The Colorado Avalanche revamped their roster during the season, but all that work might go to waste if they can’t rebound Saturday night.
Colorado beat the Dallas Stars in Game 1 of their Western Conference quarterfinal series, but two straight overtime losses have Dallas in control of the matchup. It makes Game 4 in Denver close to a must-win for the Avalanche.
“We knew it wasn’t going to be easy,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “We’re playing one of the top teams in the league. … It’s a slugfest. So we went in there and won Game 1, they won Game 2. Now they came in here, won game one (in Denver). Now it’s up to us to go win game two. It’s a seven-game series for a reason.”
The Stars have won the last two despite not having two of their best players. Forward Jason Robertson, the team’s leading goal-scorer in the regular season, suffered a knee injury in the last game of the regular season and defenseman Miro Heiskanen has been out since late January.
Dallas has grabbed a 2-1 series lead with a strong defense and timely scoring. It is also getting production from Thomas Harley, Heiskanen’s defensive partner who leads the team with three points (two goals, one assist) against the Avalanche.
Harley had just four assists in 19 games during last year’s run to the conference finals and could match that point total in Game 4.
“I don’t know if I had something to prove,” he said. “I am aware of my role on this team and what I need to do to be successful and for this team to win games. So there is pressure on myself to perform.”
The Stars have frustrated Colorado, especially on the power play. The Avalanche didn’t score in six chances in Game 3, which included a four-minute power play that spanned the end of the third period and the start of overtime.
Colorado has two power-play goals in 13 chances.
Bednar said Thursday he might use different personnel on the two power-play units. At Friday’s practice, he had Gabriel Landeskog working with the top unit.
Landeskog’s return to the ice Wednesday — after a knee injury kept him out of action for nearly three years — was the highlight for the Avalanche. He was slotted on the third line and his impressive play might earn him more ice time Saturday night.
“Can he play three more minutes next game? Yeah, I think he can,” Bednar said.
Colorado will need more than Landeskog’s inspirational return to get back into the series. Nathan MacKinnon has played well, amassing three goals and an assist in the first three games, but Norris Trophy candidate Cale Makar has just two assists.
“I think he’s probably struggled a little bit in the series on the offensive side of it,” Bednar said.
He’s not alone. Valeri Nichushkin and Artturi Lehkonen are the only top-six forwards beside MacKinnon to score a goal in the series while Martin Necas (one assist) and Brock Nelson (zero points), two of the big acquisitions during the season, have struggled.
–Field Level Media
