NHL scores 2016: Avalanche continue slide as league’s worst team

Something has got to give in Colorado. It won’t be new head coach Jared Bednar, who was just added to the team after Patrick Roy’s departure in August. After losing their 11th game in December on Thursday, it’s apparent that the Avalanche’s problems are much deeper than that.

Colorado only has three wins in the final month of 2016. They only have one more game before the new year.

So likely, the cure for the Avalanche’s woes will be to, sadly, trade one of their young assets for some help. Because this... this has to stop.

The 4-2 loss in Dallas was their eighth in their last 10 games, and what a miserable effort it was. The score made the game seem much closer than it was, as the Avalanche only mustered up 19 shots.

Not only do the Avalanche have the worst goal differential in the league, they’ve only scored 72 goals in 35 games. A 2.06 average goals per game just isn’t going to cut it.

The Avalanche will close out 2016 against the Rangers, the third-best team in the Metropolitan Division. It’s very likely 2017 will have changes in store for the Avalanche, sooner or later.

Devils 2, Capitals 1 (SO)
Bruins 4, Sabres 2
Canadiens 3, Panthers 2 (OT)
Maple Leafs 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Wild 6, Islanders 4
Blackhawks 3, Predators 2
Blue Jackets 5, Jets 3
Red Wings 3, Senators 2 (OT)
Stars 4, Avalanche 2
Rangers 6, Coyotes 3
Ducks 3, Flames 1
Oilers 3, Kings 1

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1. Only one win streak will stand past Saturday

Oh hey, both the Wild and the Blue Jackets won on Thursday! Surprise, surprise right? Minnesota now holds a 12 game win streak, while Columbus has tallied 14 in a row. Unfortunately, one must end this weekend as both teams will be playing each other on New Years Eve. And hey, there’s a bit of history being made with this marquee game.

2. Keith Kinkaid stole a win for the Devils

A backup goaltender’s life is normally pretty simple. Come in during games when needed. Start a handful in relief for the team’s normal starter. Keith Kinkaid, backup for the Devils and Cory Schneider, has seen 74 shots against in his last two starts. Unlike his last outing, Kinkaid won his latest start against the Capitals, 2-1 with 43 saves.

Not bad for a backup!

3. The Canadiens broke out... of a losing streak?

It’s odd to see Montreal struggling, but coming into Thursday it had lost three straight and saw its lead in the Atlantic shrink to five points. Unlike their heartbreaking overtime loss in Tampa Bay on Wednesday after allowing a Lightning comeback, the Canadiens made a comeback of their own and finished the Panthers in overtime 3-2.

4. Corey Crawford is a good actor

A veteran goaltender slightly embellishing a call to help his teammates in a tough spot? You don’t say.

Blackhawks’ coach Joel Quenneville defended the move from Crawford, which gave Chicago a power play down 2-1 to the Predators. Chicago scored on the power play, and then won the game on Patrick Kane’s game winner moments later. Crawford did make 36 saves in the victory, so he was instrumental in other ways for the Blackhawks.

5. The Coyotes were let down by their penalty kill

Neither the Coyotes or Rangers played a very good game in New York’s 6-3 win over Arizona. The Coyotes managed a two-goal comeback, but were ultimately outdone by their penalty kill — which allowed three goals to the Rangers, including one untimely tally from Matt Puempel with 5:20 left in the game. Arizona has sunk to second worst in the league thanks to a six-game losing streak, and are just two points above the Avalanche in last place.

The Ducks pulled away from the Flames late thanks to this beautiful goal from Jakob Silfverberg.