With an opportunity to even its record and move to 2-1 on a four-game homestand, the Avalanche on Sunday failed to trade chances with the Boston Bruins. Colorado entered the early evening contest having been outshot in just five of 13 games, but the visitors felt right at home at the Pepsi Center.
In winning 2-0 to pin the Avs with their third loss in the last four games, the Bruins held a commanding shots-on-goal advantage of 45-21. Each team had two power plays, both failing to capitalize in a game decided by 5-on-5 hockey.
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“A lot of that came from us turning the puck over by not breaking out clean from our zone, and not getting it deep from the neutral zone; they came back in waves and took a lot of shots on net,” Avs defenseman Francois Beauchemin said of the shots differential. “Five-one-five, we have to find ways to generate more. It’s every game now.”
Colorado played without leading scorer Matt Duchene, who suffered a concussion in Thursday’s 3-2 overtime triumph over Winnipeg. But 19-year-old A.J. Greer stepped in for his NHL debut and played well in 16:34. He played 2 minutes on the power play and nearly scored to tie it on the man-advantage in the third period.
“I’m proud to have lived this experience and hopefully it’s not my lost,” said Greer, who was recalled Saturday from San Antonio of the American Hockey League.
Boston’s David Krejci scored in the first period and Dominic Moore added an empty netter with 27.2 seconds to play.
Krejci goal’s 9:30 into the game was the difference through two periods, although Boston outshot the Avalanche 35-14 over the 40 minutes. Krejci scored for the right circle after linemates Ryan Spooner and David Backes moved the puck into the Colorado zone. Krejci beat goalie Semyon Varlamov between the legs or under an arm.
Varlamov, who entered the game with a .882 save percentage, wasn’t the problem in this one. Opposing goalie Tuuka Rask was great when he had to be.
“Varly was outstanding,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “He was the best player on the ice. We have to get some production for him.”
Bednar noted that his team failed to get the puck past center-ice and deep into the Boston zone. In addition: “We passed up on a lot of shots early in the game; too much east-west plays and we didn’t get a lot of our point shots through. A lot of them got blocked,” Bednar said. “That’s kind of Boston’s M.O. — they do a good job in that regard but we certainly made it too easy for them.”
Colorado will practice Monday and Bednar said Duchene is scheduled to skate — on his own or with the team. The Avs host the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday before beginning a three-game trip Thursday at Dallas.
