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‘Disappointing’ Avs are ‘just spinning in the mud again’

Colorado Avalanche v Florida Panthers

SUNRISE, FL - OCTOBER 22: Head coach Jared Bednar of the Colorado Avalanche looks up ice during first period action against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on October 22, 2016 in Sunrise, Florida. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 5-2. (Photo by Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

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Colorado lost for the third time in four games on Tuesday night, a 5-1 drubbing at home to the Predators.

It was the Avs’ second straight defeat at the Pepsi Center, and an ugly one at that. Just ask head coach Jared Bednar.

“It’s not at all how we want to play,” Bednar said, per the Denver Post. “It’s pretty bad. We didn’t find the intensity we needed for the game.

“It was disappointing because it was a chance for us to go a couple of games above .500 and now we’re just spinning in the mud again.”

Bednar wasn’t the only one brandishing verbal cleavers after the game.

Matt Duchene said the Avs are “very inconsistent” while captain Gabriel Landeskog said “the work boots and work hats weren’t on.”

The most troubling development? These complaints are largely similar to the ones heard while Patrick Roy was still the head coach. Roy repeatedly took his core players to task, saying they lacked leadership, and suggesting the club needed to add more character.

There were also remarks -- from Roy and various players -- that the Avs lacked consistency, had a habit of coming out flat and never developed a consistent work ethic.

Now, one has to wonder if the fan base is tiring of this group.

From Post columnist Mark Kiszla:

“The work boots and work hats weren’t on,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. Not that anybody in town noticed. It’s Raiders week and the Cubbies are wrestling a goat in the World Series. There were so many empty seats in the Pepsi Center, the Avs should have let folks in for free with a two-drink minimum.

It’s hard to watch this hockey team without a beer in your hand. Yes, Nathan MacKinnon can fly and Matt Duchene can score. But what Colorado management sees in goalie Semyon Varlamov at $6 million per year escapes me. What’s more, if the Avalanche really cared about Varly, why hasn’t Sakic gotten the 28-year-old goalie some meaningful help on the blue line?

It’s early, but Colorado can’t be thrilled about its attendance numbers. The Avs averaged just 15,428 through the first three games -- 23rd in the NHL -- and are coming off a year in which they finished 19th in the league (an average of 17,032.)

Tough times in Denver, to say the least.