{"id":406225,"date":"2026-01-14T07:50:11","date_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:50:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/406225\/"},"modified":"2026-01-14T07:50:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-14T07:50:11","slug":"avalanche-notebook-power-play-meeting-much-needed-rest-and-bardakovs-ahl-debut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/406225\/","title":{"rendered":"Avalanche Notebook: Power Play Meeting, Much-Needed Rest, and Bardakov’s AHL Debut"},"content":{"rendered":"

What a grind January has been for the Avalanche.<\/p>\n

Colorado didn\u2019t play its first game this month until Jan. 3. But that started a stretch of six games in 10 nights. Starting goalie Mackenzie Blackwood hasn\u2019t been available for any of these games. Nor has depth forward Joel Kiviranta.<\/p>\n

Along the way, the team lost top-pair defenseman Devon Toews and first-line forward Gabe Landeskog. They also had to start their third-string goalie, Trent Miner, in consecutive games because Scott Wedgewood was dinged up. Miner fared well against the surging Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday, but both of the Leafs\u2019 skilled shooters got one past the rookie netminder.<\/p>\n

The Avs have fought back to win games in the third period. They\u2019ve scored late tallies to force overtime. They\u2019ve done all they could during this compacted schedule to keep their current run alive. The result is a 3-2-1 record. All things considered, it\u2019s not bad.<\/p>\n

But boy are they glad to have some rest. Colorado had an optional practice on Tuesday, will have the full day off Wednesday, practice Thursday, before the team\u2019s next game on Friday. And then there will be a full weekend without games before returning to the ice Monday. No travel, no back to backs. Just time to rest, recover, and play just two games in seven nights.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a nice change.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta use it to refuel and recharge here,\u201d star defenseman Cale Makar said, after eclipsing the 27-minute mark for the 11th time in 45 games this season. \u201cIt\u2019s only going to get busier, obviously, before the [Olympic] break. And then after the break is going to be a gauntlet. So we gotta just mentally prepare ourselves for what\u2019s to come, but definitely take advantage of the couple days here.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team sent Ivan Ivan and Zakhar Bardakov down before Tuesday\u2019s practice. Ivan has been part of a rotation of AHL forwards who have alternated in and out of the lineup in Kiviranta and Landeskog\u2019s absences. But the Bardakov assignment is a first.<\/p>\n

The 25-year-old rookie forward has spent the entire season with the Avs. And head coach Jared Bednar confirmed on Tuesday that he will be back, likely for Friday\u2019s game against the Nashville Predators.<\/p>\n

Bardakov is going to the AHL to get a game or two in after playing just 4:34 against the Leafs.<\/p>\n

Bednar also spoke about the team\u2019s struggling power play. Colorado was 1-for-3 against the Maple Leafs, who have the NHL\u2019s best PK since Dec. 1.<\/p>\n

The lone power-play tally was scored by Brock Nelson just five seconds into the PP opportunity. The Avs won a faceoff in the offensive zone, and MacKinnon quickly set Nelson up for a one-timer. It counts like every other power play does, but it didn\u2019t require the Avs\u2019 struggling power play to set up in the offensive zone and work on their puck movement.<\/p>\n

The other two opportunities did, and they didn\u2019t fare well. Especially when the Avalanche had a power play with 2:42 remaining in a 3-3 game with a chance to put the Leafs away before OT.<\/p>\n

Bednar said the team continues to make the changes necessary to build this thing. They\u2019re not going to stop trying until something works.<\/p>\n

Nelson, by the way, has eight of the Avs\u2019 last 15 power-play goals.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a big meeting last week, changed some things around, and got the guys on the same page,\u201d Bednar said of the PP. \u201cI like the focus of our guys right now.\u201d<\/p>\n


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