10 Takeaways: Avalanche Still Have No Answers for Their Early-Season Problems

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectNightmare power play.Nightmare penalty kill.Nightmare defending.Nightmare hockey.The Colorado Avalanche got walked by the Nashville Predators, a team playing the second half of a back-to-back, in what was easily their worst performance of the season. And that’s saying something given the two road games they played earlier in the week in Philadelphia and New Jersey.The Predators entered Sunday’s matchup with three wins in 10 games and were coming off an overtime loss in Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Avs, meanwhile, looked like a better version of themselves Friday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They scored the first goal and never let up. Just two nights later, they’ve fallen right back into the bad habits that plagued them earlier in the week.Everything about this matchup should have favored Colorado. The fact that the Avalanche didn’t just lose but were thoroughly dominated is outright embarrassing.10 Takeaways1. The Avalanche have scored the first goal 57 times since the start of last season, the most in the NHL in that time. The problem with this recent stretch is that they’re usually pretty even-keeled when they give up the first goal. That doesn’t seem to be the case anymore, at least on the road.I don’t know what’s gotten into them, but as soon as Filip Forsberg scored the opening goal, you could tell it was going to be another one of those nights. And it was.2. Nothing says chasing a game like parading to the penalty box. Colorado took way too many penalties again, committing the kind of infractions you see from a team that’s a step behind and too slow to keep up. Last season, the penalty kill could bail them out. This year, not so much.Colorado gave up an embarrassing four power-play goals on seven opportunities while finishing the night with eight minor penalties. They got wrecked by a 35-year-old Ryan O’Reilly in his 18th NHL season. The penalty kill was a disgrace.3. The power play is laughable at this point. We’ve known for years that the Avs do most of their damage off the rush. But they’ve at least found ways to score on the man advantage, often finishing in the top half of the league thanks to the sheer talent on the roster. Not anymore.Nathan MacKinnon hasn’t been the same on the power play since Mikko Rantanen was traded, and it’s probably because he often deferred to Rantanen for a one-timer from the opposite circle. The confusion between MacKinnon and Martin Necas, with neither seeming sure of where to play or who should take charge, has dragged on long enough that the coaching staff tried Necas on the second unit. That isn’t working, either.At some point, your top players have to figure out how to work together. Brett McLean has a lot on his plate with figuring this out.4. My biggest issue with the power play is that it needs to run through Cale Makar, and that’s just not happening. Watch the Edmonton Oilers’ power play, and you’ll see how much of their offense runs through Evan Bouchard. He quarterbacks the unit while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl keep their feet moving and find open lanes once the Oilers get set up in the offensive zone.MacKinnon and Necas have the speed and finesse to gain the zone. But once they’re there, Makar needs to be the one creating plays and recognizing when to shoot and when to set up his teammates. The Avs have too much talent for this to look so disjointed.5. It’s pretty incredible that the Avalanche are still a game above .500 despite their defense looking like a shell of what it was last season. Makar looks fine, but he hasn’t looked like the Norris Trophy finalist he’s been over the past six seasons. By his standards, there’s a lot more to give, and he has 72 games left to find that level. I’m not really concerned with him getting there, especially with what’s going on in his personal life.Devon Toews has been great and as advertised. But after the top pair, it’s mostly been underwhelming.Sam Malinski is struggling, and it doesn’t seem to be getting any better. Brett Kulak has been fine, but with Malinski nowhere near the level he showed last season, it’s not a particularly strong second pair.The third pair, featuring Josh Manson and Brent Burns, looks a step slower than it did last year.6. This might be a harsh comparison, but Malinski’s play reminds me in some ways of Casey Mittelstadt’s season two years ago, following his contract extension with the Avalanche.7. I can’t stress enough how bad the Avalanche had to be to get outshot 35-21 by Nashville, which was playing the second half of a back-to-back. The Predators entered the game ranked 27th in the NHL in shots per game and 26th in shots against per game.This isn’t the Preds of two years ago, or even last season’s team that nearly squeaked into the playoffs. This is a team that looks headed toward a teardown and rebuild.But in this one, they made the Avs look like their little brother.8. I don’t think I’ve watched MacKinnon look invisible in three different games in a month over the past eight years. I just watched it happen three times in a week.It’s been a strange season in that regard for Colorado’s superstar center. When he’s on, he’s among the best players on the planet and puts up multiple points. When he’s off, he’s a non-factor.MacKinnon had the secondary assist on Artturi Lehkonen’s goal, finishing with one point for the first time in 12 games this season. That’s a weird stat line for a player who has been so productive and will likely finish with 120+ points again.9. Fedor Svechkov didn’t see the ice in the third period. After Nashville’s fifth goal, which Svechkov was on the ice for, he was stapled to the bench.It wasn’t a great game for the young forward in his first game back in Nashville.10. Credit to Parker Kelly for dropping the gloves with Jayden Struble, as uninspiring and ineffective as the fight ended up being. I understand what Kelly was trying to do, even if it didn’t work.Related Headlines10 Takeaways: Nazem Kadri Delivers on His Promise Against Tampa Bay (+)10 Takeaways: Avalanche Look Nothing Like Themselves After Back-to-Back Losses10 Takeaways: Bednar’s Belief and Patience in T.J. Hughes Pays Off (+)Read more at Colorado Hockey Now