1. The goaltending is back to being the major concern
Linus Ullmark returned to starting in goal on Friday night after missing the four previous games. Ullmark allowed in five goals on Friday against the Golden Knights, so Anton Forsberg would get the start against the Avalanche after Ullmark was considered a game-time decision. Concern about Ullmark not playing for the second consecutive game has grown tremendously.
Forsberg would get his fourth start in the past five games. Forsberg entered with momentum after a 31-save shutout on Tuesday night against Utah.
Against Colorado, momentum wouldn't be continued. Forsberg allowed in a goal with under 10 seconds left in the first period to Nikolai Kovalenko. With Under 20 seconds left in the second period, Forsberg allowed in a brutal goal by Josh Manson as the Avalanche took a 2-0 lead heading into the start of the third period.
Watching this goal is soooo satisfying 🤩#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/s3dEbDlIkO
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) October 28, 2024
Hope appeared to be back on the Senators' side when Brady Tkachuk and Nick Cousins scored in a 2:08 span to tie the game at two with 8:37 remaining in regulation. In just a blink of an eye, hope was gone.
Logan O'Connor and Ross Colton scored in a 1:32 span to give the Avalanche a 4-2 lead. Claude Giroux gave the Senators another chance of hope by making it a 4-3 game with 3:12 remaining, but Nathan MacKinnon scored an empty-net goal 1:53 later to make it 5-3. Giroux did score again with under 10 seconds left to make it 5-4, but it was too little too late.
Concerns around the Senators' goaltending situation have grown tremendously over the past two games, and it needs to be solved. The loss put the Senators in last place in the Atlantic Division, but the division race is tight.
The Senators will return to action on Tuesday night as they host the St. Louis Blues at Canadian Tire Centre with puck drop at 7 p.m. ET. The Blues currently have a 5-4 record.