Morning Flurries: Close, but no cigar

They came so close - but when all was said and done, the Avalanche and Jonathan Bernier just couldn’t pull out a win.

Colorado skated away from their Friday afternoon matchup against the Minnesota Wild with a 3-2 final decision loss, falling prey to Nino Niederreiter in the skills competition that decided the game in the end.

It wasn’t the outcome the team wanted, as another Bernier win could have pushed them to three straight with him starting - but while a victory would have been nice, a point is still a point. [Mile High Hockey]

While talking about victories, there’s a chance for team forward Tyson Jost to take home a gold medal this year (something few NHLers will even have an opportunity to compete for). But is sending him to the World Juniors a good idea? [MHH]

Here’s some food for thought:

Despite women’s Division I NCAA hockey gaining steady popularity, there won’t be streaming available at their tournament this weekend in Washington, DC at the Kettler Iceplex. For women’s hockey, that’s a huge loss of potential exposure. [The Ice Garden]

Back east, the Boston Bruins have dealt with significant injuries this year. How have they fared through that, though? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

With the San Antonio Rampage teddy bear toss coming up, a preview of what they’d love to see:

Finally, some food for thought: if Peter Chiarelli hadn’t made some of the trades that have defined his tenure with the Edmonton Oilers so far, how would the team look? [The Athletic]