Avs give away home-ice advantage due to sloppy play
May 1, 2019, 6:44 AM
After winning Game 2 in San Jose, giving them home-ice advantage in the Western Conference Second Round match-up, most expected the Avalanche to come out flying on Tuesday night. Pepsi Center, a place where they had won eight straight, would be a madhouse, helping Colorado jump all over the Sharks to take command of the series.
So much for that plan.
Instead, the exact opposite happened. Inexplicably, the Avs came out of the gates flat, falling behind 2-0 in the first period, a deficit that could’ve been much worse if not for a few lucky bounces.
Much to their credit, however, Colorado battled back. A goal by Nathan MacKinnon in the second period cut the deficit to one, as the Avs found some energy after intermission. And then Matt Nieto tied the score at 2-2 a little over midway through the third.
“We got desperate and started to play well,” MacKinnon explained about his team’s comeback. “That was nice.”
But the celebration didn’t last long. Just 1:05 later, Nikita Zadorov and Gabe Landeskog failed to clear the puck out of the Avs zone, Logan Couture scooped it up and sniped a shot past Philipp Grubauer for what would turn out to be the game-winner.
“We made some boneheaded decisions with the puck,” Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said after the game. “Our execution was poor.”
That’s what was most disappointing about the night. Colorado didn’t give back home-ice because of bad luck, unfortunate bounces or questionable calls. They fell behind in the series because they didn’t seem to want it as much as San Jose.
“To me, we didn’t consistently work for the puck,” added Bednar.
That’s just simply inexcusable in a playoff game. And it’s head-scratching.
The Avalanche had a chance to put the Sharks on the ropes. A win in Game 3 would’ve put all the pressure on San Jose moving forward. Instead, it’s now Colorado that faces a virtual must-win on Thursday night. Fall behind 3-1 in the series, with Game 5 back in northern California, and things look bleak.
If the Avs are going to avoid that dire situation, they’re going to have to be more intense than they were on Tuesday night. They’ll need to match the Sharks energy in the first period. They’ll need to avoid turnovers in their own zone that result from a lack of focus. And they’ll need to play with desperation from start to finish.
In other words, Colorado can’t think the “magic” of Pepsi Center will carry them to a win. Sloppy play, no matter where it occurs, will get a good team beat.
The Avalanche (hopefully) learned that lesson in Game 3.
