The AHL Avalanche were no match for the NHL-leading Boston Bruins in 4-0 shutout loss – Mile High Sports

No Nathan MacKinnon.

No Artturi Lehkonen.

No Josh Manson, Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Bowen Byram, Evan Rodrigues, Darren Helm or Kurtis MacDermid.

The consequence? An adjustment in type, an absence of offensive punch and an obvious handicap for the AHL Avalanche, getting shut out 4-0 by the NHL-leading Boston Bruins at Ball Enviornment. The Avs iced a roster that had simply 5 NHL-regular forwards, solely one in every of its top-six and a blueline that’s lacking two of its top-four defensemen.

Regardless of all the percentages stacked towards them on Wednesday, the message was clear: No person is quitting on this. Avs coach Jared Bednar was happy with the staff’s efforts regardless of being outmatched.

“If we’re rolling over as a result of it’s too tough or we’re dropping video games, then we’d like new gamers. We’ll have to seek out different guys,” Bednar stated. “We higher be taking part in exhausting each single evening no matter what we predict the result goes to be, regardless if we’re successful or dropping. That’s a tradition we constructed right here. We’re going to proceed that regardless and if guys give up and don’t play exhausting, then we’ll discover different gamers.”

To make issues worse, Bruins followers confirmed up in droves, main to almost each objective sounding like a tally for the house staff.

It even led to the Avs’ objective horn going off for a second after Boston’s third objective. An embarrassing albeit comprehensible mishap.

Regardless of the recreation plan was to close down the high-flying Bruins was well-executed within the first interval. However the short-lived glimmer of hope for the injury-ravaged Avalanche shortly dissipated within the second. Colorado did all it may however its finest was no match for the now 21-win Bruins, who scored twice in every of the ultimate two durations.

“I assumed we performed exhausting,” Bednar stated. Good effort, good begin to the sport. Simply couldn’t maintain it.”

David Pastrnak broke the scoreless draw at 3:49 of the second interval on Boston’s 18th shot towards goalie Alexandar Georgiev. It was simply the beginning of a 10-minute stretch the place the street staff poured it on the Avs, dominating play and ultimately constructing on the lead. Taylor Corridor made it 2-0 at 9:50 off a pleasant feed from Charlie Coyle.

Extra of the identical within the third interval. Boston’s Trent Frederic scored at 6:24 and Corridor added his second of the evening three minutes later.

Colorado was unable to generate a lot offensively. It wanted to capitalize on its minimal probabilities. When it appeared just like the Avalanche had numbers on the push, the play ultimately broke down. And when a great alternative arose, it was stopped by goalie Linus Ullmark. The Bruins netminder made 23 saves to earn the shutout.

The Avs had been additionally scoreless on 4 power-play probabilities.

Early within the second interval, Dryden Hunt dropped the gloves with Tomas Nosek. Hunt had laid out Pastrnak which led to the struggle. Nosek took the worst of the tussle and ended up with an additional two minutes, giving the Avalanche an influence play. It was maybe the very best likelihood Colorado needed to capitalize, particularly with the sport nonetheless and not using a objective. However the Bruins killed off the penalty and bought on the board lower than a minute later.

There isn’t any affirmation on when the Avalanche may anticipate reinforcement. But when morning skate and Bednar’s feedback earlier within the day had been any signal, then it could possibly be quickly.

Valeri Nichushkin, who has missed 17 video games, participated in a daily white sweater earlier than the sport. He didn’t take any rushes on the ability play however the degree at which he skated proves he could possibly be again quickly. The identical goes for Darren Helm, who was nonetheless in a non-contact however has progressed effectively from an harm that has sidelined him all 12 months.

Two different forwards, Evan Rodrigues and Artturi Lehkonen, each skated earlier than the staff. Rodrigues is 2 weeks right into a 2-4 week prognosis. Bednar confirmed his return stays on schedule. And Lehkonen’s harm was introduced as each day on Saturday when he was damage towards these similar Bruins.

If all 4 had been to return over the subsequent stretch of video games, Colorado could be lacking simply two forwards — each notable names — in Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon.

The busy month continues with a matchup towards the New York Rangers at Ball Enviornment on Friday.

“I’m gonna anticipate if this group stays the very same shifting ahead for the subsequent one recreation, two video games, 5 video games, I anticipate us to be the higher subsequent recreation, Bednar stated. “We gotta get incrementally higher each evening. And if the lineup stays the identical for 2 months, we gotta discover a technique to carve out factors.”