ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — Jared Bednar passed on making his squad rewatch a recent breakdown-filled 6-2 loss in Nashville.
asserted
squad → pass → Nashville
“I’m going to show them how bad we were?” the longtime Colorado Avalanche coach reasoned.
asserted
coach → go → them
The missteps are becoming a concerning pattern for a team that’s among the Stanley Cup favorites.
asserted
that → become → favorites
They’re sitting in the middle of the pack through 12 games (6-5-1).
asserted
They → sit → games
A season earlier, they led the NHL’s standings from early November on their way to capturing the Presidents’ Trophy for the best record.
asserted
they → lead → record
Granted, they’ve had slow starts before.
asserted
they → grant → starts
But in some ways this one feels a little more poignant on the heels of being swept by Vegas in the Western Conference finals last May.
uncertain
one → feel → finals
“The most recent (slow start) or the one you’re going through always feels worse — until it’s gone,” Bednar said as his team prepared to host New Jersey on Wednesday night.
asserted
team → go → night
“In order to win, you have to have the bulk of your team, if not all of your team, playing at 90% of their potential or greater.
asserted
you → win → potential
“If you have two, three, five, six, eight guys that are at 50% or 60%, you’re not going to win.
asserted
you → have → %
The league’s too good.
asserted
league → ’ → ?
I don’t care if you’re first place playing last place.
asserted
you → care → place
You won’t win if you don’t have enough guys pulling the rope in the same direction.
asserted
guys → win → direction
I feel like that’s a little bit of where we’ve been.”
asserted
we → feel → ?
Captain Gabriel Landeskog reiterated the team isn’t panicking.
asserted
team → reiterate → ?
“But there needs to be a level of urgency for sure in the way we play and the way we prepare,” he said.
asserted
he → need → way
“Sometimes you get smacked in the face, especially this time of year, and you’ve just got to respond.”
asserted
you → smack → year
The Avalanche thought they had things figured out after a pair of road losses at Philadelphia and New Jersey.
asserted
things → think → Philadelphia
They returned home and beat Tampa Bay 6-3.
asserted
They → return → Bay
Two days later, they allowed six goals to the Predators.
asserted
they → allow → Predators
“It’s us as a group just not being good enough,” Landeskog said.
asserted
Landeskog → ’ → group
“We’re used to winning and used to winning a lot this time of year, and establishing ourselves at top of the standings.
asserted
We → ’re → standings
That’s where you want to be as a group.
asserted
you → ’ → group
But this year, we’re not winning.
asserted
we → win → ?
We’re finding ways to lose games here and there, and obviously, the bad ones have been real bad.
asserted
ones → find → games
“We’ve got to dig our way out of it.”
asserted
We → get → it
Nicolas Roy could provide a boost with his return from a lower-body injury.
uncertain
Roy → provide → injury
“We had some talks today and good energy in practice,” Roy said.
asserted
Roy → have → practice
The power play remains a work in progress under new assistant coach Brett McLean, who took over after Dave Hakstol accepted the Arizona State head coaching job.
asserted
Hakstol → remain → job
The Avalanche are converting power-play chances at a 17.9% clip, which is tied for 23rd in the league.
asserted
which → convert → league
It was an issue last season, too, but the penalty-kill unit helped camouflage some deficiencies.
asserted
unit → help → deficiencies
Colorado is weathering penalties at 75% this season.
asserted
Colorado → weather → %
“We’ve laid way too many eggs in a 12-game span,” Landeskog said.
asserted
Landeskog → lay → span
“We have to respond as a group, and find a level of consistency.”
asserted
We → have → consistency
That applies on the defensive end, where Colorado is allowing 3.25 goals per game.
asserted
Colorado → apply → game
Last season, the Avalanche surrendered the fewest goals in the league (197).
asserted
Avalanche → surrender → league
“You can’t convince me that a little bit of it is, or a lot of it is, urgency and work ethic and competitiveness,” Bednar said.
asserted
Bednar → convince → it
“That’s what I’m seeing with our team.
asserted
I → ’ → team
When we bring it, our execution is high and we’re playing not just good but really good.
asserted
we → bring → it
“I’ve noticed this year more than any other one, when we’re not engaged our execution is horrible and we’re going nowhere.
asserted
we → notice → one
…and 2 more, not listed.
The Aporia
