There are 110 goals and 246 points missing from the Avalanche’s lineup, from injuries to just three players — Joe Sakic, Ryan Smyth and Paul Stastny. In a league that disproportionately rewards robotic defensive systems such as those employed by Thursday’s opponent, the Minnesota Wild, such personnel losses are just too tough to overcome on a consistent basis.
That was true in the Avs’ 3-2 loss to the Wild, which sent the Avs into the NHL’s all-star break losers of two straight and stuck in fourth place in the clustered Northwest Division.
On a night the Avs cried out for more offensive finishers, the best ones they have remained dressed in suits and ties and not sweaty uniforms.
The Avs worked hard but looked a step slower and less efficient with the puck in prime scoring areas than the first-place Wild. Pavol Demitra’s putback of a big rebound from a missed Jose Theodore glove save, in the second period, held up as the winning goal for Minnesota.
The Avs had a couple of glorious chances to at least tie the game in the third period, none better than Wojtek Wolski’s shot into a partially open net. But after accepting Tyler Arnason’s feed in the right crease area, Wolski missed, keeping the Wild up by a goal.
The Avs did a couple of things they couldn’t afford with such a short-handed lineup, too, such as Scott Hannan’s ill-advised clearing pass on a Wild power play that was easily intercepted and turned into a goal by Brian Rolston at 13:27 of the first to make it 2-0 Wild. The Avs were also caught napping on Minnesota’s first goal, by journeyman fourth-liner Todd Fedoruk at 5:25. While Fedoruk drove the net and poked home a pass from Demitra, the Avs’ defense was late from behind.
