Colorado resumes its homestand Thursday

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Leaning to play the pass, Avalanche goalie Calvin Pickard was “cheating” in trying to stop Nashville’s Ryan Johansen on the opening shift of the third period Tuesday night. Pickard leaned to his right as Johansen took another stride forward and scored with a shot off the crossbar. It was the second time the Predators scored on their first shift of the period — Victor Arvidsson struck seven seconds into the second — and it was the difference in another losing effort for the Avalanche at home. But Pickard was hardly to blame. Colorado coach Jared Bednar said there were too many “passengers” in Nashville’s 5 3 victory at the Pepsi Center. Nashville Predators left wing Austin Watson, front, fights with Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeodDavid Zalubowski [url=http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/carl-soderberg-jersey-c-6.html]http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/carl-soderberg-jersey-c-6.html[/url], AP PhotoNashville Predators left wing Austin Watson, front, fights with Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeod in the second period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2016, in Denver. “The timing of the goals [url=http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/eric-gelinas-jersey-c-16.html]Eric Gelinas Jersey[/url], I didn’t love. But the lack of focus or a lack of intensity, we’re giving other teams easy goals,” Bednar said in his most animated news conference of the season. “I didn’t feel like they had to work for their goals.” He added “Too many guys wading into the game, seeing how the game goes. We need more passion. We need more intensity for 60 minutes. It’s that simple for me.” The Predators, who scored five goals before getting their first power play opportunity, entered the game just 2 7 2 on the road. Nevertheless, the Avs fell to 4 6 1 at home and wasted a terrific game by forward Rene Bourque [url=http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/andreas-martinsen-jersey-c-4.html]http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/andreas-martinsen-jersey-c-4.html[/url], who had a hand in two goals with skilled redirections. Bourque came into the season off a professional tryout contract but now leads the Avs with eight goals. His eighth got Colorado to within 3 2 late in the second period before Johansen made it 4 2, and fourth liner Austin Watson surprised Pickard with a redirection goal at 2 42 — the game winner. “Didn’t like it. Wasn’t good enough,” Pickard said of his performance in his second consecutive start. “I have to find a way to make one or two more saves to make it so it’s 3 3 going into overtime or something like that. Just wasn’t good enough from my end.” On Johansen’s goal, Pickard said “He got by defenseman Patrick Wiercioch and I was a little jumpy and he was moving slow. He made a fake and I kind of bit [url=http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/john-mitchell-jersey-c-5.html]http://www.coavalanchejersey.com/john-mitchell-jersey-c-5.html[/url], I guess, and he put it upstairs off the bar and in. It was a good goal, but obviously I want to be a little more patient there.” Nashville, which hosts the Avs next Tuesday in Music City, is 2 0 against Colorado and has outscored the Avs 10 4 in Denver. Colorado is 0 2 1 on its season long five game homestand and searching how to get everyone playing well on a nightly basis. “It’s obviously a problem for us,” Bourque said. “Everybody has to be ready to play. Sometimes we have two lines and four D going and sometimes three lines or one line — whatever it is. We need everyone going for 60 minutes.” In the first two periods, Pickard’s glove side failed him twice on the Predators’ 25 shots. Captain Mike Fisher beat the goalie under his left armpit 14 52 into the game for Nashville’s 1 0 lead, and Arvidsson slung a long wrist shot over Pickard’s glove side shoulder on the first shift in the second period to break a 1 1 tie. Nashville made it 3 1 just 2 57 later, when Kevin Fiala cashed in on a rebound before Pickard could smother it on the doorstep. Colorado resumes its homestand Thursday against Columbus, and it concludes Saturday versus the Dallas Stars. The Avs begins a four game trip at Nashville next Tuesday.