Avalanche Need To Flip The Script If They Want To Come Back Against Golden Knights

For the entire playoffs and even the regular season, the third period has been the Colorado Avalanche period. This season, the Avalanche are +49 in the third period when it comes to scoring, and it has translated into the playoffs as well.

In a tight Los Angeles Kings series that saw the Kings try their best to slow the Avalanche down, they finished +4 in scoring in the third period. In the series against the Minnesota Wild, a series many thought would be a back-and-forth shootout to seven games, the Avalanche prevailed in five games, and were +8 in the third period, helping with many late comebacks, including the infamous Game 5, when they were down 3-1 heading into the third.

It’s clear that if the Avalanche dig themselves into a grave early on, they have shown they have the resources capable to mounting a comeback in attempt to either force the game into overtime or flat out win it in regulation, but against the Golden Knights, its clearly shown that the comeback antics shown in the previous series, can’t and shouldn’t be relied on if they want to comeback in this series down 0-2.

Opening the Western Conference Finals didn’t go the way many Avalanche fans wanted. Despite a strong first period that saw both teams really testing each other, it was still scoreless heading into period two, then disaster struck. Knights pushed with a 4-on-3 that saw Dylan Coghlan rifle a shot past Scott Wedgewood five-hole, and Pavel Dorofeyev scored on the power play by a miraculous pass by Marner to make it 2-0 entering the third period.

Only down two goals entering the third? That sounds like no sweat compared to what the Avalanche faced before. Well, it wouldn’t take long before Brett Howden continued to score in the playoffs when he got a lucky bounce to make it 3-0. Now they’re in a deeper hole than they would want, but there is the rest of the period to go.

Well, the Avalanche starts the comeback like usual. Valeri Nichushkin opens the scoring six minutes in with a nice redirect through the legs, 3-1. The Avalanche, throughout the period, maintains the pressure and makes it 3-2 late with a nice passing play from Nathan MacKinnon to Gabriel Landeskog, with time still left.

Avalanche Let Game 1 Slip Away In Execution Breakdown Against Vegas

Avalanche Let Game 1 Slip Away In Execution Breakdown Against Vegas Colorado generated chances throughout Game 1 but unraveled in execution at key moments, allowing the Vegas Golden Knights to capitalize on mistakes and seize control of the Western Conference Final opener.

Though they can’t tie it and they lose 4-2, it sucks, but there was a lot to learn from the game. You can’t win every game with a late-period comeback, but it showed they still have that switch in the third, and that’s good, right?

Still no Cale Makar for Game 2, but as the periods go, the Avalanche show more fight than they did in Game 1. Ross Colton buries a loose puck rebound to open the scoring at 1-0 in the first period and leads it into the second, which remains scoreless but still a one-goal lead entering the third, their best period.

Then they take their foot off the pedal and get a taste of their own medicine, of what it’s like for a team to take the lead in the third period. Just about halfway through the period, Devon Toews makes a bad defensive read and lets Jack Eichel with too much room and rifles a shot past Wedgewood to make it 1-1.

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Two minutes later, Toews again makes a bad play by failing to clear the puck, turns it over to Eichel, who passes it to Ivan Barbashev and rips it home to make it 2-1. The Avalanche would try to mount a late comeback, but an empty-net goal by Barbashev would end the game and the home stand, down 0-2.

This is a game where, when the Avalanche had the lead, they played as if they wanted to keep it rather than extend it. We have seen this team take leads and continue to pile on goals any which way they can to ensure they have a level of comfort. The box score shows that something has to change heading into Vegas, now down 0-2.

There is a lot of online talk about the Avalanche so far in these two games, and many agree on some topics and argue about others, but I believe some things are true.

Yes, not having Cale Makar is an absolute disaster for the Avalanche, and it showed. Vegas is changing its approach to the penalty kill now that Makar isn’t quarterbacking it, and guys like Toews and Malinski just don’t put enough pressure on Vegas to make those changes. They’d rather guys like Toews, Malinski, or Brent Burns beat them on a play so they can put more pressure on Martin Necas and MacKinnon, leaving them no room to operate.

REPORT: Cale Makar OUT For Game 2 Against Golden Knights In Western Conference Finals Cale Makar will be OUT for Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights

But it’s just not on him that the team is losing puck battles across the board, making sure that they’re more physical than Vegas when it comes to forechecking, putting bodies in front of Carter Hart to take away his vision. Most importantly, not Makar’s fault that many of his teammates have just flipped a switch since the Wild series.

Necas has been a shell of himself, MacKinnon just can’t seem to hit the net off a clean look since sniping the game-tying goal against the Wild in Game 5. Toews, despite just the defensive mistakes, can hit the net when he’s in the slot. Nichushkin, who did have that great deflection when he was crashing the net, just can’t hit the net on the rush when he’s taking a shot. Brock Nelson, like Necas, has just been a shell of himself, just not being able to really do anything on the ice.

MacKinnon, Nelson, Lehkonen, and Nichushkin combined for 3 shots on goal at 5-on-5 in Game 2; that’s not acceptable. We have been blessed this regular season and past two rounds with great depth that can, and this is the big word here, SUPPORT, the top lines with goal scoring.

Vegas has won the two games because their stars are leading them to victories, while their depth is supporting them both offensively and defensively. Marner, Eichel, Dorofeyev, and Barbashev are leading the team in points, but they’re also getting production from guys like Ben Hutton, Colton Sissons, and Brandon Saad. The Avalanche isn’t getting that from their stars so far this series.

Avalanche Defense Must Prove Their Worth In Cale Makar Absence With superstar defenseman Cale Makar sidelined against Vegas, the Colorado Avalanche needs to rely on their depth and their veterans to elevate their game to prevent a 2-0 series deficit.

MacKinnon hasn’t been selfish enough with the puck, looking to make more shots on goal. Necas needs to do the same if there isn’t a passing lane. Nelson’s two-way game has just vanished, offensively even more, with him only having two goals all playoffs. Nazem Kadri needs to generate more offense, go infront of the net, and be a menace.

It’s good to see Burns and Colton, and the depth guys, contributing to the offense. When push comes to shove, the Avalanche top-six is either going to be the reason this team comes back from 0-2 and advances to the Stanley Cup Finals, or is eliminated from the playoffs, and the excuse won’t just be “well, they didn’t have Cale Makar”.