By a wise man’s definition, the Avalanche is a team beset by insanity. The Avs keep trying the same things over and over and hoping for a different result. Especially, it seems, in follow-up games to a good previous outing at the Pepsi Center.
The Avs have talked all season about “building” on a good performance, only to watch their foundation crumble with a flat-line start to the next game. The latest example was Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Wild.
Like so many home games this season, the Avs came out with little zest in the beginning, fell behind and played harder and better in the late stages. But it was just a little too late.
In an otherwise deserted Avs dressing room afterward, veteran winger Andrew Brunette again struggled for an explanation to it all.
“You keep beating your head against the wall,” Brunette said. “It’s like a broken record.”
If the Avs had played in the first two periods as they did in the third, when they outshot the Wild 15-6, things could have been different. Ken Klee and Brad Richardson’s goals cut a 3-0 Wild lead to one with 6:35 left, but the Wild’s Mikko Koivu scored after Avs defenseman Jeff Finger shattered his stick on a shot from the blue line, saw the puck squirt to center ice and watched as Koivu finished off the odd-man rush against goalie Peter Budaj (19 saves).
Finger’s tough-luck moment hurt that much more when Marek Svatos scored with 1:45 left to cut the deficit to 4-3.
The game was probably lost, however, in a 1:19 span of the second period. A couple of bad line changes by the Avs helped Minnesota’s Wyatt Smith and Todd White score goals, the latter coming with 1:20 left.
“We make bad changes, they light up, they score,” Avs defender Klee said. “They’re a patient team, well-coached and they just outsmarted us. That was it. It wasn’t that they were taking it to us or anything. They just waited for us to make turnovers and then they capitalized.”
After a Klee turnover, Smith wheeled in the slot to beat Budaj with a backhander to make it 2-0. Then, Ian Laperriere was called for charging, and the Wild’s Marian Gaborik wasted little time in setting up White for a one-timer in the left circle.
The Avs had only six shots in the first period but allowed just seven, one of which was put home by Adam Hall. The fans seemed upset after the first period, but Avs coach Joel Quenneville was more upset with the late second period.
“Our first period wasn’t too bad,” Quenneville said. “We didn’t give up a whole lot, but their scoring first obviously helped them. Our second period was tough to watch. A couple of late goals, and then you’re trying to press. Second and third goals were tough (line) changes. We haven’t really been able to sustain some type of streak in a positive way.”
Avalanche captain Joe Sakic, who had a frustrating night with six shots on net and no goals, said three goals is too big a deficit against a defensive-minded team like the Wild.
“Obviously, it was too late,” he said.
Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com.
