Head coach Jared Bednar said early in the season that the team was a work in progress with new players — and it continues to be as the Avs work to get to their best game.

All players on the same page, playing within the same structure is the goal for the Colorado Avalanche and they will continue to work on getting to it against the Ottawa Senators at Ball Arena Thursday night.

Following the 3-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday night, Devon Toews said the team was disconnected in that 14 players were working within the same systems and six were not. 

“It's self-awareness of knowing the situation and knowing the way the game's trending — got guys that are going out against our structure and doing things that we don't do as a team, and that's what's frustrating," Toews told Guerilla Sports reporter Jesse Montano after the game.

Toews elaborated after morning skate about the difference between knowing the team's structure and putting that plan into action. He said that's where there is a disconnect but the players are working together to get that plan into place. 

"We're addressing everything in here. We're an open book in here. We care about each other, we're a family," Toews said. "We're just trying to get better and put our best product forward. It's pretty obvious we haven't done that this year. We know we haven't and that's the exciting part. We're third in the Central right now and we haven't even played our best hockey yet. Just knowing that is a positive and we keep moving forward and try to get to our best game and figure out what that is."

Other leaders in the room are working to get the team through its issues and Logan O'Connor has stepped up as one of them.

"I'd like to think I've earned the respect of a lot of people in the organization. Now it's using that to my advantage and try and help out the team in any way I can and the leadership role is something I know I can work on — a lot of guys in this locker room can as well," O'Connor said. "We have a lot of guys that are lead-by-example-type players, we're never the boisterous group. I think everyone collectively can maybe work on that side of things especially when we're going through a stretch like we are leadership is that much more important especially considering we're missing Landy (Gabriel Landeskog)."

Head coach Jared Bednar said he looks to his leaders to take ownership as the ones who play the game and set the "high standard" for the team. 

"Regardless of who's in or out of the lineup, opponent, whatever — we want to play as hard and as detailed as we possibly can cause that's our process long term," Bednar said. "The better you can work those habits and develop those habits of playing the right way, the better chance you have of winning long term are. So if it starts to slip, we bring things to their attention in our daily meetings ... they certainly have to continue that conversation within the room in order for it to improve."

Cale Makar and Andrew Cogliano skated in the morning but Bednar said Makar is potentially playing. Nathan MacKinnon and Ross Colton took maintenance days but Bednar said both will play.

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