Have a Seat

Seems like yesterday I was waiting for this season to start. Yet here it is, heading towards the end of January, with the Four Nations break just a week and a half away. The Colorado Avalanche are in the East Coast for three games, and the second game was a huge clutch win at Madison Square Garden over the Rangers. The trip came to an end with a trip to Long Island against the Islanders. The Avs were looking to continue to keep pace with the Central Division's Top 3; it has not been easy.

Mackenzie Blackwood was in net against Ilya Sorokin, a tough customer. The first period was an uphill battle, as the Avs were geting outshot at first, but the shots built up for the good guys later on. No goals went in during the first 20 minutes, but the Avs led in shots, 14-12. In the second period, it looked like we would strike first, but it was the Isles who did so. Anders Lee made it 1-0 for the home team, and I was really looking for the Avs to really do something. What we saw was a very crazy play that saw Nathan MacKinnon pass the puck to a falling Artturi Lehkonen, but despite being seated right on his keister, he managed to bat the puck right in at 13:00 to tie it up.

Seriously, that was the funniest sight I ever saw. Lehkonen was coming off his game-winner against the Rangers, and now he scores a goal while sitting down. Holy moley! 20 seconds after the game's tied, the Avs go on the power play, but nothing doing. The second period ended with the game tied at one, and the third period saw the Isles get the lead back quickly. Simon Holmstrom scored less than two minutes into the frame, but just like that, Josh Manson tied it up... or so we thought. It was challenged for Goalie Interference.

Any official seeing this could see that there was no interference caused by Jack Drury. Sadly, this is the Avs. Refs can't stand us. Somehow, this was called Goalie Interference. Drury doesn't touch Sorokin, and if he did, Mayfield caused it. So the goal was discounted, and our momentum was zapped away. Bo Horvat capitalized and put one in, so instead of 2-2, it was 3-1 for New York. Time was running out for us, but out of nowhere, Drury broke away and put one in; his second goal in three games with the Avs. It was a one-goal game, but at 17:31, Alexander Romanov scores one that Blackwood should have stopped easily. Blackwood's pulled for the extra attacker, and Holmstrom gets his second right after that. Oh man.

So the road trip ends on a disastrous note. Four Islander goals in the third period, resulting in the Avs losing two of three in the brief road trip, with the one win being a very close call. Our power play still needs work; we do too much passing and not enough shooting. There are a few bright sides, though: our two new players are really showing out. Jack Drury has two goals alredy for the Avs, and Martin Necas added two more assists in this game, totalling four helpers in three games with Colorado. They are really getting the points so far, we'll see if this continues.

The Avs are 4-6-1 in our last 11 games following that points streak we went on. That needs to improve. The Avs will end the month of January at home against the St. Louis Blues on Friday, and we will begin the month of February at home against the Philadelphia Flyers. After that, we will play our final three games before the Four Nations break in Western Canada.

* * *

Thank you for reading my recap! Click the heart if you liked it, click the subscribe button for more of my stories, and feel free to comment below! Tips and pledges would also be appreciated, but only if you want to do so!