The Denver Gazette

AVALANCHE

After consecutive losses, Avs head to Florida.

BY KATE SHEFTE The Denver Gazette

The Colorado Avalanche, popular preseason favorites, are coming off consecutive defeats at the hands of the St. Louis Blues and Washington Capitals. Few looked good in Tuesday’s 6-3 loss to the Capitals, especially the ones who are supposed to look great. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar were all minus-5.

The Avalanche will get at least one missing player back before upcoming games at the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.

“(That’s what) good teams do after a loss, they bounce back and play well,” Rantanen said. “That’s our expectation on the next game.”

Solid start

J.T. Compher’s point production dipped from the low 30s, where it had been the previous two seasons, to 18 (10 goals, 8 assists) in the shortened 2020-21 season.

Compher has a goal and an assist in each of the past two games. On Saturday he redirected in a feed from Nazem Kadri to get the Avalanche within a goal of the Blues. On Tuesday, he relieved the Capitals of the puck at the blue line and scored on a shorthanded breakaway.

Target practice

Eleven goals against in two games – two were empty netters – haven’t helped. Coach Jared Bednar didn’t comment on the play of new starter Darcy Kuemper specifically after the Capitals game.

“When you’ve giving up that kind of chances and those kinds of goals and rush chances against — I don’t think the goalie has a chance on a night like that,” Bednar said.

Catching up

Gabriel Landeskog: The captain completed his two-game suspension for boarding Tuesday and is eligible to rejoin the Avalanche on Thursday against the Panthers. Between his league discipline and MacKinnon’s positive COVID-19 test, the top line has yet to play together.

“It’ll help getting those guys back together,” Bednar said Tuesday.

Alex Newhook: Newhook, who was reassigned to the Colorado Eagles (AHL) after making the Avalanche opening night roster, scored in his first game with the Eagles but was minus-2 in a 6-3 loss to the Henderson Silver Knights.

Bednar confirmed Saturday that the reassignment was partially salary cap-related. He added Newhook needed to build some confidence. “The second part is he hasn’t been good enough yet,” Bednar said.

“He’s gotta go down and get his game in order.”

Devon Toews: Bednar confirmed the top-four defenseman, who hasn’t played in the first three games following offseason surgery, is on the road trip. He’s reportedly still practicing in a red non-contact jersey.

“We need him skating with us. He’s getting closer to being a guy that can start taking contact so that week’s real important for him,” Bednar said.

GAMEDAY

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2021-10-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-10-21T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://daily.denvergazette.com/article/282149294512606

The Gazette, Colorado Springs