Shazam!

Squad. Goals. 

MacKinnon, Compher, Nieto, Kerfoot, Landy, Mikko, Calvert, Girard, Johnson...

Everyone chipped in. 

This was the early season, threatening Avalanche that we love. This is what happens when the Avalanche don’t stop at the end of the first period. This one was artful and dramatic and dominating and perfect. 

And now we’re even. 

Belissimo!

Five Thoughts:

1. Don’t let MacKinnon get it on his forehand. Ever. 

Some signature shots just have more of a signature than others. 

Ovechkin has his slapper off the left post. 

Cicarelli had the tip at the top of the crease. 

MacInnis had the boomstick from the point. 

MacKinnon has the wrister off the sprint. 

Works every time. 

2. Is it already time to start the “Mike Smith is just really big” campaign yet?

He threw down the shutout last time but that mostly had to do with the Avalanche failure to crowd the net after the first period. This time, the Avs threw the kitchen sink. As a result, Smith got caught leaning, diving, and sprawling at the wrong times. I’m not sure how he got to the NHL by diving at glove-side shots, but Smith will not be in net much longer if he keeps falling out of the crease. Maybe he should try to be less tall. 

3. Alex Kerfoot could not get robbed any more if he wore a sign that said “Payday Loans”.  The Avs needed a skilled plugger to show up in this series, and Kerfoot is paying off in spades. This team is night and day better when Rantanen can be moved around and an effective Kerfoot enables Bednar to play the matchups to his advantage while giving the defense one more problem. 

4. It’s the Get Along Gang!

Do you see what happens when everybody works together and tries hard?! Matt Nieto scored, Compher took out the trash, and MacK put the cherry on top. Easy peasy. It’s like the Avs had more than one line!

During long spans of time the Avalanche dominated at a level that I have not seen in a very long time. Nobody was touching them, and when they did the offense had the puck on a string. As a fan it was like finding a pair of wonderful old pads and then giving a Red Wing a forearm shiver. 

5. Andddd...just like that it could all fall apart. Sam Girard is the stick that is stirring much of the transition game for the Avs. Should he be out any length of time with the shoulder injury sustained late in the game, this party could come crashing down before the second keg shows up. If Girard is out, can Tyson Barrie make things work? The last time the Avalanche threatened in the playoffs they were able to deploy two offensive defensemen: Barrie and Nick Holden against the Wild under the Roy regime. 

Next up: The Avs play Calgary again on Tuesday during which I plan to teach my daughter the merits of a solid throat punch.