GAME RECAP: Avalanche 5, Oilers 1

DENVER, CO – Onwards to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Edmonton Oilers capped off their regular-season schedule with a 5-1 defeat to the Colorado Avalanche in the second of back-to-back games at Ball Arena on Thursday night.

With seven of their top offensive contributors out of the lineup, the Oilers were outclassed by a full-strength Avalanche squad, conceding four goals in 8:59 of the first period and falling behind early en route to their second straight defeat entering the postseason.

"It sucks to lose no matter what time of the year it is; no matter who's in or who's out of the lineup," defenceman Darnell Nurse said. "So I think for us, you've got to take the lesson of 'that was a team over there that came out and played playoff-ready.' It took us a little bit to respond to that, and you don't have that luxury or wiggle room once you get into the real thing next week."

Nathan MacKinnon recorded two assists to set a new single-season franchise record of 140 points, and Valeri Nichushkin scored twice for the Avalanche who will play the Winnipeg Jets in the first round.

Dylan Holloway was able to continue his strong form with his third goal in his last six games along with Philip Broberg, who recorded his second assist in as many games since his call-up from Bakersfield, while defenceman Brett Kulak reached a personal milestone with his 100th career assist in the defeat.

Oilers netminder Stuart Skinner started for Edmonton but was relieved by Calvin Pickard after giving up four goals on 13 shots in the opening period. In the Colorado crease, Justus Annunen had a strong night with 24 saves to claim the victory.

Edmonton will face the Los Angeles Kings in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and will host Game 1 on Monday night at Rogers Place.

FIRST PERIOD

The Oilers were heavily outplayed in the opening 20 minutes without McDavid, Draisaitl, Hyman, Nugent-Hopkins, Ekholm, Bouchard and Kane dressed for their regular-season finale as they try to rest some high-minute players before the looming start to the playoffs.

Colorado was coming off back-to-back losses and a seven-game stretch where they recorded only three victories (2-3-2), so three extra days of rest and a rotated Oilers team on the second of a back-to-back posed a good opportunity for them on Thursday to try and build some confidence before their first-round series against the Winnipeg Jets.

"I think Colorado was treating it as a pre-cursor to the playoffs and wanting their team to get ready, and we used that to get our top guys ready for the playoffs," Head Coach Kris Knoblauch said. "I thought at the end of the game, when we juggled our lines in the second and third period, I thought we played pretty well."

The Avalanche came out buzzing and went on an offensive tear in the opening 10 minutes, with MacKinnon setting a new franchise single-season record for points by picking up assists on Mikko Rantanen's 42nd of the year and Nichushkin's second tally of the period.

MacKinnon recorded his 139th and 140th points to surpass Peter Stastny for the franchise's single-season record when they were the Quebec Nordiques, and the Colorado captain helped his side jump out to a sizeable lead early lead.

Josh Manson then made it 4-0 when he pinballed a shot off the skates of Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci from the point, ending a four-goal stretch of 8:58 for the Avalanche until Holloway gave the Oilers a spark in the final five minutes.

"We had quite a few regulars out tonight, but I thought the first half of that first period we were just standing around watching them and they were skating around us making plays," Corey Perry said. "But after that, it's all about work and we battled hard."

While the Oilers were feeling the absence of their top scorers, Holloway was helping fill that void and continued his strong play since his call-up from the Condors on Apr. 9 by cutting into Colorado's lead with his third goal in his last six games.

Broberg picked up his second assist in as many nights with a low shot that led to Holloway redirecting his sixth of the season past Annunen with 4:38 left in the opening period. The Calgary product now has five points (3G, 2A) in the last six games.

Kulak picked up his 100th career assist on the play, which was his 79th career helper and his 44th point in an Oilers uniform since arriving at the 2022 Trade Deadline. The Stony Plain product has not missed a single game for his boyhood team, making all 182 appearances possible for the Blue & Orange during his time with the club.

SECOND PERIOD

The Oilers would hit three posts in the middle frame – twice through Ryan McLeod and again early in the period by Warren Foegele – in a good bounce-back period after they conceded four in the first period.

"I think the first ten minutes, we were a little bit starstruck or just paralyzed just trying to make the perfect play," Knoblauch said. "We weren't moving our feet. We were overthinking and ultimately, we were just defending and they were making plays and they really took it to us in the first ten minutes. Then, we got a little bit better. But in the second period, I think we started skating, simplifying our game and just playing hockey, and it was much better after that."

But the Avalanche were still able to grow their lead.

Colorado stretched their advantage to 5-1 when Zach Parise notched his 899th career point from one knee in front of the Oilers crease as he tries to get another kick at a Stanley Cup as a member of the Avalanche in his final NHL season.

Ross Colton made a good behind-the-back pass to set up Parise's fifth goal in 35 games this year, which will be the 39-year-old's last after saying he'll call it quits following Colorado's playoff run.

THIRD PERIOD

Despite their heavy disadvantage, the Oilers kept pressing for more through players like Foegele and Holloway, who provided plenty of good chances on Thursday night as the puck seemed to gravitate towards their sticks.

In total, Foegele would register seven shots while Holloway drew two penalties and contributed three shots of his own, a rare power-play goal and three more hits in Edmonton's 5-1 defeat that wraps up the regular season.

"Anytime you get beat up, it leaves a mark," Knoblauch said. "But I think it was a good experience for our second, third and fourth-line guys who got more ice time. They were playing really well, and for us to play with that intensity, that speed, it was a good test for those guys to get ready for the playoffs."