When the NHL went to the shootout format to break ties this season, it made sense even after the departure of Peter Forsberg to project Colorado would benefit from the change.
That assumption was about as on-the-money as the Avalanche has been in the shootouts.
The latest fiasco was Sunday night, when Colorado blew a chance to take sole possession of the Northwest Division lead, suffering a 4-3 shootout loss to the Edmonton Oilers at the Pepsi Center as the Avs went 0-for-3 in the shootout against Oilers goaltender Dwayne Roloson.
Antti Laaksonen, Milan Hejduk and Joe Sakic failed to get the puck in the net, and Roloson’s terrific save on Sakic ended it and added to the Avs’ frustrations.
Of the Oilers’ three shooters, only Sergei Samsonov beat goalie Peter Budaj, but that was enough.
The Avs got one point for the shootout loss, leaving Colorado and Calgary, which lost at Dallas earlier in the day, both with 86 points (and 39 victories). But the Flames are listed as the division leader because they have played one fewer game.
Andrew Brunette, Hejduk and Jim Dowd had the goals for the Avalanche, and the recently acquired Dowd’s second in as many nights – this one set up when Brad May wheeled out of the corner and got a backhander on net – pulled Colorado into a 3-3 tie at 12:33 of the third. Ryan Smyth, Steve Staios and Jarret Stoll scored for the Oilers, for whom the two points were crucial, lifting them back into seventh place in the conference.
The Avalanche’s shootout ineptitude is becoming as puzzling as Stonehenge, Amelia Earhart’s fate and men’s reluctance to ask for directions. While Budaj especially struggled in the shootouts early in the season, it would be wrong to entirely blame the Avalanche goaltenders for the lack of success.
Colorado has won only three of nine shootouts this season, and the shooters have gone a dreadful 6-for-30. The injured Alex Tanguay and Marek Svatos have two of the successes each.
Sakic, 5-for-5 in the regular season and playoffs on penalty shots in his career, is 0-for-7 in shootouts this season. Hejduk is 1-for-7.
“I don’t have an explanation,” Hejduk said. “We just can’t score.”
“Had him beat,” a shrugging Sakic said of Roloson. “He made a great save. He stuck the glove out. I thought it was going in. Guess not. It was not to be.”
Laaksonen led off for Colorado in the shootout, getting off a weak forehand shot going against the veteran goaltender he used to work against in practice when both were with the Minnesota Wild.
“I usually go backhand on breakaways, and I knew he was going to know that,” Laaksonen said. “Maybe I should have stuck with that. When you’re going full speed, it’s tough for the goalies.”
Said Budaj, who now has given up nine goals in 14 shots in the shootout and has an 0-5 record: “I think when we get to the shootout, we think about it more than we should.”
The Avs, who have 10 regular- season games remaining, could take the lead Tuesday against Anaheim, because the Flames don’t play again until Wednesday at home against Los Angeles.
Staff writer Terry Frei can be reached at 303-820-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com.
