The Colorado Avalanche has done a lot of winning in the first leg of the 2023-24 NHL season, but it’s also managed to stack several potentially demoralizing losses.
Arizona scored in overtime Thursday night to give the Avs (15-6-1) their first post-regulation defeat, but the context of the goal was particularly stunning. Colorado had to kill off a 4-on-3 power play in the extra session, and did so with some heroic work from the penalty killers and goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.
But, just seconds after the penalty expired and before the Avs could really settle into 4-on-4 play, the puck squirted off Cale Makar’s stick and through Georgiev’s legs with some help from Coyotes forward Nick Bjugstad.