MacKinnon rebound, short memories key to Avs forcing Game 7

The Colorado Avalanche return to the comfy confines of Pepsi Center on Monday as they face elimination in Game 6 of the club’s second-round series with the San Jose Sharks.

It’s the eighth time since moving to Denver that the Avs have faced a 3-2 series deficit, forcing a Game 7 in just three of those instances.

However, Colorado went on to win two of those three Game 7 matchups — in 2002 against the Sharks in the conference semifinal and in 2001 to win the Stanley Cup against the New Jersey Devils.

If the Avs can force a Game 7, it only serves well the club’s chances of moving on to the next round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Here’s how they can get through Game 6 victorious:

A short memory is a must

On Sunday, Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog said his club has moved on from a Game 5 loss in San Jose and needs to have a short memory as an elimination Game 6 approaches.

“I think whether you win or lose, it’s about having a short memory. We talked about that all the time in the playoffs but, especially the further a series goes along and the more important the games are, your memories just got to be that much shorter,” Landeskog said Sunday. “Win or lose, we’re moving on today and we’re just preparing for Game 6 tomorrow. We know what the situation is, we know what position we’re in and we just got to go win a game. Then by the time you can get into Game 7, anything can happen.”

Head coach Jared Bednar said it’s important for his team to focus on one “shift at a time, five minutes at a time.”

“You don’t want to go into it thinking about the result; you want to go into it thinking about the process,” Bednar said on Sunday. “We have been a process-oriented team the whole year. We try to keep our guys in the moment. And that is the key for me.

“If you are playing to win and you are concentrating on doing the right things the result takes care of itself.”

Rebound effort needed from MacKinnon

In his worst performance of this postseason — and arguably one of his worst all-time in the playoffs — Nathan MacKinnon saw his eight-game points streak come to an end in a Game 5 loss to the Sharks on Saturday. It had been the longest such streak by an Avs player in the postseason since Peter Forsberg (eight) in 2002 and was the longest among all NHL players this year.

MacKinnon mustered just one shot on goal against San Jose in nearly 23 minutes of ice time and had a plus-minus of -1.

Along with teammate Mikko Rantanen, MacKinnon ranks first among all players in the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 13 points and is tied for fourth with six goals. He tops all players with goals created per game (0.52) and game-winning goals (3).

Colorado needs MacKinnon to turn in a signature performance on Monday to push this series to the limit.

There’s no place like home

Thus far through the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avalanche fanbase has proved itself among the best in the NHL, and Colorado will need to rely on that energy in Game 6 at Pepsi Center Monday night.

Aside from a Game 3 loss to the Sharks at home in this series, the Avs have otherwise not dropped a game on its home ice this postseason, going 3-1.

Dating back to March 17, when Colorado started its postseason push, the Avs are 9-1-0 at Pepsi Center.

Colorado will need to rely on a raucous atmosphere at home in Game 6 to force the winner-take-all tilt Wednesday back in San Jose.

Follow digital content producer Johnny Hart on Twitter: @JohnnyHart7.