The Colorado Avalanche are hoping to win the Stanley Cup once again in 2024. However, if Sunday night was any indication, big changes are needed to accomplish that goal. Colorado lost a slobberknocker with the Winnipeg Jets 7-6 on Sunday night after a rather horrific performance from goalie Alex Georgiev.
Georgiev allowed seven goals on just 23 shots against the Jets on Sunday. He did not face a ton of pressure from Winnipeg, and yet, his team still came away with the Game 1 loss. His offense threw 40 shots at star netminder Connor Hellebuyck in this contest. However, it was not enough.
Fans immediately rushed to social media to share their thoughts on Alex Georgiev and his performance. And fans were not kind in their responses. They took aim at his status as a 2024 All-Star, for instance. Furthermore, one fan even called for him to never start another Avalanche game again.
Alex Georgiev feels fans' wrath
Fans from all over voiced their opinions over Georgiev's performance on Sunday. As mentioned, a local sports radio host in Colorado went as far as to call for this to be his final start with the team. “Tonight is the final game I need Alexandar Georgiev to start for the Colorado Avalanche,” they said in their post. “No more. You can’t keep putting him on the ice, it’s just negligent as (sic) this point.”
“A reminder that Alex Georgiev was voted as an all star this year,” another fan wrote. Georgiev indeed represented the Avalanche at the NHL All-Star Game. He was drafted by Avalanche teammate Nathan MacKinnon in the All-Star draft. Team MacKinnon lost in the semifinals of the tournament to Team McDavid.
Another fan made a rather bold claim about Georgiev's performance. This claim invoked a former Montreal Canadiens goaltender whose career is likely over due to injury. “Pretty sure an injured Carey Price who hasn’t played in 2 years is better than Georgiev right now,” they wrote on social media.
A couple of hockey reporters provided interesting reactions of their own. Arthur Staple of The Athletic referenced an incident from Georgiev's time with the New York Rangers. This incident involved defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who is now a member of the Carolina Hurricanes.
David Alter of The Hockey News point to the actual box score of the game on Sunday night. He noted Georgiev's wildly low save percentage against the Jets. He wondered about how common such a brutal performance is throughout the extensive history of the NHL.
Jets claim Game 1 over Avalanche
Believe it or not, the Avalanche opened the scoring in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And the first period was rather close. It ended tied 3-3 after Colorado received goals from Valeri Nichushkin, Miles Wood, and Nathan MacKinnon. However, Alex Georgiev had allowed goals to Josh Morrissey, Vladislav Namestnikov, and Mark Schiefele.
The second period was extremely tame relative to the opening frame. In fact, only one goal was scored between the two teams. Jets captain Adam Lowry scored on a two-on-one opportunity. The Avalanche trailed heading into the third, but they certainly weren't out of it.
Unfortunately for Colorado, Winnipeg pulled away. Lowry scored his second of the game and Kyle Connor connected on the power play to give the Jets a 6-3 lead. Connor scored another goal in the period after the Avalanche pulled within two. Colorado mounted a comeback, scoring two goals in the dying embers, but it wasn't enough.
What the Avalanche will do between the pipes for Game 2 remains to be seen. However, Alex Georgiev certainly did not inspire confidence on Sunday night. Colorado hopes to tie the series in Game 2 on Tuesday before they host the Jets for Games 3 and 4.
Follow Us
Subscribe