The second period began Monday night at the Pepsi Center with the scoreboard challenging the Avalanche crowd with this message: “Denver … Get on your feet … We need power play noise!”
I bet the crowd would have enjoyed returning the message.
It must have wondered why the Avalanche had not demanded and produced the same of themselves in a first period in which they were once again sliced and carved and outplayed by Calgary.
The Avalanche at the start could barely stand upright.
It barely made a whimper.
It was Calgary 2-0 after the first period. Nine days ago, when these teams met in Calgary, it was Calgary 4-0 after one period.
That is Calgary 6, Avalanche 0, in recent first-period play for two teams through the early part of this season that had established their starting flow as fast (Avalanche) and slow (Flames).
Role reversals not withstanding, the Avalanche fought back to tie it only to lose in a shootout that had little bang for the Avs.
Calgary was here nine Mondays ago to assist the Avalanche in its home opener. It was a dominating 7-3 Avalanche victory in which the Calgary defensemen were as porous as the Calgary goaltending.
Not this time.
This crowd could hardly recognize the Flames in their 3-2 victory.
They have improved plenty since that loss, having already beaten the Avalanche 5-3 on Nov. 12 in that game at Calgary that they led 4-0. And now this quick start, strong finish and plucking of the Avalanche.
This was the third of eight meetings between these teams.
This was, of course, a divisional game. Colorado entered with one less victory than Calgary’s 12, one less loss than Calgary’s eight and two fewer points than Calgary’s 26.
The Avalanche entered a step, a slip, a jostle behind.
It exited this game in a similar spot.
“If you saw us a couple of nights ago in Calgary, you wouldn’t think we’ve improved much,” Calgary coach Darryl Sutter said. “We’ve had our struggles. We work for our opportunities. We have an identity that we try and stick with.”
Sutter is being coy. Or simply silly.
His team looked altogether different from the one that played here Oct. 10.
Their identity seems secure.
In your face when you skate toward their net. Tough checking. Controlling the puck. Playing with confidence.
“They are a much, much better team now; that’s the team that went to the Stanley Cup Finals a couple of years ago,” Avalanche defenseman Patrice Brisebois said. “Sometimes you have a bad night, and it looks like their first game here was that. We stuck with our game plan, even after we fell behind in the first period, and shut them out. But they got the shootout. They are going to win a lot of games.”
The Avalanche needs the same to keep pace with this team.
The Avalanche through 21 games is looking up at Vancouver and Calgary in the Northwest Division. The Avalanche is close. Rob Blake connected on a beautiful backhand shot to tie the game at 2-2 late in the third period. But Colorado in this game went 0-5 in power-play opportunities and 0-for-3 in the shootout.
Shootouts thus far this season have been blowups for the Avs.
The Avalanche prides itself on its pure hockey skills.
In a game such as this one, it needed more of it to surface.
Coach Joel Quenneville said he will take a look at it, the goaltending, everything. He said the Avalanche evaluates after every game.
I see a team in Calgary that is not going to fade. It is one that could be a thorn unless the Avs match the Flames in growth.
Blake said: “We didn’t have the start we wanted.”
With a game at irritant Detroit on Wednesday, the Avalanche will focus on its start. And keep in mind that Calgary is a force.
The Flames leave here knowing they took one of Colorado’s best shots. Actually, several of them.
They are a team on their feet.
Making noise.
Staff writer Thomas Georgecan be reached at 303-820-1994 or tgeorge@denverpost.com.
