The collapse continues. Two weeks ago, the Avalanche had a nine-point lead on the Calgary Flames and a playoff spot looking better than secure in the Western Conference. Today, the teams are tied, but going in opposite directions entering the final week.
The Flames came into the Pepsi Center on Friday night and beat the Avalanche in the most crucial game of the season so far, 2-1. It was the Avs’ fourth straight loss and seventh in the last eight overall.
While the Avs remain in eighth place in the West and have a game in hand on Calgary still, the impression remains the sky is falling.
The Avalanche played a pretty good first period, outshooting Calgary 13-9 and killing off two Flames power plays. The problem was, again, a lack of finish around the net and the Flames were able to regroup and come out with an excellent second period.
As has been the case of late too, the Avs paid for their first big defensive mistake of the night, early in the second period. Nigel Dawes finished off a 2-on-1 break with David Moss to make it 1-0 at 2:28, after the Avs” Darcy Tucker made a slow line change with Brandon Yip, allowing too much open space around the Avs” bench and a Flames breakout.
It stayed 1-0 after two periods, as Colorado’s lack of drive around the net of Miikka Kiprusoff made things just too easy for an elite goalie like him.
It was a 2-0 game in the first half of the third, when Rene Bourque scored for the Flames. The Avs looked positively dead at that point, but they mounted a charge, fueled by desperation.
TJ Galiardi made it a one-goal game, after a good shift with linemates Paul Stastny and Chris Stewart.
Stewart looked to have tied the game with 5:54 left, when he had a partially open net and Stastny put the puck on his stick right in front. But Stewart didn’t lift his shot enough, allowing Kiprusoff to make a diving glove save.
