The Colorado Avalanche had their 18-game winning streak snapped by the Arizona Coyotes. Yes, the 11-win Arizona Coyotes and losers of five straight.
The 'Avs winning streak stops with a 3-2 shootout loss at Ball Arena to that 11-win 'Yotes. It was a ho-hum ending to what had been a remarkable run. The fifth-longest in league history.
I had a bad feeling about the game once I heard Alex Newhook was scratched due to illness. I don't know why but I knew at that moment that this would be where it all ended.
Despite my premonition, number 19 was within reach.
Coyotes forward Logan Crouse put on his superhero cape and saved the day. Crouse tied the game at 2-2 with 38 seconds left and the goalie pulled. Scott Wedgewood did the rest making 38 saves and coming up clutch in the shootout to preserve the win.
Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri each scored and Darcy Kumper made 22 saves. It was Kuemper's first loss in seven outings.
The setback also put an end to the team's current 10-game win streak, but the point streaks live on! Colorado is 15-0-2 in its last 17 games. At 38-8-4 the 'Avs sit second in the NHL standings, trailing the Florida Panthers by one point.
Colorado's last loss at Ball Aren was Nov. 2 vs. the Colombus Blue Jackets, a span of nearly three months. Over that time we've celebrated Thanksgiving, Christmas, and rang in a New Year. Additionally, we've witnessed the crash of Bitcoin, the easing, then tightening, then easing, then tightening of Covid restrictions, and of course the retirement of Tom Brady.
As they say, all good things will come to an end, and even though they lost - I truly believe the best is yet to come for the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche.
Thanks for reading, Steve
Hear me every Thursday on That Hockey Show! NHL talk with Tab Bamford, Joe Yerdon, Steve Palumbo & Paul C. Cuthbert.
