Is Avalanche ready to take the next step? “Our people want it,” says Bednar.
Tampa — Complete your work or roll the dice in a one-game winner confrontation with two defending champions.
Colorado Avalanche took the lead in the 3-2 series in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals Sunday against Tampa Bay Lightning.
How Avalanche to this latest defeat following Friday’s Lightning 3-2 victory in a game featuring another clutch goal for Ondrey Parat and another clutch performance for goalkeeper Andrey Vasilevsky Attention is focused on whether or not it corresponds to. In the postseason, I already oppose 15 wins in my ledger.
Everyone knows that Lightning is tough and shows that they have the heart of a champion.
What we don’t know is whether Avalanche is ready to completely postpone the three seasons of disappointment from the defeat of the second round of the series.
Throughout the season, avalanches have made progress to reach this point. Now that Sir Stanley’s mug is on the verge of being engraved with his name, can they put together enough effort to get the job done?
“That’s what you’re trying to do. Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters before the team left for Florida.” You’re here, it should be fun. Some people are easier to enjoy it than others. That is, I know how much our guys want it now, they work for it I’ve been.
“So there is some stress and anxiety you have to try to get out of your head, so you can bring your best performance. As I said, everyone does it. The way (handling) is different, but our people have done a great job with it so far, and I hope it will continue. “
It’s not that Avalanche didn’t play well in Game 5. I missed the opportunity to conclude this series with home ice in front of a crowd ready to sing. Small things In a continuous loop before dawn in the morning.
There were some failures in the defensive zone, and the offensive attacks were mainly hampered by Vasilevsky. The only two goals to defeat him were Valerie Nitchushkin’s rebound goal and Carom from the left skate of Lightning Defense Eric Chernak, who was the first to stop but was engaged in the fight against Nitchushkin. It was a shot by Kale McCar.
Otherwise, Vasilevsky was lit out and locked in and decided to help his team maintain the season and maintain the title defense.
After holding the lead in the 2-0 series, Colorado lost to Vegas Golden Knights four games in a row in the second round of last season, so there is always an avalanche fan-based segment that isn’t ready to take the next step. increase.
However, Avalanche has changed the story through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. With another victory, this group will walk together forever.
The atmosphere inside the Ball Arena on Friday was great, but returning to the Amalie Arena can be beneficial to the road team, even if Lightning is very dominant on the home ice.
Avalanche is known for playing 8 to 1 during the Stanley Cup Playoffs and simplifying group games when needed.
Avalanche defense Josh Manson said, “I don’t know if it’s easy in any way. I think we only have a good spirit in the game and trust the process needed to win with the team. I’m doing it. ” We participate in the game on the go, but that doesn’t change our way of thinking. We participated, prepared in the same way, and have achieved good results so far. “
Colorado didn’t play as fast as the first two games in the Ball Arena in Tampa games 3 and 4. Game 5 also showed clear signs that Lightning was defensively restrained.
Avalanche aims to increase the pace and generate more shots with goals and improve the quality of scoring opportunities as the series resumes.
“They lock down everything and crowd the net in their zone, so don’t spread too much,” Manson said. “And in the O zone, they crash the net and are opportunistic. It’s a good recipe for playoffs, because you can endure, endure, endure a kind, then you take a break and you Go, and you pay for other teams.
“I think that’s why they’ve been so successful here in the last few years. It’s a good recipe. It’s a difficult team to play against. For us, because they’re going to play that style. We need to keep the gas all the time and wear them out. They block shots, go into the lanes and compress into the net, so we have to keep the gas all the time and you stop I can’t. “
There was positive news for Avalanche at the forefront of the injury on Saturday morning before the team flew to Tampa. Bednar reported that Nichushkin and JT Confer got out of the match on Friday and speedy winger Andre Brakovsky traveled with the team. This is an option to return to the lineup after missing the last three games in Florida where you suspect a hand injury.
Avoiding exclusion has become an old hat for Lightning, which seems to be able to find the level of urgency you need, whenever you need it.
Now it’s up to the avalanche to see if they match or if they can exceed that level.
“That’s what you have to find. You need to have that despair because it’s the final,” Manson said. “I can’t see the amount of games we left. You have to be desperate for every game, and I talked about it.”
The emphasis is on the depth of the avalanche roster, but in Game 5, it was Lightning’s fourth line that had a solid outing.
The impact wasn’t immediately apparent on the scoresheet, but the trio of Pierre Edouard Bellmare between Corey Perry and Patrick Maroon spent enough time in the attack zone on a cycle shift to make another powerful outing. did.
In the case of Avalanche, top center Nathan McKinnon is on the verge of aggressively rushing in, and I feel like he has scored 20 shots in the last three games of the series.
McKinnon has scored 1 goal and 4 points in 5 games and is certainly effective, prominent and shining on both ends of the ice, but he hasn’t really stamped the series.
A powerful check of Lightning played that role.
Bednar has openly accepted MacKinnon’s direct match against Anthony Cirelli, but Lightning head coach Jon Cooper has changed a significant portion of Friday’s match to Nick Paul. Through pain.
McKinnon has received a lot of attention both in strength and power play, but it can seem like he’s pushing a bit. This is a natural feeling when an individual is very close to achieving his or her lifelong goals.
This does not suggest that MacKinnon has to do it alone. In particular, Nazem Kadri looks more comfortable in the second game after his thumb broke.
But even with strong supporters around him, McKinnon’s signature performance may be enough to take Avalanche to the promised land.
Is Avalanche ready to take the next step? “Our people want it,” says Bednar.
Source link Is Avalanche ready to take the next step? “Our people want it,” says Bednar.
