Avalanche fans deserve Justus.
Do whatever it takes, Jared Bednar. Nyquil. Mucinex. Voodoo. Anything that gets Avalanche backup goaltender Justus Annunen healthy and ready to start Game 2 of this Avs-Jets series. Anything that gets No. 1 netminder Alexandar Georgiev away from the crease and out of the firing line.
Love Georgie.
He’s toast.
The Winnipeg Jets know it. John Buccigross knows it. The moose wandering around south Manitoba know it. Over his last six appearances, dating back to April 5, Georgiev’s given up 29 goals. Bednar, the Avs’ venerated coach, isn’t just running out of options here. He’s running out of time.
Winnipeg put seven more past No. 40 in Game 1 of their Stanley Cup Playoff series Sunday, roughly a week after peppering him for a touchdown and extra point at Ball Arena.
This time, it took two periods for Georgiev to become Fourgiev. It took three for him to become Sevengiev.
Yes, when the other guys put seven on your tab, it’s a group fail. The hope was that the Burgundy and Blue had a postseason gear they could shift to. That Bednar’s porous, sloppy defense over the last three weeks would flip a switch.
Guess what? No gear. No switch. They are what they were. They need a guy between the pipes who can bail them out.
Georgie ain’t it.
With 5:20 left, down 7-5, the Avs had outshot Winnipeg 36-19, per NaturalStatTrick.com, and produced 10 “high-danger” chances to the Jets’ 8. What does all that mean? In terms of “expected goals,” per the site’s metrics, with a typical netminder, the Avs should’ve been leading 3-1 or 3-2 at the time.
Nothing about this is typical anymore. What doubles the hurt is that the Avs came out firing right from the jump, getting off 11 shots in the first 10 minutes to Winnipeg’s one. They managed a 1-0 lead for their trouble. It lasted all of 112 seconds.
More galling is that Colorado had a pivotal road game — since 2018, the Avs have won six of seven series in which they’ve notched a Game 1 victory — rocking at their pace of choice. Up and down, PlayStation style. “NHL 94” with the “icing” and “fatigue” sliders switched to off.
Alas, this is reality, not your frat bro’s basement. Although Game 1’s first period was so crazy, both goaltenders played as if they were wearing straitjackets. Six goals, seven giveaways, 22 shots and zero sanity.
What happens when a team with playoff scars and playoff skill but leaky goaltending (the Avs) meets a team with postseason nerves but one of the best net-minders on the planet (the Jets)? The opening 16 minutes of Colorado-Winnipeg, a ride with more twists than a David Fincher flick.
Down 1-0, the hosts scored twice in 3:55 to take a 1-goal lead. The Avs scored twice in 18 seconds for a 3-2 cushion. Which lived on for about 48 seconds until Mark Scheifle, camping out in front of Georgiev, slipped behind Josh Manson and slotted past the Colorado goalie to square things at 3-all.
Annunen, a Game 1 scratch, posted a 2-1 record and 2.42 goals-against average over four games in April. Even at 65-70%, could the kid have been any worse than what transpired Sunday?
“I don’t know if he’s going to be healthy enough to play or not,” Bednar told reporters Sunday. “He wasn’t healthy enough to play (Game 1). We’ll see what we see (Monday) morning.”
The more you think about it, the more depressing it becomes. The Avs pounded Winnipeg goalie Connor Hellebuyck, your likely Vezina winner, with six goals — on his home ice. It was the first time Bucky’s ever been tagged for more than five in the postseason. And only the third time over his last 130 starts.
Related Articles
Keeler: How Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon became a 2024 MVP for Denver Rescue Mission: “No. 1 in our hearts.”
Keeler: Can Nuggets repeat as NBA champs? Lakers fans sure think so. “They’re terrifying.”
Grading The Week: Only Dick Monfort’s Rockies, who play like they’re on autopilot, could get in trouble with FAA for messing with a plane on autopilot
Keeler: Why LeBron James’ playoff LeFlops won’t be enough to overcome Nuggets, Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic
Keeler: CU Buffs’ Deion Sanders loses 15 guys in 17 days? It’s not them, Coach Prime. It’s you.
Still wasn’t enough.
“GEORRRRRR-GIEV!” the Jets fans jeered.
“GEORRRRRR-GIEV!”
They know it, too. When the game didn’t find Manson, it found Georgie. If he’s in the net Tuesday, the Avs are going to find themselves halfway to Cancun.
Want more Avalanche news? Sign up for the Avalanche Insider to get all our NHL analysis.