nd.Mzarek is 1-10-2 with a shutout in the regular season against the Lightning. He went 4-6 against Tampa Bay in the playoffs while with Detroit, including a key role in a near upset of the eve

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Avalanche could point to obvious flaws for their prolonged plunge: Erratic goaltenders Ottawa Senators Hoodies Authentic , floundering special teams, inconsistent scoring from players not on their top line .Or just go with the more direct one.“We just haven’t played good enough,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said.The Avalanche were tied for the most points in the Western Conference after games on Dec. 7. Two months and a 5-15-6 record later, they’re trying to get on track and climb back into playoff contention. It’s been a perplexing freefall for an Avalanche team that hasn’t won since Jan. 19.“Everybody’s kind of taking their individual games down a couple of notches,” said Landeskog, whose team hosts Toronto on Tuesday looking to break a seven-game slide (0-4-3). “That adds up to the team not desperate enough, not hungry enough, not fast enough, not physical enough.”The silver lining to this grisly stretch: Colorado (22-22-11, 55 points) still sat just four points out of a playoff spot entering Monday. Any other year, the deficit probably would be even greater.“We’re lucky,” center Nathan MacKinnon said. “We’re lucky the West is bad this year. If we were in the East, we’d be (eight) points out. So Ottawa Senators Hats Authentic , we’re lucky everyone’s kind of lost separately. It’s been weird. We had a great start. We were first in our division and we’ve been just losing ever since, so we’re lucky. It feels like we’re 30 points out, but we’re only (four) and we need to remind ourselves of that.”Colorado finished a three-game trip with three straight overtime losses . Those are a valuable three points earned in defeat, but the team desperately needs wins.“It’s been two months we’ve been losing, so if we don’t get wins we’re not happy,” said MacKinnon, whose team dropped to 1-11 in OT games this season. “We need wins. That’s all that really matters.”General manager Joe Sakic recently gave the reeling team a vote of confidence. Playoffs are still firmly on his mind.“I believe in the guys in that dressing room, that we can right the ship,” Sakic said. “I know they believe it. Right now, the confidence is a little low.”Colorado’s role at the trade deadline on Feb. 25 could be decided over the next few games. Once potential buyers — or comfortable making no moves — the team could become sellers. One thing Sakic won’t do is mortgage the future. He said the two first-round picks are off limits, along with some of their prized prospects.“For us, it’s got to make sense going forward,” Sakic said of a deal.The recent struggles in net have plagued Colorado. Semyon Varlamov is 13-13-8 with a 2.91 goals-against average. Backup Philipp Grubauer hasn’t been any more steady Custom Ottawa Senators Jerseys , going 9-7-3 with a 3.47 goals-against.“Got to get them playing with a little more confidence,” Sakic said.The power play of late has been problematic, too. Since Dec. 8, they’re last in the league in penalty kill percentage and 21st in converting power play chances.Colorado also is looking for more secondary scoring to help out the top line of Landeskog, MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen, which has combined for 206 points.“Obviously, everything is magnified when you lose,” MacKinnon said. “When you win, those mistakes kind of get covered up and you don’t really see them in video or things like that. So, it’s been tough. Obviously, a lot of negativity, but we’ve played some decent games.”Sakic remains firmly in the corner of coach Jared Bednar, who led the Avalanche back to the postseason a year ago — he was a coach of the year finalist — after going 22-56-4 in his first season.“The problem is not coaching at all www.officialflyersproshop.com ,” Sakic said. “We have good systems.”The skid hasn’t soured the locker room, MacKinnon said“Some losing teams kind of turn on each other, but everyone has each other’s backs and we’re trying to win with each other,” MacKinnon said. “We know (with) losing comes changes and we don’t want to change our team. So, the mood is still pretty good.“I think that’s the only way to get out of it. If you hang your head and be negative, I think you’re just kind of doomed from there. So we’re still positive.” TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point’s prettiest goal didn’t count.The two that did helped the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning win, again.Point had a tiebreaking power-play goal in the third period and added a late empty-netter in the NHL-leading Lightning’s 3-1 comeback victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.“We have confidence if we keep sticking with it,” Point said.After Point scored from in-close with 3:15 left, the center got his 28th goal into the empty net during the final minute.Tampa Bay had a nifty breakaway goal by Point with 9:51 left in the second disallowed after a video review requested by the Hurricanes that determined the play was offside because Tyler Johnson had not completely left the ice on a line change.Point had his original shot stopped by Petr Mrazek but put home a rebound by knocking in an ankle puck.“A pretty clear offside,” Point said.Tampa Bay has 70 points with 38 games to play.Ondrej Palat also scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26 saves. Point also had an assist.Tampa Bay is 18-2-2 against Carolina since the start of the 2012-13 season. The Lightning are 12-0-0 against the Metropolitan Division.Justin Williams picked up his 300th NHL goal for the Hurricanes, who had a five-game winning streak end. Mzarek 27 stopped shots.“It’s not easy Philadelphia Flyers T-Shirts Authentic ,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “When you play a team like Tampa, we’re in a good position and then to lose it that way, that’s a tough way to lose. You almost rather lose 8-0.”The Lightning, 17-1-1 over the last 19 games, won their ninth consecutive at home.The Lightning’s NHL-best power play converted its fifth chance when Steven Stamkos‘ shot was blocked and the puck went through the slot to Palat, who tied it at 1 at 11:56 of the third.Williams opened the scoring with a rebound goal from the low left circle 4:34 into the second.Mzarek is 1-10-2 with a shutout in the regular season against the Lightning. He went 4-6 against Tampa Bay in the playoffs while with Detroit, including a key role in a near upset of the eventual Eastern Conference champion Lightning in a seven-game opening round series in 2015.“He made some real big saves,” Brind’Amour said. “Unfortunately we didn’t get enough offense to support him tonight.”Tampa Bay star Nikita Kucherov got his 72nd point with an assist. He has been held pointless in just nine games.NOTES: Tampa Bay is 6-5-0 when trailing after two periods. “It was like we were in quicksand,” Cooper said of the first two periods. . Williams has 18 goals in 52 games against Tampa Bay. … Lightning RW Ryan Callahan (upper body) missed his second straight game and is day to day. … Victor Hedman played in his 663rd game and moved past Pavel Kubina for the most by a Tampa Bay defenseman.UP NEXTHurricanes: Host Buffalo on Friday night.Lightning: At Buffalo on Saturday night.