoring his NHL-leading 45th goal—tensions bubbled to the surface. The superstar subtly called out Bednar and the coaching staff for constantly shuffling lines and adjusting team structure.

“Seven D, I don’t like seven D,” MacKinnon said. “I think different D pairs every shift is not great, different forward lines every (game) a lot of the time. The flow is off for sure. A lot of new faces, and 11 and 7 isn’t what we do.”

In a telling example of the shuffle, Nick Blankenburg, typically a defenseman, was slotted in as a fourth-line left winger against Pittsburgh.

“The chemistry matters,” MacKinnon continued. “It’s no one’s fault, it’s just different. New teams and a lot of different line combinations lately for everybody. It’s hard. It sounds like an excuse. Tonight was just bad, too. We just played bad."

MacKinnon called for more video sessions so the roster—both veterans and newcomers—can align on the current system. Even he seemed unsure exactly what that system is at the moment.

"I think lines and D-pairs need to sit down and go through clips and figure out what our system is right now," he added. "Too much passing around the perimeter (which MacKinnon is known for). The only good shift of the game we had was when (Brent Burns) took four shots from the strong side and then they kicked one in the net, so that's how we have to play.

"We don't shoot enough. We haven't had 30 shots in four games now, which is very, very rare for us. Usually, we work off that D1 shot. Obviously, we need to help our D more. Even the Seattle game wasn't great, either. Sometimes winning can mask some stuff. Winnipeg, we were good defensively, we just didn't shoot the puck at all. No one's at the net. We need to get guys in the paint."

Bednar and MacKinnon both want the same result: a dominant Avalanche team. But their methods are diverging. Bednar pushed back on some of MacKinnon's criticisms, making it clear experimentation is here to stay.

"I don't agree with (MacKinnon) when he says, 'Guys don't know what they're doing.' When you're playing really well, it's generally because you're focused, your details, and your execution of the game plan is on, and you've got jump and pop and energy to play the way you want to play. And then when you're off, it's generally because some of those details are lacking."

The Hockey News pressed Bednar on the 11-7 configuration versus the more traditional 12-6. His response revealed both flexibility and the constraints injuries have forced.

"It's not ideal," he stated. "We'd love to be a 12-6. I think there was a little bit of an advantage to be able to get (Nick) Blankenburg in and watch him play with us and get some reps in our with team, which is always nice.

"I'd love to be a 12-6. It's been difficult because of our injuries and some of the injuries with the Eagles. I think they had 10 guys out the other day and some of the options that we use for our call-ups. We're discussing different scenarios and what we may or may not be able to do here even for tomorrow (against the Dallas Stars)."

When asked about MacKinnon’s critique of his lineup tinkering, Bednar took the high road—but didn’t sugarcoat the challenges.

"Depends which lines you're talking about," he quipped. "We've been running the same lines for a long time. He had (Nazem Kadri) for a while and now he's getting (Valeri Nichushkin). That's the only change in the second line. The other guys are all staying the same since we've been running 11-7.

"When you have injuries, it's not easy, because you want to make sure that you have everyone going as best you can. And when you have a player dropping out of the lineup every night, it becomes more difficult. When the lineup's set, if guys are playing well, they stay the same."

Colorado now faces a pivotal test against the surging Dallas Stars. With the Central Division practically up for grabs, the Avalanche must reconcile their internal disagreements—or risk watching their lead slip away.