Is Late Surge by Avalanche Now Kaput?
The surging Colorado Avalanche had a chance to move to within four points of the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference Friday night, but a 4-3 shootout loss that halted the Edmonton Oilers' 12-game winless streak was a setback for the Avs' playoff bid.
The Avalanche haven't lost in regulation in 11 straight games, going 9-0-2, but Friday's defeat hurt more than most. Oilers center Marty Reasoner, a fourth-liner coming back from an injury, scored the only goal in the shootout as the fifth shooter for Edmonton.
"It was a bit surprising," Reasoner said of his selection for a shootout attempt. "I didn't think I would be in the top five for our shootout order. I think I'm somewhere behind Ethan Moreau and just before Steve Staios. Definitely in double digits." But Reasoner was just what Edmonton needed to end a dreadful stretch of losses.
Now Colorado is five points behind the Calgary Flames for the eighth seed with eight games to play. The good news is, two of the Avs' final eight games are against the Flames. Every game is a must-win, including the home-and-home series that begins Sunday against the Vancouver Canucks. Yet, no games loom larger for the Avs than those at Calgary on April 3 and the season finale on April 8 in Denver.
Comments
Yes..they are done
Posted by: steve_stealth | March 29, 2007 09:18 PM
It looks like it after Colorado split its home-and-home series with Vancouver, getting blanked 3-0 on Tuesday night. It would have been an uphill battle anyway, with Calgary winning its last four games. The Flames put themselves in the driver's seat with wins over both Nashville and Detroit in this stretch. Then they beat division rival Minnesota, 1-0 in a Tuesday shootout victory. Miikka Kiprusoff stopped 38 Wild shots and two more in the shootout for the shutout. His performance may have been the final blow to the Avalanche, who now trail the Flames by seven points with six games to play. The games with the Flames to close out the season may be meaningless.
Posted by: TH | March 29, 2007 11:15 PM
The Avs are finished. With four games remaining the Avs need 8 points to pass Calgary. But that means that they have to win every game. All the Flames need is 2 points to clinch a berth in the postseason. The teusday game in Calgary should be interesting.
Posted by: Graham Riches | April 1, 2007 03:24 PM