The Colorado Avalanche will be looking for a quick rebound when they visit the Calgary Flames on Thursday.
After opening the season with a pair of victories while outscoring their opponents by a 14-5 margin, the Avalanche took their first loss of the season on Wednesday, a 3-2 defeat in Winnipeg to kick off a two-day, two-game road trip.
“We had looks,” said Colorado forward Jaden Schwartz, who scored a goal and added an assist against the Jets. “Their goalie made some big saves. There’s pucks around the net there, but it was a tight checking game.”
It could be stated the Avalanche were the victims of bad luck. They outshot the Jets by a 34-19 margin — including 17-6 in the first period — and lost when Kyle Connor scored with one minute remaining in regulation. The decisive goal came on Winnipeg’s second (and final) shot of the third period.
However, Avalanche coach Jared Bednar was not willing to give his charges too much slack.
“We gave up a couple goals on soft plays in our net front, (not) sealing guys out and allowing them to get sticks on the pucks on deflections,” Bednar said. “But probably the most disappointing, you give up a partial odd-man rush late in the game and against their top line, who had a really good night, and they capitalized again.
“So, after battling back from 2-1 to make it 2-2, you’ve got to find a way to salvage at least a point, take it to overtime and see what happens.”
Colorado has posted a 14-1-3 record against the Flames dating back to the start of the 2019-20 season.
Expect Scott Wedgewood to start in goal for the Avalanche and see his first action of the season. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 16 shots against Winnipeg while making his third consecutive start.
Calgary is the league’s only team that has failed to earn a point, having been outscored 16-3 in a trio of losses.
Although the Flames were expected to be near the bottom of the standings again, it has been a horrid start to the campaign.
The club, which is back home after a 6-1 road loss to the Seattle Kraken on Sunday, has scored only one goal in each of its contests.
“We need people to be better,” Calgary coach Ryan Huska said. “At the end of the day, if you’re comfortable with where you’re at, just happy to be in the NHL and you’re not taking steps, (it’s wrong). Everybody should feel uneasy. We’re not sitting where we want to be sitting.”
The Flames have already made some roster moves. Struggling forward Connor Zary, a 2020 first-round draft choice, and depth defenseman Brayden Pachal were dispatched to the AHL Calgary Wranglers after they both cleared waivers.
The team summoned forwards Aydar Suniev and Jonathan Castagna, who was acquired via trade from the Utah Mammoth last season.
Suniev had a strong training camp and preseason, in which he scored three goals in two exhibition games. He has played in seven previous NHL games and collected one assist.
Castagna is slated to make his NHL debut. The Cornell product scored a pair of goals in his professional debut with the Wranglers in a 4-2 victory over the Abbotsford Canucks to open the season on Oct. 2.
The two rookies skated on the fourth line with Adam Klapka during practice on Wednesday.
“I’m excited,” Castagna said. “I’ll say that a lot, probably, because I’m still trying to wrap my head around everything here. I’m just trying to bring the best I can, because you don’t get these chances very often.”
