3 Takeaways from Avalanche 2-1 2 Win Over the Kings – Hockey Writers –

Coming into the opening round series against the Los Angeles Kings, to say that the Colorado Avalanche were heavily favored would be an understatement. But after a solid 2-1 win in Game 1, it looked like the Avalanche were in for more of the series than they bargained for.

Until the final stages of Game 2, it looked like the Kings might steal one from Denver. After Nicolas Roy’s late goal, Nicolas Roy’s heroics sent the home crowd into raptures as the Avalanche won 2-1 in overtime to take a 2-0 lead.

Best Scoring in the Playoffs

The highlight of this series is the scoring on both sides. It’s no surprise that Scott Wedgewood has become the x-factor in this series, and he’s been excellent through two games, allowing just two goals combined on 50 shots, including a couple of premium chances from the Kings’ Quinton Byfield.

The surprise however was Anton Forsberg of the Kings. For the second game in a row, he was very good. He turned away 34 of 36 shots for the Avalanche, both of which came as a result of a broken front that left him without much of a chance.

Both teams have struggled to solve the other net, and it looks like each game in this series will feature a mistake or two. So far, Wedgewood has been better statistically, but Forsberg has come close to stealing both games in Colorado.

The Stars are going through a tough time

One of the highlights of these two games was the fact that the team’s stars did not score. The Avalanche are built in a way that allows them to win in different ways, but this team is built primarily on their star power.

Nathan MacKinnon has one assist through two games. More about Martin Necas. Cale Makar was held off the score sheet. The Avalanche rely on their depth to get through but the stars will need to come out if the Avalanche want to make a run.

That said, it’s not like the Big Three have disappeared entirely. They combined for nine shots in Game 1 and a dozen in Game 2. A few of those were good looks that were easy stats for the very strong Forsberg. It sounds like they are about to break through and it could be the one that opens the floodgates.

The Avalanche Have Brought A Physical Side To Their Game

The Kings played Game 1 slowly, they won the battle by beating or losing. The Avalanche realized it and came out with their hardest game in recent memory in Game 2, defeating the Kings 29-23.

Josh Manson has been the best player in the series with nine hits so far, but it was Brent Burns who stood out in Game 2. He racked up several hard hits, following them up with a leadoff or two, as he had four official hits on the night.

Gabriel Landeskog (who tied the game late in the third) and Joel Kiviranta both played a very tough game, and he made the difference. For all the criticism of the Avalanche offense, they pretty much held the Kings apart from a few seconds here and there.

A Chance to Put a Stranglehold on the Series

The Avalanche have yet to play an A+ game but still take both games at home. There is no doubt that the Kings will come out hot in Game 3 in front of their home crowd with their playoff lives on the line.

If the Avalanche can find a way to fight back and get their stars on the board, they can put the series away for good with a win in Game 3. It should solidify the Avalanche that they are in this spot unless they play very well.