Avalanche winning streak at Ball Arena is over. But a 21-game point streak exists. – The Denver Post

The streak continues. Not of the two-point variety, but there’s a 21-game stretch of success at Ball Arena that remains alive for the Avalanche.

The Avs blew a one-goal lead in the final minute of regulation on Tuesday and lost 3-2 to the Arizona Coyotes in a shootout, snapping a historic 18-game winning streak at home. But the point gained by playing beyond regulation extended Colorado’s home point streak to 21 games (19-0-2).

“Once you start winning it’s — I don’t do a lot of drugs — but I can imagine that it’s like a drug,” Avs captain Gabe Landeskog said. “Once you start winning you want to keep going, you want to keep winning. And I think that’s important as the culture that we set here, to keep winning. Obviously, we’re (upset); we hate losing, especially with this (home winning streak) we’ve done. We wanted to keep it going but we’ll start a new one.”

The Avs haven’t lost in regulation at Ball Arena since Oct. 26, a 3-1 setback against the Vegas Golden Knights. They defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 in their next home game on Oct. 30 to begin the point streak, then lost 5-4 in overtime against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Nov. 3.

The 18-game home winning streak — fifth-longest in NHL history — began on Nov. 11 in a 7-1 rout over the Vancouver Canucks. The three overtime/shootout losses are tied to the 21-game stretch, which now takes the Avs into the NHL All-Star break and then some before make-up games begin Feb. 10 against the visiting Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado has played 17 games in the first 32 days of 2022.

“It will be nice. We’ve played a lot of hockey,” Landeskog said of the eight-game break between games. “It will be good for everybody to recharge and recover, and whether it’s bumps and bruises or just mentally, it will be good to get away for a few days and just recharge. I think it will benefit everybody.”

Colorado (32-8-4) enters the break with its best record through 44 games in its 26-year history. The Avs lead the Western Conference with 68 points — eight more than second-place Nashville with two games in hand over the Predators. Colorado leads the entire NHL with a .773 winning percentage, on pace for the club record.

“Obviously, we’re happy with where we’re at, at this point in the season. But a lot of hockey left and a lot of things to clean up,” Landeskog said.

Center Nazem Kadri, defenseman Cale Makar and coach Jared Bednar will represent the Avs at this weekend’s All-Star Game in Las Vegas. Center Nathan MacKinnon, who has missed three games with a broken nose/concussion, had to withdraw from the event because of his injuries. Bednar said MacKinnon is on track to return to the lineup against the Lightning, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

The Avs do not practice again until next Tuesday, two days ahead of the game against Tampa Bay.

Footnotes. The Avs are now 25-0-3 when scoring first and 25-1-2 when leading after two periods. .. Kadri scored the game’s first goal against Arizona for his 60th point of the season, one shy of his career-high set in 2016-17 while playing all 82 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kadri reached 60 points in just his 41st game, the second quickest in Avalanche history behind Mikko Rantanen, who reached 60 in 38 games in 2018-19.

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