Mission (partially) accomplished. 1-of-4, 4-for-16.
The Colorado Avalanche sent the Winnipeg Jets to the golf course with a 6-3 win in Manitoba to conclude their season. But the season is far from over for the Avs, as they move on to the second round. After last year’s disappointment in the first round against the Seattle Kraken, they have shown last year was just a fluke.
Now is the time for some rest for a good hockey team who might be battling some bruises and scars. With some time ahead of them though, they will look to not lose their stride and recent form. Alas, we’ll see what they do from here, but at least part of the job is done! Here’s how it all went down in the series finale.
First Period
Just 1:15 into the game, trouble struck for the Avalanche. Alexandar Georgiev had saved Winnipeg’s first shot of the game, but it trickled behind him and sat in the crease. Josh Manson then attempted to clear the puck out, only for it to hit Artturi Lehkonen and go in to give the home team the lead.
Not long afterward though, Colorado did have a response. Nathan MacKinnon led a nice passing play for Devon Toews leading it to be finished off by Valeri Nichushkin’s seventh goal of the playoffs.
What had been a good period for the Avs offensively was cut out by the neutral zone defense by the Jets. They did well to hold off Colorado but did not produce much offense themselves to keep the score even at one going into the intermission.
Second Period
After Cale Makar’s shot in the slot hit the crossbar in the early going, there would be some injury scares for the Avs. Neal Pionk cross-checked Ross Colton and would sit in the box for it, but Colton did struggle to get off the ice holding his right side. Even worse, Zach Parise took a hip to the head while falling awkwardly from Colin Miller and needed help getting off the ice. Luckily, both would return and be just fine.
With injury woes behind them, offense then became aplenty in the last half of the period. First, Yakov Trenin battled brilliantly and managed to win the puck and put it over Connor Hellebuyck and in for the lead.
The Avs lead did not last long, however. Miles Wood took a holding penalty, which was converted by one of Josh Morrissey’s trademark one-timers from the point.
But yet, puck luck would be on the Avalanche’s side. After scoring an own goal themselves off Lehkonen, he would get one back. His initial shot was going way wide, but managed to hit the stick of Pionk and trickled in for the lead.
Winnipeg knew what they had in front of them, and looked for another game-tying goal before the end of the frame. Georgiev made some crucial saves, especially on a 3-on-1 chance which was broken up brilliantly by Sam Girard and the Avs netminder. But, it did lead to a Sean Walker hooking penalty which carried over to the third.
Third Period
The Avs looked in trouble early on, as a lapse in defensive coverage led to Tyler Toffoli having all the space in the world. He took it in the slot and evened the game up at three with all to play for in the closing minutes.
But, their momentum would not last long. Finally, Mikko Rantanen would break the ice on his goalless streak with a tip on Toews’ shot to take the lead back for Colorado.
It would not be the only crucial goal he would score, however. MacKinnon and Rantanen combined on a 2-on-1 rush, finished off brilliantly by the latter of the two for an insurance goal with a two-goal lead.
Another injury scare came for the Avs, when Makar was shouldered in the chest by Gabriel Vilardi knocking the wind out of him. He needed help getting off the ice, but just needed some time to get his breath back and continued on.
With the minutes winding down on the Jets season, they needed anything and everything they could get. Hellebuyck would be pulled in the final three minutes, looking for a miracle to keep their season alive. They could not muster up anything special and got the final nail in the coffin thanks to a Manson empty netter and a 6-3 series win.
Yeti Takeaways
They always say elimination games are the hardest ones to complete. The coaching style of Rick Bowness slowing down the play and clogging up the neutral zone didn’t make it any easier. Colorado has had difficulty in the past closing out series when they had a 3-1 lead. It was no different this time around, but they did enough to get through. While the Avs dominated the last three games, Winnipeg was with them in this game step for step. But eventually, the star power of the Avalanche broke through in the end and made the difference in this game.
With the Jets keeping up with Colorado for most of the game, it meant Georgiev was particularly busy in this game. He was phenomenal, especially down the stretch in the second period. While he may want the first goal back and have actually controlled the original shot, he was brilliant. Especially after the mental hurdle of Game One giving up seven goals in a rough game, he has rebounded brilliantly with 33 saves tonight specifically. It was only part of a brilliant team rebound as a whole considering the first four games against the Jets this season. They end their season in their barn and will march on in the coming days.
Next on the Mountain
Now we wait for a winner between the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars series! It is currently tied 2-2 and will be going at least six games, with Game Six occurring on Friday. The series would start sometime the week of May 6, giving the Avalanche almost a full week off depending on when the series finishes.