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The Colorado Avalanche and Nathan Mackinnon started the 2023-24 season with four straight losses to plummet to the bottom of the Central Division after ruling the division last year with 50 wins.
In a video shared by Guerilla Sports on X, MacKinnon vented his frustration about the team's injuries. The Avalanche are dealing with a serious injury problem as new players are getting injured.
Valeri Nichushkin, Artturi Lehkonen and Gabe Landeskog were already out, and now Jonathan Drouin and Devon Toews have been added to the injury list. Miles Wood also got injured against the Boston Bruins.
The team has struggled to gain momentum because of these injuries. Star forward Nathan MacKinnon said that the lack of a full roster is making it difficult to win.
"Every year we don't have our team, so it's just really annoying, to be honest. We'd just love to have our team, it'd be great. We're like, 40 million under the cap right now. It's probably not great," Nathan MacKinnon said.
Another issue is the team's defensive performance. Against the Bruins, the Avalanche allowed five goals as the Bruins overpowered them with a faceoff percentage of 61.3. The Avalanche have faced criticism for lacking urgency and not adapting well to their opponents.
Nathan MacKinnon and the Avalanche also facing goaltending concerns
The Colorado Avalanche also have concerns about their goaltending. Alexandar Georgiev has started all four games but has struggled after being pulled in two of those.
His .800 save percentage is one of the lowest for goalies with multiple starts. Justus Annunen has had few chances to show his skills. The lack of a reliable backup goalie in the AHL raises worries about the team's depth.
Many are wondering if it’s time to panic with a 0-4-0 start, as teams tend to struggle to recover after such starts. Only two of nine teams have made the playoffs after a similar start in the salary-cap era. Some teams in similar situations have changed their coaches. If things don't improve, Coach Jared Bednar's job could be at risk despite his past success.
However, the Avalanche have hope with a strong core, including Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. Their power play is doing well, with a league-best 50%.
However, the team needs to improve its defense and goaltending to succeed. They also need key players like Landeskog and Nichushkin to return. Their upcoming games against the Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks will be key.
