Avalanche Coach Warns His Team After 8-6 Loss to Canucks
Avalanche Coach Warns His Team After 8-6 Loss to Canucks
Ankit KumarThu, April 2, 2026 at 5:58 AM UTC
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The Colorado Avalanche faced a reality check after an 8-6 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, and head coach Jared Bednar did not hold back.
The Avalanche outshot the Canucks 30-26, but the majority of the dominance came in the third period when the Avalanche went 17-6. However, before that happened, the Canucks were in good control of the game with a 6-3 lead.
Speaking after the game, Bednar praised the third-period push but made it clear that partial effort will not work at this stage of the season.
Bednar said playing well for 20 minutes is not enough if the team wants to win in the NHL.
"I like the way we played in the third, but the reality of it is if you want to win in this league, you have to play that way for 60 minutes, and we weren't even close," Bednar said.
"It wasn't a great first, and it got worse in the second, and then yeah, if you want to hand out badges for good effort and stuff like that, I think we're beyond that. This time of year, effort for 20 minutes and doing the right things for 20 minutes isn't good enough."
The game itself was chaotic from the start. Vancouver struck early through Max Sasson, while Nathan MacKinnon responded with his 50th goal. Teddy Blueger and Jake DeBrusk extended the Canucks’ lead before Gabriel Landeskog pulled one back late in the first period.
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Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his fiftieth goal of the season during the first period against the Vancouver Canucks at Ball Arena.Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images (Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images)
Vancouver took control in the second period. Blueger added another, and Brock Boeser scored twice to make it 6-2, forcing a goalie change. Sam Malinski kept Colorado alive with a late goal before the second break.
The Avalanche showed urgency in the third period. Goals from Parker Kelly and Brent Burns sparked a comeback, and Malinski tied the game 6-6. However, Marcus Pettersson restored Vancouver’s lead within seconds. Boeser then sealed the win with an empty-net goal to complete his hat trick.
When asked about defensive pairings, he dismissed the idea quickly. Bednar warned that making excuses for such displays could lead to a short playoff run.
"There's no excuse," Bednar said. "So, if we're making excuses for that performance, it's going to be a short run."
Despite the loss, Colorado remains one of the league’s top teams this season. Still, Bednar’s message was direct. If his team fails to deliver a full 60-minute effort, their strong campaign could end sooner than expected.
Related: Avalanche Coach Shares Update on Cale Makar's Injury
Related: Nikita Kucherov Draws NHL's Attention After Oilers Game
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 2, 2026, where it first appeared in the NHL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Sports”
