WINNIPEG — As far as starts go, Saturday nightap was a horrendous one for the Avalanche. Again.
The middle and the end weren’t much better for the NHL’s worst team, but the beginning was particularly putrid.
Host Winnipeg scored three goals in the first 10 minutes and cruised to an easy 6-1 victory.
“We came out not ready to play,” veteran Avs defenseman said. “At one point, you gotta start showing some pride. … Itap just embarrassing.”
It was the natural result of one team scrapping and clawing for a playoff spot, and the other team playing out the string. Colorado scored two goals and failed to pick up a point on its three-game road trip.
“We had a couple games like this already this year,” Avs head coach said. “I thought we were past that as a group. Itap a tough situation we’re in. There’s no doubt. It can be disheartening at times, but that remains unacceptable. We gotta play with some pride, and tonight we didn’t have it.”
The Avs (17-43-3) took two penalties in the first 10 minutes, including ’s lazy interference infraction that led to Blake Wheeler’s power play score that made it 2-0. Rookie Jets sensation Patrik Laine’s 32nd goal of the season, a blast that deflected off ’s stick, got the hosts on the board 4:22 into the game.
They hadn’t finished announcing Wheeler’s 20th score of the season when Mark Scheifele finished a slick, three-way passing play with Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers by sliding the puck into a wide-open net 16 seconds later.
The rout was on.
“The second and the third, itap just frustration, and guys start to fragment and go off on their own pages, and all of a sudden you look like a junior C team,” said Avs captain , who ended Connor Hellebuyck’s shutout bid with 15.4 seconds left.
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The lone bright spot for the Avs was the spirited play of rookie forward J.T. Compher, who tied for the team lead with four shots and blocked one at the other end in just his second NHL game.
“I don’t think this is a stretch at all to say he was our best player tonight,” Bednar said. “Without a doubt for me, he was our best. Competitive, on the puck, good puck decisions, and a tough game when we didn’t have a lot of the guys going, so that tells me there’s promise right there.
“He’s out there competing to win his shift, to win the puck, to win the game, and thatap what we need. Thatap what I love about him.”
