DENVER — When you consider how this season has gone for both the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Colorado Avalanche, you understand that awkward feeling that surrounded the Jackets on Saturday after their 4-0 loss in Ball Arena.

Well, that could have been worse.

The Avalanche have been the NHL’s best club all season, virtually unbeatable at home. One could make a case that the Blue Jackets have been one of the NHL’s most disappointing clubs after nearly making the playoffs last season.

On top of that, the Blue Jackets started goaltender Elvis Merzļikins, who hadn’t seen a live puck in exactly three weeks (Dec. 20) and has been, statistically, one of the league’s worst goaltenders this season.

Two days ago, the Avalanche routed Ottawa 8-2 in Ball Arena. So, yeah … what do you make of 4-0?

“I know it sounds crazy, but we saw a lot of good things,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “We checked really well against their top guys. Even their, whatever you want to call them, ‘lower guys,’ can score if they get one opportunity.

“Did we make some mistakes? Sure. But, honestly, we thought, our offensive sequences, our willingness to get to the net, to get inside … we got pucks through at the top, and they’re rattling around all over the place.”

But the puck never found its way past Colorado rookie goaltender Trent Miner, who earned his first NHL win and shutout by making 29 saves, including 13 in the second period.

It marked the second time this season the Blue Jackets have been shut out, and the loss dropped them to 1-4-1 in their last six games. They’re starting to get settled in last place in the Eastern Conference.

The only way to salvage anything from this four-game road trip — the last lengthy roadie of the season, and the last time they travel beyond the Central Time Zone — is on Sunday, when the Blue Jackets play the Utah Mammoth at 7 p.m. ET.

Asked how he felt to finally play in a game, Merzļikins quipped and smiled: “Happy.”

Jet Greaves emerged as Evason’s choice to be the starting goaltender in early November, and Greaves’ workload has shot up considerably in the last month. In that span, he has started both ends of back-to-backs on the schedule, but not this time.

Merzļikins, who had 13 of his 27 saves in the first period, acknowledged that the pace of play felt like stepping onto a freeway. His legs were quickly tired, too, he said, as it’s difficult to simulate an actual game’s fatigue and exertion during practices.

“It was hard to get into the game,” Merzļikins said. “You could see the team’s effort here, you know? Mo (Adam Fantilli) had a huge blocked shot (in the first period). The guys, they knew that I had shaky legs at the start until I could get into the game, and the boys, they helped me out.

“It was hard because Colorado is super fast. Like, that’s pretty fast speed out there on the ice. I needed to calm myself down and try to make everything in slow motion, just focus on myself, my position and where I am.”