Nathan MacKinnon continued to carry the Avalanche's offense but turnovers and missed plays were key factors in the team's second consecutive loss.
Nathan MacKinnon continued to carry the Avalanche's offense but turnovers and missed plays were key factors in the team's second consecutive loss.
Head coach Jared Bednar changed up his lines against the Philadelphia Flyers but the Colorado Avalanche failed to generate enough offense in the 5-2 loss Saturday night.
Mikko Rantanen started in the second-line center position with Valeri Nichushkin and Tomas Tatar but ended up moving around throughout the course of the game.
"I started him (Rantanen) there cause I wanted to get him skating — still want to see him there. I popped him out with Mack (MacKinnon) and Val (Nichushkin) a couple times," Bednar said after the loss. "I felt like all three of those guys were playing hard and could maybe make something happen on the offensive side of it."
Although Rantanen has been held scoreless for the last three games, he's had several good scoring chances that haven't ended with a reward for his effort.
Nathan MacKinnon scored with just over a minute left in the first period to tie the game one all. Josh Manson and Devon Toews earned the assists on his goal.
MacKinnon has scored at least a point in all of the 13 home games so far which is the third-longest season opening home scoring streak in franchise history. The 28-year-old is also riding an 11 consecutive point-per-game streak.
Josh Manson netted the second goal for the Avalanche off a faceoff win from the point at 7:32 in the second period. Johansen won the battle in the dot to earn the assist, which was his first point since Nov. 27.
Travis Konecny scored twice for the Flyers, one from a penalty shot given to him after MacKinnon got called trying to stop his breakaway. Philadelphia also got goals from Owen Tippett, Travis Sandheim and Joel Farabee.
Colorado had trouble keeping up intensity throughout the game and struggled with turnovers racking up 17 giveaways in the loss.
"The biggest thing that's bothering me is that we're finding the rhythm of our game for 10 minute stretches and whatnot and then we're shooting ourselves in the foot ... ," Bednar said. "Our decisions on some of the scoring chances against, and goals against right now just is not good ... it's not coming easy and then we try to make something out of nothing."
Cale Makar said: "The opportunities that we gave up were grade A chances and they capitalized. That seems to be the trend as of late. A lot of turnovers in wrong areas, whether it's at their blueline, high in their zone or our neutral zone. I feel like a lot of it is self-inflicted and individual assignments."
Ivan Prosvetov stopped 29 of the 34 shots and said the loss was a learning experience for him.
"The games like this they help too cause they going to happen," the 24-year-old goaltender said. "You're not always going to be able to give up two or three goals — sometimes it's going to be five. You have to bounce back after those. And practice, work hard after those days and the game going to come together."
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