Game Four Recap: Colorado collapse on full display in loss

A dreadful downfall for the Colorado Avalanche was shown to the world. In an outright ugly performance, the Avs fell 5-1 to the Dallas Stars in Game Four. Dallas now leads the second-round series 3-1 and has a chance to finish it off at home in Game Five.

Colorado dropped both games on home ice in this series for the first time since the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs in the second round when they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings. They only scored two goals in what was a not-fun time for Avalanche fans in attendance for both games. Unfortunately, it wasn’t much of a fight, but here’s what fight was fought in the recap.

First Period

It looked as though Game Three never ended, as the Dallas Stars came out on the front foot and never looked back. Joe Pavelski, who still hasn’t scored in the playoffs, nearly got his first one on a couple of looks, but he couldn’t bank it in off of Alexandar Georgiev on his rebound.

Even though Dallas somehow didn’t score on their power play with Caleb Jones off for tripping, they kept pushing. Their four shots on the man advantage transitioned over to the penalty kill, with Logan Stankoven in the box for hooking. Wyatt Johnston would steal the puck off of Cale Makar’s stick and manage to beat Georgiev on the third try to get the lead.

Overall, it was an extremely disjointed and lost Avalanche team in the first period. With all the other news outside of the team (more on that later), they needed a reset and needed it fast. Being outshot 15-2 and somehow only down 1-0, Colorado looked to change things going into the middle frame.

Second Period

Colorado was still working from behind and was struggling to produce going forward. With Jones taking his second penalty of the game for hooking, this time Dallas would make them pay a man down with Johnston getting his second of the game.

While Mikko Rantanen showed some signs of life and nearly caught Oettinger out of his crease, it still didn’t lead to much. Craig Smith the other way hit the post on a scramble in front, but his team didn’t need to wait long for the third goal of the game. This one would come from Miro Heiskanen’s seeing-eye shot coming from the point and finding twine.

The Avs looked done and seemed it would be left at that. But a strong forecheck from Zach Parise and Jonathan Drouin said otherwise. It forced the puck to Casey Mittelstadt in front who put it home to get Colorado on the board.

Drouin got another good look from a tight angle, but Oettinger moved from right to left to deny him. While it was far from what the Avs wanted, it at least gave them a chance in the final 20 minutes.

Third Period

While the Avs got some early looks at Oettinger, they did not take said chances. None of them were very threatening. Meanwhile, at the other end, Evgenii Dadonov got two great looks right in front. While he was denied the first time, he came back a few minutes later and capitalized to all but put the game to bed.

From there, Dallas played their usual clogging up the zone play and getting in the way. Georgiev was pulled with three minutes to go, and Sam Steel would finish it off with an empty netter. Colorado had no response as they had in Game Three, and they went into the night with their tails between their legs and a brutal 5-1 loss.

Takeaways

The game was lost before it even began. Even with Drouin returning to the lineup for the first time, his impact alone was not going to save the Avs. With the news of Devon Toews being scratched due to illness and Valeri Nichushkin’s suspension (more on that later), it was sure to be a shock to everyone in the locker room. It looked just as such when they came out to play in this game. The awfully slow start ultimately put them down, and they were never able to recover. It left a sour taste in everyone’s mouth who attended the home games in this series at Ball Arena. Georgiev was the only one to play his heart out, and it’s a shame his recent performances have left him out to dry.

Special teams in particular were key in this game, as it has been all series long. Colorado went 0-for-2 on the power play, giving up a shorthanded goal along the way. Dallas went 1-for-2 on the power play themselves, and have the overall edge in the series. It also helps when they have two shorthanded goals to their name in the last two games. They made the least amount of mistakes and simply suffocated the Avalanche. Colorado can’t escape their grasp, and it’s shown in the last two games.

Now for the big news stirring up everything: Nichushkin’s absence from the lineup. About an hour before the puck drop, it was announced the Russian forward had entered the NHL Players Assistance Program at Stage Three. His entrance into the program at Stage Three means he will be suspended for six months without pay, and will be eligible for reinstatement then. According to Leah Hextall on the ESPN broadcast, Nichushkin failed a drug test. I’ll have more on this for a story tomorrow morning, but it is a massive loss for the Avalanche on the ice, regardless of how you look at it.

Upcoming

Game Five shifts back to Dallas with the home team having a chance to close it out. Puck drop on Wednesday night is an early 6:00 p.m. MT.