Avalanche's Solid Work Ethic Displayed In Loss to Ducks

Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar has consistently said that he will judge his team on the process and how they play as opposed to focusing only on the results.
On Sunday, the Avs ultimately fell 3-1 to the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, but Bednar liked the effort that he saw throughout the lineup from his group.
"Tonight, I loved our work ethic," the bench boss said. "I thought we competed in all areas of the game, and we were creating some real good offensive-zone time… One thing we talked about as the game went on was just doing a better job at getting in front of (Anaheim goaltender John) Gibson because it seemed like we were creating some really good chances, but he was seeing all of them--he had a really good night, sometimes you run into that.

"I would rather us play that way and play hard and leave it all out there and then come up a little bit short than kind of do what we've been doing in a couple other games. I thought real good effort by our guys, real good response, and we maybe didn't deserve to win the one the other night and today maybe we did."

The Avalanche controlled play for much of the game and finished the contest with a 33-15 advantage in shots on goal.
Down 2-0 at the start of the third period, Colorado kept its foot on the gas and did not allow Anaheim to get a shot through to goaltender Philipp Grubauer. Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avs to cut the deficit in half with 5:14 remaining in regulation, but the squad couldn't get another one into the Ducks' net.
"I think we are still creating chances and it's just going to be getting more guys going to the net, willing to just get in those gritty areas and put it in," said defenseman Cale Makar. "We need those lucky bounces in front, and unfortunately we just haven't got those just because we haven't had too many guys around the paint… Starting with us at D as well, we got to get shots through and make sure we do get it down to the forwards that are going to the net. It comes from both ends of the game. Its early on in the season. At the end of the day this is a loss and we wanted to win, but I think it's another steppingstone."
The Avs are 3-3-0 on the season and have split all three of their two-game sets so far. They will look to continue to increase their compete level and build off the performance when they get back to action on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

"I mean we are a team that still needs to outwork our opponents, I felt like we still did that tonight," said Makar. "They had some good bounces that went in for them, and unfortunately for us we just had no luck tonight whether it was goal posts or whatnot. But I think as an overall effort as a team, I think we are happy but obviously it's a loss. We don't want to lose, but we are going to come back stronger and it's just a building block for this team."

RANTANEN EXTENDS GOAL STREAK

Mikko Rantanen collected a rebound in the crease and backhanded the puck into the Anaheim net in the third period to score for the fifth straight game, extending his career-best goal streak. He has seven points (five goals, two assists) so far this campaign.

"He's been outstanding. I just think he's just playing with real good purpose, real good focus," head coach Jared Bednar said of the Finnish right wing. "He's not taking any shifts off. He looks extremely quick and extremely strong on the puck. He's playing with guys on his back, he's protecting the puck and still getting his eyes up and finding the open man, real good decisions when it comes to making a play or shooting the puck to the net. He's been a horse. I think he's been playing really well, and he's been getting rewarded for it."
Rantanen's five goals this season put him in a tie with three other players for the most in the league.

MORE GAME NOTES

Samuel Girard appeared in his 225th consecutive regular-season game, tying Karlis Skrastins for the second-longest ironman streak ever by an Avalanche defenseman. Martin Skoula holds the record at 285 straight contests.
Nathan MacKinnon finished with four shots on net and has recorded a shot in 226 consecutive games, the longest current run in the NHL. He is one game shy of matching Joe Sakic's franchise-best run of 227 straight contests from 1995-99.
Cale Makar played a season-high 25:09.
Devon Toews registered a season-high four shots.