What a difference one solid goaltending performance can make.
Alexandar Georgiev redeemed himself after a rough Game 1, and the Avalanche evened the opening-round series Tuesday night with the Winnipeg Jets. Now the best-of-seven series is 1-1 and much of the discourse is about what the Jets need to do, not the Avalanche.
Colorado has dictated the terms of engagement in this series. Winnipeg will want that to change, but can the Jets make it happen at Ball Arena? They did twice during the regular season. Here are the three keys for the Avalanche:
1. Keep cleaning up
The Avalanche allowed five fewer goals in Game 2, but Jared Bednar has stressed multiple times since that Colorado still has things to clean up on the defensive side of the puck. Winnipeg actually had more scoring chances and high-danger opportunities than it did in Game 1.
“We still gave up a handful of scoring chances that we didn’t like, that we didn’t feel like they had to earn, so clean up a few things with our puck play,” Bednar said. “There’s a few rush-attack situations where they came in clean on us that we didn’t like.”
2. Keep pushing (and reloading)
Colorado is winning the field position battle, so to speak, in part because the forwards are harassing Winnipeg’s attempts to transition into the offensive zone. Bednar said Games 1 and 2 have been the most competitive, most detail-oriented performances from his 12 forwards.
“We’ve always been a team that’s gotten on our toes and gone after teams. When we’re really good, we’re also reloading and racing back to our net as fast as we can, the same kind of level of intensity that we have on the push.
“If you miss a check or someone is beating you back to the net, it’s turning into a scoring chance against because the execution and the intensity of the game right now and the importance of the games. We have to try and be flawless in that area.”
3. Keep an eye on the new guy
It looks like Winnipeg is going to insert defenseman Nate Schmidt into the lineup. The Jets have struggled to move the puck, and coach Rick Bowness lamented shot opportunities that were passed up. Schmidt should help in both of those departments. The Jets’ depth defensemen have been the club’s most noticeable weakness so far.
“We do want to move the puck a little quicker, we still played a little too slow for our liking last game,” Bowness said. “So get the puck moving quicker and playing north — a lot faster game — is going to help us, for sure.”
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