As the Avalanche practiced Wednesday morning at Family Sports Center, only the New York Islanders, with 18, had fewer points than Colorado’s 19. And the Isles were about to face Pittsburgh in a home game Wednesday night.
That’s how damaging an 0-2-1 start to a five-game homestand has been for the Avalanche. The homestand continues against Columbus on Thursday night. The latest stumble was a 5-3 loss to Nashville on Tuesday night, and the struggles again raise the question of whether the Avalanche’s much-cited faith and commitment to its “core” — generally conceded to be six players — has been misplaced, and whether it should be broken up.