ST. LOUIS — When Game 53 of the Avalanche’s season was complete Saturday, the team found itself dangerously close to a place it has never been this late in a season: last in the Western Conference.
On a night the Avs lost another key player to an injury — Milan Hejduk (jaw) — they also dropped a 4-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues at the Scottrade Center, leaving 14th-place Colorado just one point ahead of the 15th-place Blues in the West.
The Avs (25-27-1) had never been below .500 this late in a season. Colorado players held a closed-door meeting afterward, the contents of which remained behind closed doors. But it wasn’t hard to glean the gist of what might have been discussed.
“We’re just not doing the things we need to do to win out there,” defenseman Scott Hannan said. “When we get away from our systems, we’re a very average team. When we do the right things, we win games. When we don’t, we don’t. With the injuries, it’s tough to make up for mistakes.
“You can’t go out there and give up two or three goals and expect to come back in every game. That’s not a case of guys being out; it’s a case of guys being focused for 60.”
After a good first period in which they built a 1-0 lead on Chris Stewart’s finish of a dazzling play with Wojtek Wolski and Ryan Smyth, the Avs were dreadful in the second. The worst moment was Jordan Leopold’s giveaway behind the Avs’ net to Brad Boyes, quickly converted into Keith Tkachuk’s slap-shot goal at 4:20, giving St. Louis a 2-1 lead. Thirty-one seconds later it was 3-1, when more sloppy play in the Avs’ end led to Boyes’ 23rd goal of the season — a rebound putback on Colorado goalie Peter Budaj.
“In the second period, the ‘D’ weren’t moving the puck quick enough, the forwards weren’t maybe getting the puck in enough. We got away from what we do best,” Hannan said.
“We made a couple mistakes and gave them all sorts of momentum,” Avs coach Tony Granato said. “We made mistakes you can’t make, no matter what, whether it’s Game 1 or Game 50. We didn’t establish any kind of forecheck once they took the lead.”
The Avs got nothing going offensively in the final two periods against a St. Louis team that has produced at least one point in nine of its last 10 games.
The Avs’ defensive tandem of Ruslan Salei and Brett Clark was a combined minus-5, and forwards Cody McLeod and Tyler Arnason were minus-3 each. Leopold compounded his giveaway with a hooking penalty a couple minutes later, indicating he let some frustration get to him.
“It was a costly turnover at an important time of the game,” Leopold said. “Physical mistakes are going to happen, and it’s how you respond. I was upset with myself, of course. I’ve got to be better than that.”
Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360 or adater@denverpost.com
The Post’s three stars
1. Brad Boyes.
Blues forward scored a goal and assisted on the game-winner.
2. David Perron.
Blues forward scored and was plus-3.
3. Chris Stewart.
Winger scored the Avalanche’s only goal and had a game-high five shots.
What you might have missed
The loss was only the second for Colorado on a Saturday this season (8-2-0).
Up next
At Columbus, Tuesday at 5 p.m.
