Game 53 Recap: Coyotes 3, Avalanche 0

Well. The Avalanche have now gone two full games without scoring a goal. It's hard to point at exactly what the problem is. Certainly they aren't catching any breaks but they also aren't creating the chances they were earlier in the season. For some reason the chemistry that powered them before has deserted them. Another problem is the lack of shots. Down two in the third period, having not scored in five periods, you would think that the Avs would absolutely pepper the opposing goalie with shots. Instead they had 12. Not horrible certainly (though the 26 for the game is less than stellar) but where is the desperation? The Avs look like a defeated team every time they go down by even a single goal. Remember that game when the Avs where behind 3-1 to San Jose entering the third? They came back like it was no big deal. I miss that team.

A few players on the Avs did have a decent game. Brandon Yip continued to standout, among other things creating one of the few odd man rushes and forcing Ilya Bryzgalov to make one of his few good saves. John-Michael Liles blew his coverage on Radim Vrbata which led to the first goal but he tried to make up for it in the offensive zone. Matt Hunwick had a team high five shots on net and wasn't bad in his own zone. Craig Anderson wasn't bad but he wasn't great either. The first goal was a pass to a wide open Vrbata, the second goal was a whiffed shot that turned into a perfect pass to Scottie Upshall for a roof shot and the third bounced off the backboard and right onto Vrbata's stick for an easy tap in. None of them were his fault really but it would have been great to see him keep one of them out.

Maybe Peter Forsberg will help them turn it around but it's getting harder and harder to see this team make the playoffs.

• Hejduk, Duchene, Stewart
• Porter, Stastny, Jones
  
• Galiardi, O'Reilly, Winnik
• McLeod, Dupuis, Yip
  

• Liles, O'Byrne
• Shattenkirk, Hunwick
• Wilson, Foote