Breaking report suggests the Avalanche are on the verge of a major coaching change
Colorado Avalanche power play angst has Dave Hakstol in the spotlight, with Milan Cortina Olympics chatter creeping in.
Evan Rawal's latest Denver Gazette article hit the same nerve fans keep poking, why this unit looks worse halfway through the season. Jared Bednar admitted last week the concern is inside the room, not just online.
Power play answers, Dave Hakstol questions.
Sunday's 2-1 loss in Florida was a reminder, Colorado went 0-for-4 and never found a clean look. Reuters had the Avs' power play ranked 29th before Saturday in Carolina, then Brock Nelson struck twice.
As a fan, I think you can hear the groan when the entry dies at the blue line. Rawal keeps coming back to one tweak, move Cale Makar off the point and onto a wall.
That idea isn't wild, Makar played the flank in college and teams are shading him at the top. The bigger issue is pace, Colorado holds pucks too long instead of forcing penalty kills to reset.
Saturday in Raleigh showed the template when Nathan MacKinnon, Martin Necas and Makar snapped it around, Nelson finished a right-circle one-timer. MacKinnon already has 70 points in 39 games, so the pieces are there.
Rawal doesn't see Bednar firing Dave Hakstol midseason, especially with Colorado sitting 31-3-7 and first overall today. Hockey-Reference has the Avs first in goals for and goals against, which screams real structure nightly.
The Olympic break lands in February, and NHL players are back at the Games for the first time since 2014. If Colorado clinches early, resting Gabriel Landeskog and other core pieces makes sense.
One worry is Logan O'Connor, who had hip surgery last June and still hasn't found the finish line. Bednar said his rehab 'is not going well,' after NHL.com projected a five to six month recovery.
For now, Colorado can win at five-on-five and lean on elite goaltending, but that won't be enough in May. The next milestone is simple, get the power play humming before the Olympic pause arrives.