Game Three Preview: Avs head home with a fresh start

Colorado’s game-two victory steals home ice for the NHL’s winningest home squad. Can they cash in?

This heavily anticipated first-round series has become quite enjoyable, and its next chapter is set for tonight at Ball Arena in Denver, CO. This meeting between the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets won’t be played 700 feet above sea level. It will be won a mile high. Who will it be in game three?

Colorado Avalanche

The Avalanche should look at the tape of the last two games relatively fondly. Their mistakes have been glaring and ultimately cost them one game so far this series, but the second—and third-period team we saw in game two is a lethal one. Arturri Lehkonen, Valeri Nichushkin, and even Casey Mittelstadt got in on the patented aggressive forecheck within Jared Bednar’s system.

Game three will be all about who gets out on the front foot. If the Avalanche can establish an early lead, keep the crowd uber-engaged, and put on a show, they always have the capability to win going away.

Good news on the injury front and a potential NHL debut seem to be bubbling just below the surface for the Avalanche. It’s the playoffs, and Colorado is in all-hands-on-deck mode.

Projected Lines

Artturi Lehkonen (62) – Nathan MacKinnon (29) – Mikko Rantanen (96)
Brandon Duhaime (12) – Casey Mittelstadt (37) – Valeri Nichushkin (13)
Miles Wood (28) – Ross Colton (20) – Zach Parise (9)
Andrew Cogliano (11) – Yakov Trenin (73) – Joel Kiviranta (94)

Nikolaj Kovalenko

Devon Toews (7) – Cale Makar (8)
Sam Girard (49) – Josh Manson (42)
Jack Johnson (3) – Sean Walker (26)

Note: Jared Bednar said that Sam Girard “Could play” on Friday, so we will look for Tornade during line rushes. If he does, he will slot in for Caleb Jones.

Winnipeg Jets

It’s the Jet’s turn to respond to their home loss, and I don’t think this team is close to going down and out. If they can return to forcing Colorado to make mistakes, they have plenty of firepower to make the Avalanche pay. If they aren’t able to do so, I think it’s fair to say Colorado can rely on its elite talent to, at a minimum, keep them in every game.

It was just one game, but during the Jet’s struggles this regular season, the common theme was a lack of ability to put the puck in the net. Kyle Connor and Mark Shieffle have performed very well offensively, but I wouldn’t count on Gustaffson to fill up the score sheet consistently. Colorado would do well to double down on shot suppression and blocking.

Projected Lines

Kyle Connor (81) – Mark Schiefele (55) – Gabriel Vilardi (13)
Nikolaj Ehlers (26) – Sean Monohan (23) – Tyler Toffoli (73)
Nino Niederreiter (62) – Adam Lowry (17) – Mason Appleton (22)
David Gustafsson (19) – Vladislav Namestnikov (7) – Alex Iafallo (9)

Josh Morrissey (44) – Dylan Demelo (2)
Brenden Dillon (5) – Neal Pionk (4)
Logan Stanley (64) – Dylan Samberg (54)

Goaltenders

Alexandar Georgiev just won the biggest game of his career, if you believe in that sort of thing, and did so with a focused and poised performance in game two. If he and the coverage can build on what we saw in that performance, the Avalanche should be able to dictate play.

The spotlight has officially turned to the likely Vezina winner and his performance so far this series. For all of the criticism Goergiev has faced, Connor Hellebuyck has allowed a whopping 10 goals in two games, one more than his counterpart Georgiev. Colorado hasn’t done anything to beat him, although that five-hole has been a little leaky.

Ball Arena, you’re up!

We have heard much about the Winnipeg Jets barn in this series with the “White-out,” but now it’s time for Colorado’s die-hard and dynamic crowd to strut their stuff. If you are there, be sure to be friendly and loud!