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Game Recap: Drury's Second Goal Isn't Enough, Avalanche Drop Islanders Game 5-2

bailey curtis
·5 min read

"I thought we played three really solid hockey games and we won one. That's getting a little old for me."

That's Head Coach Jared Bednar's words following Colorado's 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders. It's the gift that keeps on giving for the Avalanche, the story with no visible ending, even after the headlining change they made to split with an important piece of their forward core in Mikko Rantanen. Martin Necas and Jack Drury are talented in their own right, and so far seem to be an incredible fit for this group, but the team can't seem to stop playing against themselves.

Related: Official: Avalanche Deal Mikko Rantanen to Carolina in Shocking Blockbuster Trade

Bednar mentioned individual efforts being a large factor in allowed chances going into the back of the net:

"We're not giving up a lot of chances, but when we're giving up chances, they're ending up in the back of the net. Coverage mistakes happen...it's like, individual guys getting beat in their coverage and it's costing us. So standards need to go up because we need results and we're not getting them."

Mackenzie Blackwood allowed five goals on 28 shots for the Islanders. The Avalanche only scored two on 32 shots. The craziest statistic to come out of tonight? Shot attempts came to 75-53 in favor of Colorado, and yet they still couldn't make things difficult enough on Islanders' goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who had an outstanding night.

The New Guys Are Already Making Splashes

It was a bumpy start, but Martin Necas and Jack Drury have made their presence known since joining the Avalanche. Their first game, meeting the team for their match against the Boston Bruins, was an adjustment period, to say the least. Necas finished the game as a -3. Drury, who's revered as a talented depth addition who can add more success in the faceoff dot, finished the game with a 36% success rate (i.e.: 4/7 won) on faceoffs.

By the end of Tuesday's game against the Islanders, Necas notched his fourth assist in two games and Drury tallied his second goal in an Avalanche sweater.

While Necas is very clearly still trying to learn Colorado's style of play, which differs pretty significantly from that of the Carolina Hurricanes, he's picking up mannerisms and chemistry quickly enough to contribute positively. Not just that, but his transition game, puckhandling, his former coaching on contributing to defense, and most importantly his speed, have been an exciting sight next to superstar teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

How the Game Unfolded...

Early in the first, Tony DeAngelo forces a turnover in the neutral zone and finds Brock Nelson just outside of the blue line. Nelson finds Anders Lee entering the zone, unmarked, and banks a pass to him. Lee puts the puck underneath Mackenzie Blackwood's pads to start off scoring just 4:11 into the game.

Enter Necas, who enters the zone and stickhandles his way around half of the Islanders players on the ice and finds MacKinnon on the other side of the ice. MacKinnon then finds teammate Artturi Lehkonen, who ends up falling down due to getting tangled up with Isaiah George in front of Sorokin, but that doesn't stop him from scoring and evening things up with seven minutes to go in the period.

The second period remained uneventful, only yielding an unsuccessful power play opportunity for the Avalanche courtesy of an Anders Lee slashing penalty.

The third period is where things get interesting. Simon Holmstrom scores early in the period, creating a two-goal lead for the Islanders. Bo Horvat makes it 3-1 at the 11:23 mark of the third due to a missed mark behind the net by the Avalanche. At 4:37, Josh Manson rips a shot that gets past Sorokin, but Jack Drury makes minimal contact with Sorokin in the blue paint and the Islanders successfully overturn the goal with a goaltender interference challenge. 10 minutes later, Necas finds Drury, who is fresh off the bench. Drury creates a rush with the puck and Alexander Romanov can't get back in time to stop him from putting it past Sorokin to score his second goal in two games, making it a one-goal game for the Avalanche.

Unfortunately, it won't matter as Romamov gets the two-goal lead back for the Islanders just over two minutes later. The Avalanche pull Blackwood and Holmstrom finds the empty net for his second of the night with 1:10 to go in regulation. The Avalanche were unable to respond, hence allowing the game to end 5-2 in favor of the Islanders.

What's Next?

Colorado returns home to Ball Arena for two games, the first being on Friday, January 31st against the St. Louis Blues. It's a 7:00 pm Mountain Time game with the local Altitude crew hosting the showdown between the division rivals.

Make sure you bookmark THN's Colorado Avalanche site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.