Familiar Avalanche issues, controllable and not, a problem again in loss to Stars

DALLAS — Season-long issues, both in the Colorado Avalanche’s control and not, were big problems again Friday night.

The Dallas Stars scored multiple power-play goals, and the Avs lost another key player to injury in a 5-3 loss at American Airlines Center. Issues with the penalty kill, the goaltending and defensive work in front of the netminder? Check, check and check.

There were times when it was a combination of all three. The result was a second straight loss and third in four games after the Avs had put together their best stretch of results during this injury-riddled season.

The biggest issue moving forward could be the availability of defenseman Josh Manson. He missed the final 14 minutes of the second period and all of the third. Colorado’s injury/availability crisis reached an extraordinary level, then some reinforcements arrived. But the Avs have now lost three players in a span of four games — forwards Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood and now Manson.

Other than a four-game absence and some lingering issues that Devon Toews could play through, the Avalanche defense corps had avoided the injury virus that has spread through the forwards early and often.

Manson’s play has been a little up-and-down at times this season, but part of his value to the Avs is being a guy who can be a physical presence in front of the net and log heavy penalty-killing minutes. Those are two areas where the Avs need to be better, with or without Manson in the near future.

The Avalanche did make a valiant push in the third period after reaching the second intermission down by three goals. Artturi Lehkonen scored 62 seconds into the period on a feed from Nathan MacKinnon, and then Mikko Rantanen scored on a one-timer after a brilliant play from Cale Makar.

That made it a one-score game with 11:57 remaining. The Avs stars can overpower anyone, even while shorthanded against the stingy Stars.

But the concerns from the first 40 minutes remain, and the Avs have almost certainly reached the point where waiting for healthy bodies to quell them would be a bad idea.

Dallas scored first in this game on the power play. Matt Duchene’s harmless-looking shot from the right wall turned into a scramble drill for the Avs’ PKers when it bounced off Alexandar Georgiev and kicked into the high slot. Mason Marchment fed Tyler Seguin for a shot from the left circle at 5:36 of the first.

Colorado’s power play answered later in the first. Mikko Rantanen’s first shot went off the post, and then Valeri Nichushkin was there to clean up the rebound of his second try. It was Nichushkin’s third goal and sixth point in seven games since returning from a six-month suspension.

The Stars’ next two goals were similar — started with a rush from the other end of the ice, ended with a Dallas player collecting an easy one at the edge of the crease. Mason Marchment was credited with the first one late in the opening period when Miro Heiskanen’s initial shot got behind Georgiev. Four of the Avs’ skaters were in close proximity, but no one was able to fish the puck out of danger.

Jamie Benn made it a 3-1 game 7:07 into the second. Sam Malinski went down to block the initial shot on the rush, but he only got a piece of it. Georgiev wasn’t able to corral it and Benn had an easy tap-in.

Roope Hintz pushed the Stars’ lead to three goals with 1:18 left in the second period. Dallas was awarded a power play when Marchment fooled the officials into believing Devon Toews high-sticked him, but Colorado’s problems on the PK remain real.

The Avs entered this game 29th in the NHL on the penalty kill at just 72.4%, and have now allowed 18 power-play goals in 24 games.