Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar didn’t hold back in his assessment of his team’s performance, despite pulling out a 3-2 overtime victory against the New York Rangers on Tuesday night. The reigning Stanley Cup champions rallied late to force the extra period on Artturi Lehkonen’s equalizer with just 1:13 left in regulation, before Devon Toews scored the game-winner 4:23 into overtime.
But Bednar was far from impressed with the win, offering a blunt one-word summary: “Unimpressive.” The fiery bench boss took issue with the Avalanche’s inconsistent effort and lack of contributions across the lineup.
“Ultimately, it’s like we only had half a team playing,” Bednar fumed. “We had some guys that had to have monster efforts just to stay in the game.”
– Jared Bednar, Colorado Avalanche Head Coach
Goalie Stands Tall Amid Avalanche of Criticism
One of the few Avalanche players to escape Bednar’s wrath was goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who made 27 saves, many of them spectacular, to keep Colorado within striking distance. Blackwood, acquired from San Jose last month, improved to 9-2-1 with his new team and has yet to allow more than two goals in any appearance.
“Sometimes things go well, and sometimes they don’t,” Blackwood said, downplaying his stellar play. “They can’t go well forever, but you can try and do your best as long as you can.”
– Mackenzie Blackwood, Colorado Avalanche Goaltender
Blackwood’s heroics weren’t lost on his coach, who deemed him “the best player on the ice, either team.” But even that wasn’t enough to offset Bednar’s displeasure with the rest of the roster.
Coach Calls Out “Passengers” After Alarming Trends
Bednar’s ire extended beyond just Tuesday’s uneven performance. The coach pointed to concerning signs in practice and a growing reliance on a small core of players to carry the team on a nightly basis.
“We had practice yesterday that I didn’t love. Then tonight, we’re terrible, as a team… We’re relying on the same eight, nine guys to do everything – power play, penalty kill, 5-on-5, because we had too many passengers.”
– Jared Bednar
The Avalanche now sit second in the Central Division with 65 points, four back of the Dallas Stars. But Colorado has played two more games, and Bednar clearly sees red flags that need to be addressed quickly.
Sending a Message to the Locker Room
By calling out his team so publicly and emphatically, Bednar seems to be sending a clear message to the Avalanche locker room: The current level of play and effort is unacceptable, even if it’s still good enough to squeak out wins on some nights.
As the playoff race intensifies, Colorado can ill afford to keep relying on last-minute rallies and a short list of contributors. Bednar will need a more complete, consistent effort from his talented group to keep pace in a loaded Western Conference.
Tuesday’s tongue-lashing could serve as a much-needed wake-up call for the Avalanche. Or, it could further fracture a locker room that may already be feeling the pressure of high expectations and a demanding coach.
Either way, all eyes will be on the defending champs to see how they respond to their leader’s latest challenge. The Avalanche have the talent and pedigree to be a force again this postseason – but they’ll need all hands on deck to make another deep run.
For now, Bednar isn’t mincing words or hiding his frustration. He can only hope his blunt message sparks the urgency and accountability the Avalanche seem to be lacking, before the hole gets any deeper.
