Colorado Avalanche vs. Nashville Predators: A Challenging Encounter
The Colorado Avalanche experienced a challenging match against the Nashville Predators, marking their first encounter of the season on the road. Despite a rapidly-paced opening period, the Avalanche struggled to score against goalie Juuse Saros, only equalizing in the dying moments of the game and ultimately succumbing to a shootout defeat, with a final score of 4-3.
First Period Highlights
In the first period, the Predators struck early when Brock Nelson deftly skated around defender Roman Josi and fired a backhand shot past Saros to put Nashville ahead just over a minute into the game. The Avalanche soon found themselves on the defensive when Joel Kiviranta was penalized for tripping, setting up a power play opportunity for the Predators. Jonathan Marchessault capitalized on this chance, converting a rebound after his initial shot was saved to level the score at 1-1.
Just a minute later, Reid Schaefer took advantage of a scramble in the corner, maneuvering around goaltender Wedgewood to restore Nashville’s lead at 2-1. As the period continued, Nathan MacKinnon unleashed a significant shot, forcing an awkward save from Saros, but Artturi Lehkonen was there to grab the rebound and equally respond, tying the game once more at 2-2. This assist marked MacKinnon’s 50th point of the season, making him the first player to reach this milestone this year, a repeat from the previous season. A tripping penalty against Cale Makar was unable to derail the Avalanche as they successfully killed the penalty at the end of the first.
Second and Third Period Developments
As the second period unfolded, the Predators effectively curtailed the Avalanche’s scoring chances, resulting in blocked shots and deflected attempts. With ten minutes gone, a series of penalties complicated matters. The Avalanche received their first power play when Spencer Stastney was called for tripping, but could not capitalize. Shortly after, Nicolas Hague was penalized for cross-checking, providing another opportunity for the Avalanche, which also went wasted, though a delay of game call against Fedor Svechkov momentarily set up a 5-on-3 situation as the period wound down.
The third period began with the Avalanche still unable to score on the remaining power play. They struggled for nearly six minutes without finding the net, despite several chances set up by MacKinnon. However, it was Brady Skjei of the Predators who delivered the next blow, scoring to put Nashville up 3-2 less than six minutes before the period ended. With just under three minutes on the clock and goaltender Wedgewood pulled for an extra skater, Colorado returned to power play when Eric Haula was penalized for tripping. Cale Makar seized the moment, firing a wrist shot through traffic to equalize with only eight seconds left, marking his fourth late-game tying goal of the season.
Overtime and Shootout
As overtime commenced, neither team managed to convert on their chances, leading to a shootout where Ryan O’Reilly scored the decisive goal, shooting it high past Wedgewood. All subsequent shots from both sides were thwarted, marking another heartbreaking loss for the Avalanche, with the final score sealed at 4-3.
Injury Concerns and Upcoming Matches
In a concerning moment during the game, Filip Forsberg’s shot was blocked, causing him to crash into Wedgewood and collide with the post. As a precaution, the injury protocols required that Wedgewood be replaced by Blackwood, which further complicated the shootout for Colorado.
Looking ahead, the Avalanche will take on the reigning Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, in a home game scheduled for December 11, 2025. Furthermore, an exciting development is on the horizon as the Avalanche received NHL approval to don the Quebec Nordiques jersey for their upcoming match against the Montreal Canadiens, a nod to their franchise history.
