Strong Game Not Enough Against Predators

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--Sometimes teams play good games and aren't rewarded with any points in the end.
That was the case for the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night as it fell 4-3 to the Nashville Predators at Bridgestone Arena.

Matt Duchene scored two power-play goals, but the Predators were the recipients of some favorable bounces and netted the game-winner early in the third period on a 5-on-3 power play.
"For me, that was the hardest we played--that was the best game we played in a couple weeks," said Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar. "We had some chances to square that game up, and it was a tough way to fall behind on the 5-on-3."
Colorado came back three times to tie the contest but faced a tricky situation late in the second period when it had to kill a full two-minute, 5-on-3 penalty. The Avs held on for the final 43 seconds of the stanza and denied the Predators' chances for the first 1:04 of the new period, but they couldn't kill the entire two-man disadvantage as Roman Josi scored with 13 seconds left on the infraction.
The Avalanche battled hard in the third to try and knot the game one more time. The club had 13 shots in the frame and had a power-play chance with 1:33 left, which then became a 6-on-4 advantage when goaltender Semyon Varlamov went to the bench for the extra attacker.
Despite Colorado's best efforts, Nashville held on.
"We were desperate. We wanted to tie that game. We wanted to send that game to OT and get a point," Duchene said. "It's really disappointing we weren't able to find that goal to do it. The last 10 seconds, I thought we had it on our stick and it didn't happen. It's disappointing, but at the same time we got to try and keep our heads up and be positive."

The Predators had a little puck luck on their side for their third goal of the outing, as P.K. Subban's shot from the point had a perfect deflection off an Avalanche player's stick and into the back of the net.
"I don't know if he tried to stop it or if it just hit his stick and went in the corner," Bednar said. "So that's one to me that's a little bit of puck luck. He's going out in coverage and it hits him and then changes direction on Varly as he's moving to play the shot, and it deflects in the net. I think that one is just more bad luck than anything."
The Avs will now head to Boston with the knowledge they're doing a lot of good things right, and eventually things will go their way.
However, being patient can be the hardest part.
"When you're in a tough situation you just got to try to be positive and bring all the good stuff from the games, and then the next day try to rest and just take it from there," said forward Andreas Martinsen. "We know we're going to get that win, and when we do that we're going to try and get another one and then just take it from there."

POWER-PLAY SUCCESS

Head coach Jared Bednar and the Avs' top power-play units didn't hide their displeasure with their lack of chances created in Saturday's 3-0 loss to the Dallas Stars. They had a much better showing against the Predators, scoring twice on four opportunities with the extra man.
"I think we did a much better job setting up," said Duchene, who scored both goals. "We were more patient. Guys were making good plays. The other night, we were very disjointed. We were rushing it. We were pressing. We were discombobulated; every word you could use to describe it, but tonight we were more organized and a lot more hungry."
Both of Duchene's tallies came in front of the net. His first came at 3:46 of the second period after the puck slowly slid across the goal line and was confirmed by an official review, and his second was on a rebound off a Jarome Iginla shot.
"We got a secondary wave coming to the net, so it wasn't anything complicated," Bednar said. "I think guys were on their toes and moving the puck with a little bit of zip instead of babying it around the ice, and that helps especially when a team's going to pressure you."
Colorado entered the contest 2-for-25 on the power play in its last 10 games.

FULL PRACTICES EXPECTED FOR LANDESKOG, TYUTIN

Avalanche forward Gabriel Landeskog and defenseman Fedor Tyutin are expected to be full participants at Wednesday's practice and could return to the team's lineup from their respective lower-body injuries on Thursday night versus the Boston Bruins.
"[Tyutin] and Landy both are getting close. I expect them both full contact at tomorrow's practice," said head coach Jared Bednar prior to Tuesday's contest.
Both players took part in morning skate in regular practice jerseys but were limited in the amount of contact they saw.
Landeskog, who last played on Nov. 15 versus Los Angeles, missed his ninth-straight game on Tuesday while Tyutin has been out of the lineup for the past two contests.