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04/22 14:53 CDT Adaptable Avalanche take 2-0 series lead to LA as Kings smother
Colorado's high-powered attack
Adaptable Avalanche take 2-0 series lead to LA as Kings smother Colorado's
high-powered attack
By PAT GRAHAM
AP Sports Writer
DENVER (AP) --- Nathan MacKinnon and the Colorado Avalanche have every right to
feel a bit stifled. Known for their speed and prodigious goal production, it
hasn't been on full display so far in the playoffs.
The highest-scoring, fastest-flying team on the ice this season just can't seem
to completely solve the lock-down, muck-up-the-middle approach of the Los
Angeles Kings. The top five point producers in the regular season for Colorado
have yet to find the back of the net.
Still, the Avalanche lead the first-round series 2-0 heading to Los Angeles for
Game 3 on Thursday. They have won both games in 2-1 fashion, including an OT
thriller, which highlights their belief that whether a game or a series is low
scoring or high scoring, they are built for both.
"You definitely can get frustrated during the regular season, but playoffs ...
there's no time for that," said MacKinnon, who has an assist through two games
after leading the league with 53 goals in the regular season. "You've got to be
100% in, team-player positive, and you've just got to stick with it. I feel
like we're doing a lot of good things and we're up to it. It's low-scoring
games, but it's not about the amount of goals. Just got to get some wins."
Colorado led the league in goals per game (3.63), shots per game (33.7) and
5-on-5 scoring in the regular season but the Presidents' Trophy winners also
allowed the fewest goals behind their goalie tandem, which currently has Scott
Wedgewood starring in the lead role.
"We're comfortable playing these games," said captain Gabriel Landeskog, who
tied Tuesday's game with 3:35 left in regulation. "If you get a little
impatient with it, you start forcing plays. We just kind of kept it going. Kept
trusting our forecheck, and finally, we ended up getting rewarded for it."
The Kings may be in a hole, but trust their process. A grind-it-out,
goals-hard-to-come-by series is definitely their kind of series. Especially
with Anton Forsberg in net. He's stop 64 of 68 shots through two games.
"We're playing a brand of hockey that gives us a chance to win," said Kings
interim coach D.J. Smith, who was showered by shattered glass on the bench in
the second period Tuesday after fans pushed the panel in celebration. "Hockey's
so close and night-to-night, you win by a goal, lose by a goal. We've done that
all year.
"We haven't maybe had some bounces but that's the kind of game you can win
with," he said. "That's a testament to the guys and how they're digging in. Now
maybe just have a little more confidence at home with the puck, but you can't
forget the style of play that we're playing."
They're bottling up the Avalanche on the power play, with Colorado 0 for 7 in
the series. That's been an area of consternation at times throughout the season.
"It may look real simple --- it's no different than what they're doing --- but
you've got to repeat certain things enough so your odds go up at putting one in
the back of the net," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I still think we've
got another step in our game that we can ramp up to. So we've just got to go
out and try to better our performances at home and now on the road."
The Avalanche have shown their defensive grit by notching the second-most
blocks in the postseason through Tuesday night. They've flashed their offensive
firepower, too, with the the second-most total shot attempts.
"We know we can play different styles," said Wedgewood, who's turned back 48 of
50 shots. "It's going to be tough going to (their) building. They're going to
have their crowd and their emotions. Go in there and do the same thing,
hopefully, take another one or two, and end it or come back here and do it
again."
___
AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and
https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
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