The next hockey game at Ball Arena will have much bigger stakes, thankfully.
Short five regulars because of injuries, including the reigning MVP, the Colorado Avalanche dropped a 4-1 decision to the Vancouver Canucks in the final home game of its regular season Thursday night.
The Nathan MacKinnon-less Avs looked like a team that didn’t have a lot to play for. The Canucks were missing four regulars, including center Elias Pettersson, and were eliminated from playoff contention Wednesday night.
“It’s about playing the right way, no matter what,” Avs goalie Mackenzie Blackwood said. “No matter who is in the lineup or who isn’t, it’s just trying to build good habits going into the playoffs.