Opinion: The Avalanche still control their fate but must make adjustments

What can Colorado do to stem the tide in game four?

The Colorado Avalanche suffered yet another overtime loss while also failing to maintain a third-period lead. Doing that twice in a row in the playoffs certainly is not ideal, but there’s still hockey to be played. I’m gonna lay out a few things that I think the Avalanche can quickly change to find success in game four.

You don’t shoot…

It’s a tale as old as time, but this go around, the fans in the lower bowl shouting “SHOOT” might be on to something. Colorado led after one period in game three, but it wasn’t exactly due to an onslaught of chances. Nichushkin’s one goal and chance represent Colorado’s best look in regulation, and that can’t be the case.

Let’s examine who has been successful in Colorado and why, and then apply that thinking to the entire group. Logan O’Connor and the 4th line have been performing well, and, of course, their matchups are a factor, but they’ve been effective against whoever Dallas has deployed. Why? They are playing clever, consistent, and hard-working hockey. LOC is the first to every puck or fights his way in on almost every exchange. Just look at his goal in game two, where the Avs chipped it into the slot twice and finished via a blind back-hand from Logan. Gritty or greasy, whatever you call it, that’s what’s working in this series—the top six need to buy into that.

I want to see a ‘shoot first’ mentality from the top six. I want one fewer pass, and I want net front chances and battles. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar have to start using their speed to crash the net, not just drive and pull up so much. That second part applies primarily to MacKinnon. The cross-ice seam pass to wide-open back door play just isn’t hitting the same. Time to adjust.

Put the power in power play.

A lot has been said about Jared Bednar’s choices with the lineup and PP unit, and I guess I’m going to add to that. I do not see why you would ever deploy a power play unit that doesn’t combine #29 and #13 at all times. Beyond that, Drouin is seemingly slumping, and although Lehky got his in game one, he is still struggling to finish. I say throw Gabe back on the top PP1 to park in front and let #88 and #8 do the rest alongside MacK and Nuke. If you’re skeptical of Necas, I wouldn’t even be opposed to putting Devon Toews into PP1 and letting him quarterback instead of Cale. That would free Makar up and allow him to be honored in a different way.

Either way, you can’t go 0-6 in a playoff game while having a man-advantage. Moreover, you can’t have a four-minute advantage to end regulation and start overtime without cashing in. Although Lehky got close, the Avalanche didn’t generate nearly enough opportunities within that situation, but that’s my opinion.

Keep it classy, Colorado.

The last thing I want to touch on is the penalties against. The Avalanche aren’t doing a proficient job of keeping the refs out of games. Sure, you could argue about the legitimacy of a few calls in this series, but at the end of the day, it’s best not to tempt fate. Play the right way and earn your chances. That will leave you with nothing to worry about and limit the refs’ involvement.

Colorado needs to think smart in this series. When they have a lead, they need to capitalize on it and keep the pressure on. A one-goal lead isn’t safe, as has been made clear in games two and three. They are especially compromised when you end up handing them a man advantage—no more penalties.

It’s in your hands

The great news about these adjustments is that they are all things Colorado can control. Their fate still rests in their hands, but finding light at the end of the tunnel won’t be achieved by standing pat and being complacent. This series will be won by the team that is most willing to earn their success, and the Avalanche can accept that truth and deploy a new mindset the rest of the way.