Avalanche Shootout Loss

Two Goals Erased, One Point Saved: Jim Balz on the Avalanche Shootout Loss to Dallas

ByJim Balz
Avalanche Shootout Loss
Two Goals Erased, One Point Saved Jim Balz on the Avalanche Shootout Loss to Dallas

Look, I’ve watched a lot of hockey. Harry says it’s too much and that it’s cost me two relationships and a houseplant. But I’ve rarely seen the Avs outplay a team for most of a night and then have to beg the shootout gods for mercy. The gods said no. Wednesday’s Avalanche shootout loss was the definition of a stolen point, except Dallas stole the other one. Roope Hintz scored in the fourth round of the shootout and the Dallas Stars beat Colorado 3-2 on Wednesday night in a game where the Avalanche had two early goals disallowed.

The Avalanche Shootout Loss, Rewound

Let’s do the autopsy. Colorado thought it opened the scoring at 1:55 of the first period when Jaden Schwartz scored, but the goal was taken off the board after a successful Dallas challenge for offside. Then, eight minutes later, the Avalanche scored a goal that was disallowed for the second time in the game at 9:29 of the first period when it was ruled that Landeskog used a distinct kicking motion to put the puck in the net. That’s two goals in one period wiped off the board. My brother Harry texted me “kicking motion” and nothing else, like he was reporting a death in the family.

Captain Landeskog got his revenge, though. At 4:55 of the middle period, Landeskog scored his second goal of the season via a net-front deflection on Nazem Kadri’s left-circle feed after Sam Malinski began the play with an offensive-zone interception. Dallas answered, and then came the part that has me yelling at my TV. Hakanpaa’s short-handed tally off a steal against Cale Makar gave the Stars a 2-1 lead early in the third period before Nelson tied it with 11:39 left.

My take, and I’m not softening it: the power play is the problem. Mile High Hockey noted that the Avalanche had four power play chances in this game, and the box score shows zero power-play goals. They also gave up a shorthanded goal. Mile High Hockey called it “another shorthanded goal given up”, and “another” is a scary word on a team this good. If your power play is handing the other team breakaways, you don’t have a power play. You have a charity.

Credit where it’s due on the other side. DeSmith finished with 25 saves for Dallas. He stopped three of four in the shootout. In that shootout, Martin Necas, Nathan MacKinnon and Brock Nelson were all stopped by DeSmith, and Kadri was the only Avs shooter to score. For Colorado, Scott Wedgewood stopped 20 of the 22 shots he faced. It’s a small consolation, but old friend Mikko Rantanen’s wrist shot hit the right post in the skills competition. I’ll take it.

Context matters, and it should calm down anyone in Denver who’s panicking. This was the second night of a back-to-back, and the Avs had won the first game. Hintz admitted as much: “Always a good match against them, and I think we played really good yesterday (a 3-2 loss to the Avalanche).” The Avs now sit at 4-2-1, and through Wednesday they had 31 goals for and 22 against. That goal differential belongs to a contender. The power play doesn’t.

Avs Schedule: Next Week (Times Mountain)

Here’s where to watch the Avalanche over the next week, per the listings:

  • Fri, Oct 16, 7:00 PM MDT vs Pittsburgh Penguins (ALT, KTVD)
  • Mon, Oct 19, 5:00 PM MDT @ Philadelphia Flyers (ALT)
  • Tue, Oct 20, 5:00 PM MDT @ New Jersey Devils (ALT, KTVD)
  • Fri, Oct 23, 7:00 PM MDT vs Tampa Bay Lightning (ALT)

If you’re out of market, Sports Media Watch also lists these games on NHL Power Play on ESPN+. And the local TV home for the Colorado Avalanche continues to be Altitude Sports.

Who’s Hot in the NHL

Start with the champs. The Carolina Hurricanes won the Cup last season and look determined to do it again. CBS Sports noted that they’ve scored 20 goals in four games en route to six consecutive wins. Even without Seth Jarvis, they’re 6-1-1.

In Edmonton, Evan Bouchard is playing like a man with something to prove. Bouchard is already up to 14 points on the season, and his plus-12 goal differential at five-on-five is absurd. In Vegas, Jack Eichel is off to one heck of a start in this new season, putting up three goals and 12 points in just six games.

My top five, which matches the Canucks World 1-32 poll from Oct. 14:

RankTeamRecord
1Carolina Hurricanes6-1-1
2Edmonton Oilers5-0-1
3Vegas Golden Knights6-2-0
4Winnipeg Jets4-1-1
5New York Rangers6-2-0

(Records per the Oct. 14 Canucks World poll.) NHL.com’s newest Super 16 ballots agree on the leader: most voters have 1. Carolina Hurricanes. One voter dropped the Avs to 9. Colorado Avalanche. Harry says that’s fair. Harry is wrong, as usual.

Top 5 Teams: What I Could Confirm for Next Week

Full disclosure: I couldn’t verify a complete week of times and networks for all five teams, and I’m not going to make up start times. Here’s what checked out. Check each team’s official site for the rest.

  • Hurricanes: Sunday, Oct. 18, 6:00pm MT, Carolina Hurricanes vs Calgary Flames (in Calgary).
  • Hurricanes vs Oilers: a schedule listing shows Hurricanes – Oilers, October 22, 9:00 PM (Eastern). That’s No. 1 against No. 2, and I’m calling it the game of the week. Network unconfirmed.
  • Jets: the Stars’ upcoming schedule includes October 22, 2026 vs Winnipeg Jets in Dallas.
  • Rangers: a schedule listing shows Rangers – Maple Leafs, October 22, 7:00 PM (Eastern), in Toronto.
  • Golden Knights: I couldn’t confirm their games next week. Check vegasgoldenknights.com.

One more note on TV: linear games will continue on TNT Sports with Wednesday night games throughout the regular season. So keep an eye on TNT on Wednesdays.

Jim’s Bottom Line

The Avs are fine. Better than fine, actually: they’re a team with elite even-strength play and special teams that are hurting them. Fix the power play and the shorthanded leaks, and they’re back at the top of every ranking by Halloween. Harry thinks Carolina runs away with the Presidents’ Trophy. I think Harry should stick to his fantasy team, which is currently in last place.

So here’s my question for you: does Colorado score a power-play goal against Pittsburgh on Friday night, yes or no? Drop your pick in the comments, and bonus points if you name the scorer.

Your turn: Think Jim or Harry got it wrong? Make your case in the comments (join the Balz Fan Club free to comment and like the best takes). Want the bigger picture beyond the box score? Read The Hairy Times, our sister paper.

Sources we checked (19)

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