Samuel Girard (left); Roope Hintz (right) -- Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Images [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/89405d19-e384-4ff6-a145-556254906c9e.jpeg] Samuel Girard (left); Roope Hintz (right) -- Isaiah J. Downing, USA TODAY Images The Colorado Avalanche suffered their second straight loss Monday, falling to the Calgary Flames by a 3-2 score in a shootout. Here are three key takeaways from the Avs' loss, which dropped Colorado's season record to 45-26-4: 1. Avs Blow Two-Goal Lead, Squander Opportunity To Gain Ground In Central Divsion Playoff Race For the first two periods of Monday's tilt against the Flames [http://thn.com/calgary], Colorado looked like it was going to get back on track and stop a two-game losing skid from happening. The Avalanche [http://thn.com/colorado] out-shot Calgary 21-12 through 40 minutes and took a two-goal lead into the third frame, but they were out-shot 11-5 in the third period and blew a chance to win the game in regulation time. The Avs' loss -- even with the 'loser point' -- failed to make up much ground in the Central race, as Colorado is now eight standings points behind second-place Dallas, and the Stars [http://thn.com/dallas] have a game in hand on the Avalanche. It was still going to be diffcult to overtake Dallas for second spot in the Central, but this loss pretty much assures the Avs of a third-place finish in the division. 2. MacKinnon, Makar Continue To Dominate, Even In Losing Effort Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar had another strong game Monday, collaborating on Colorado's opening goal against the Flames. Makar scored his 28th goal of the season Monday, while MacKinnon had the primary assist -- his 80th of the season -- on Makar's goal. MacKinnon's assist keeps him as the league leader in helpers this season, while Makar's goal extends his lead as the NHL's top-scoring defenseman. Together, Makar and MacKinnon give the Avalanche a chance to win each and every night, and even on nights where the Avs don't get the 'W', MacKinnon and Makar stand out in a positive way. Avalanche Sign Another Makar, As Cale's Brother Inks One-Year Deal [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/03b36e9f-8cbd-4cfd-a3f6-cc63ea2187c9.jpeg] Avalanche Sign Another Makar, As Cale's Brother Inks One-Year Deal The Colorado Avalanche already have the best hockey player on the planet with the surname "Makar" -- but on Monday, the Avs added another Makar under their umbrella, as star defensean Cale Makar's brother, forward Taylor Makar, <a href="https://www.nhl.com/avalanche/news/avalanche-signs-taylor-makar">signed a professional contract with the organization</a>. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/colorado-avalanche/latest-news/avalanche-sign-another-makar-as-cales-brother-inks-one-year-deal] 3. With Wild's Loss, Avalanche Is All But Assured Of Finishing In Third Place In Central The Avalanche's defeat opened the door for the fourth-place-in-the-Central Minnesota Wild [http://thn.com/minnesota] to gain ground on the Avs. However, the Wild fell 3-2 in a shootout to the New Jersey Devils [http://thn.com/newjersey] -- and that means Minnesota remains six standings points behind Colorado, with both the Wild and Avs each having seven regular-season games left to play. Barring some collapse by the Avalanche, Minnesota is going to stay a wild card team in the Western Conference, while the Avs are more or less locked into a first-round series against the Stars. There's still a chance the first-place Winnipeg Jets [http://thn.com/winnipeg] fall below Dallas into second place in the Central, but that's also highly-unlikey. Ultimately, Colorado and Dallas are headed for a first-round showdown, and the Avalanche are going to be facing a Stars team with an imposing 27-7-2 home record this season. The Avs have a relatively-disappointing 20-15-1 road mark this season, so they'll have to be much better away from home if they're to make it to the second round and beyond. But falling to the Flames Monday all but assures Colorado of what could be the toughest first-round matchup of any first-round series this spring.
