Generally the bounces go your means. Different instances, they hit the transferring foot of a falling Avalanche ahead and soar over your proper shoulder and into the online.
In a matchup that includes so many gamers on each side able to deking and dazzling their means onto the spotlight reels, after all the primary objective of the primary sport of the first-round sequence between the Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche Saturday night time must be scored on a flukey, funky, kick-that-wasn’t-a-kick that had everybody learning the slo-mo replay repeatedly.
Hockey has a way of humour generally. And on Saturday night time, the Avalanche acquired the primary and final snigger in a 5-1 highway victory. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and had a helper to steer the workforce, although this lopsided win wasn’t really as massive a blowout because the rating suggests. The tight-checking, hard-hitting first body introduced a frenetic tempo and no targets, and the second featured extra of the identical till the Avalanche pounced on somewhat puck luck to take a 2-0 lead.
Let’s begin there as we recap our prime takeaways from Sport 1.
Oettinger on dropping finish of puck-luck battle
Due to Colorado ahead Artturi Lehkonen’s series-opening objective within the second interval, all of us simply acquired a crash course in what does and doesn’t represent a “distinct kicking movement.” As Lehkonen was close to the online to observe up a rebound, he went tumbling backwards as he acquired twisted up with Dallas’ Mavrik Bourque. On the identical time, the puck bounced in the direction of his left foot, which was in mid-air and going up as Lehkonen went crashing down, and careened off his skate.
Sure, his foot was transferring when the puck hit it. Sure, the power of that motion despatched the puck completely previous Oettinger. No, it wasn’t a purposeful movement (regardless of a slight resemblance to a Premier League bicycle kick). So, sure, it was a objective.
And sadly for Oettinger, it wasn’t the one unfortunate bounce for the Stars netminder. Later within the second interval, with Colorado on the facility play after Roope Hintz was hit with a double minor for a high-stick towards Nathan MacKinnon that drew blood, MacKinnon fired a snapshot by site visitors that deflected off Dallas’ Ilya Lyubushkin. With Lyubushkin by accident altering the puck’s energy and trajectory, it fluttered beneath Oettinger’s glove, virtually like a change-up puck, and went in. That objective technically counted because the game-winner. Though the Stars tried a comeback within the third interval to make it 2-1, courtesy of a Hintz power-play objective of his personal, the Avalanche ran away with the sport late within the third with three targets (together with one empty-netter) to place it out of attain.
Contemplating Colorado’s latest playoff success, headlined by hoisting the Stanley Cup in 2022, there’s a number of post-season expertise up and down this Avalanche roster. That doesn’t prolong to the crease, although. By way of his first six NHL seasons — 5 in New Jersey, adopted by a yr and a half in San Jose — goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood by no means appeared within the post-season. When the Avalanche acquired him through a December goalie swap that noticed Alexandar Georgiev despatched to the Sharks as a part of the return, there have been a number of query marks about whether or not Blackwood can be as much as the duty of backstopping a membership with such excessive expectations.
If his Sport 1 efficiency is any indication, he’ll be simply effective.
In opposition to the Stars on Saturday night time, Blackwood was the image of playoff poise. The 28-year-old let only a single puck previous him on 24 pictures, his Sport 1 shutout bid lasting till 6:45 into the third body. After thwarting Dallas by two intervals, Blackwood was foiled by a Roope Hintz shot from the purpose late within the Stars’ energy play. It was an unfortunate sequence for Blackwood, who misplaced his stick seconds earlier when it acquired caught within the netting. He didn’t stand a lot of an opportunity after that.
Unhealthy bounces are sure to occur — simply ask Blackwood’s counterpart on the reverse finish of the rink. However the way in which Blackwood was capable of lock down the blue paint, together with monitoring rebounds the Stars had been fast to pounce on, was actually spectacular.
“When you have got a man like that again there, that provides you that confidence,” Avalanche defenceman Cale Maker advised reporters post-game, praising his web minder’s “calm” presence. “He positively confirmed up tonight.”
Stars with out Heiskanen and Robertson, and it exhibits
As Dallas and Colorado collided for Sport 1, one of many largest tales was surrounding the gamers not on the ice. Whereas the Avalanche enter the post-season in good well being, the Stars haven’t been so fortunate.
Prime defenceman Miro Heiskanen hasn’t performed since late January, and whereas there’s hope we might see him quickly — his standing is now day-to-day as he’s been skating — it’s nonetheless unclear when he’ll have the ability to play. Dallas performed a well-structured defensive sport, robust on the puck and bodily, however clearly missed their star puck-moving rearguard.
The absence of prime ahead Jason Robertson felt equally apparent, however much more ominous contemplating the workforce’s main scorer is listed as week-to-week after struggling a lower-body harm in a meaningless Sport 82.
Dallas managed only a single objective Saturday night time, unable to maintain tempo in what devolved right into a lopsided scoring race with out their No. 1 man.
In the meantime, for Colorado, the largest lineup query is about whether or not we might see captain Gabriel Landeskog inserted into this sequence. The truth that he’s an choice is wonderful, and the most effective tales this spring.
The final time we noticed Landeskog on NHL ice, he was hoisting the Stanley Cup after serving to lead the Avalanche to the highest of the hockey world. A number of knee surgical procedures, adopted by two years of rehabilitation, got here after that. He was given a brief AHL stint earlier this month to assist ramp him up, however now we have but to know if we’ll see him within the Avalanche’s lineup someday quickly.
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