Colorado Avalanche eased past Calgary Flames 7-3 in their NHL opener on Thursday evening. The visitors made light work of the hosts on their own ice, running up a comfortable margin from the opening period. It was a night where the better side showed exactly why they sit higher in the standings.
The result leaves Calgary rooted to the bottom of their conference with zero points from three games. Four defeats in four attempts would have been the pattern, but the loss to Seattle on Wednesday kept them alive. Colorado meanwhile move into sixth place, though they too have yet to collect points in the new format.
Calgary have found themselves on the wrong end of some heavy defeats of late. They lost 6-1 at Seattle on Monday and followed that with a 4-1 home defeat to Vancouver. The 1-6 hammering at Seattle earlier in the week suggested a team still searching for its rhythm.
Colorado have shown more promise in their opening fixtures. They beat St Louis 6-1 on Friday and followed that with a 5-2 victory over Winnipeg on Wednesday. The 3-2 loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday was the only blemish on an otherwise positive start.
Seven goals against three is a gap that says everything about the difference in quality on show. Calgary will need to find their feet quickly if they are to avoid a winless campaign. Colorado have found a way back into it after their midweek setback and look dangerous on the road.
