The Colorado Avalanche have hit rock bottom. After a brutal Game 3 collapse against the Vegas Golden Knights, they now trail the Western Conference Final 3-0. Head coach Jared Bednar didn't try to spin it after the game.

"Well it's low. It's as low as it can get," Bednar told reporters about the players' morale. "Because (we) have a big hill to climb. That's what the next 24-36 hours is for. (We) gotta find a way to get over it, regroup, and go again."

The loss stung even more because of how it started. Colorado jumped out to a 3-0 lead after the first period and looked in full control. Then Vegas flipped the script and scored five unanswered goals to steal the win.

Things got worse in the second period. Nathan MacKinnon blocked a shot and suffered a leg injury. He played sparingly after that and was clearly hurting.

Now the Avalanche face history. Only four teams have ever come back from a 3-0 deficit in a playoff series. Those are the 1942 Maple Leafs, 1975 Islanders, 2010 Flyers, and 2014 Kings.

Bednar admitted he doesn't know how his team will respond. The wound is still too fresh.

"We're not there yet, I don't know. Everyone's down in the dumps right now," he said. "Like I said, that's what the next 36 hours are for, to get our team back to where our focus is in the right place."

The veteran coach knows the climb is steep. But he's preaching the same message he always does. Take it one shift at a time.

"Seems like a tough hill to climb, clearly, obviously. Especially against a team like Vegas," Bednar added. "(We) just gotta break it down. Shift at a time, five at a time, period at a time, game at a time."

Can the Colorado Avalanche Make a Comeback in Game 4?

The Avalanche's dream season is on life support. This was the best team in hockey all year long. They won the Presidents' Trophy with 121 points and 55 wins, leaving every other team in the dust.

Colorado had the NHL's top offense at 3.63 goals per game. They also had the league's best defense, allowing just 2.40 goals per game. No team came close to matching their numbers.

But history is not on their side. Teams that fall behind 3-0 in a best-of-seven series have come back just four times in 217 tries. That's a tiny window.

The absence of Cale Makar has hurt Colorado in a huge way. He's the NHL's best defenseman and the heart of their blue line. He was a +32 in the regular season and a +5 through nine playoff games before getting hurt against the Wild.

Bednar said earlier in the series that Makar's return is up to him.

"It's gonna be Cale's decision on if he's coming back. He's doing all the work. I don't make that decision for him," Bednar said.

It is a precarious situation. The Avalanche must find a way to win Game 4 in Vegas. With or without Makar, they'll need a miracle to keep this season alive.

Read more at NHL Fan Central!

Written by

Sahil Prashar

Edited by

Sahil Prashar