BUFFALO, N.Y. — Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar finds himself puzzled by his team’s tendency to start games slowly. However, he remains confident in Colorado’s resilience to come back when trailing. Their recent game certainly pushed Bednar’s nerve to the limit as the Avalanche managed to pull off an incredible comeback against the Buffalo Sabres. With just over four minutes remaining, Artturi Lehkonen scored the decisive goal, while Scott Wedgewood, who stepped in cold, made an impressive 22 saves to secure a 5-4 victory. This comeback marked a significant milestone for the team, as they became the first in the NHL this season to recover from a four-goal deficit, a feat which has only been accomplished 90 times throughout league history.
Bednar admitted that the game was particularly taxing on his emotions. “It’s still recovering from that one,” he commented, reflecting on the game’s strange nature. However, such comebacks have become a familiar theme for the Avalanche (13-12), as they have developed a reputation for overcoming deficits—not just in this season but also during the last one.
Last season, Colorado secured second place in the NHL by winning 26 games despite being behind at any point during those matches. Remarkably, the Avalanche was the last team to overcome a four-goal deficit last March, pulling off a 5-4 overtime victory against Pittsburgh. So far this season, eight of Colorado’s wins have come after facing a deficit, with this being their seventh victory after trailing at the end of the first period, setting them apart in league standings.
On Tuesday night, the Avalanche found themselves in a challenging situation as the Sabres quickly accumulated a 4-0 lead within the first 12 minutes, forcing Colorado to pull starting goalie Alexandar Georgiev. Nathan MacKinnon, who netted two goals and assisted on Lehkonen’s game-winner, praised Bednar for maintaining composure during a trying first intermission. “Bedsy didn’t rip us too bad. He was pretty calm,” MacKinnon said, highlighting the impact of a coach who keeps his cool even when morale is low.
The comeback began with MacKinnon intercepting a pass and scoring just 2:24 into the second period, invigorating the team. The Avalanche went on to score four more goals in the third period, with MacKinnon tying the game by tipping in a shot from teammate Mikko Rantanen.
Lehkonen’s goal came as he capitalized on a loose puck after a shot from Calvin de Haan was deflected. “When we’re down, it feels like we’re pressing hard, and when we’re in attack mode, it’s tough to contain us,” MacKinnon explained about their relentless spirit.
Despite the jubilant atmosphere among the Avalanche, the Sabres found themselves plagued by frustration. Forward Alex Tuch expressed disappointment, stating, “It honestly stinks. Each and every guy needs to be better.” With their playoff hopes on the line, the Sabres have once again found themselves struggling to break a record 13-season drought from the postseason. Their recent form has dipped to 0-3-1 in the past four games, following a promising stretch where they had secured seven victories out of nine games.
Coach Lindy Ruff pointed out the area for improvement, citing sloppy passing, inadequate defensive coverage, and the absence of star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin in the third period due to back spasms as critical factors in the loss. “It’s hard, painful,” Ruff stated. “It’s my job not to let it snowball. We’ll address it. We’ll deal with it. We’ll go over it. It’s hard, painful.”
