Predators in deep trouble as Colorado takes 3-0 series lead

NASHVILLE — The Colorado Avalanche lost goalie Darcy Kuemper to an injury late in the first period Saturday.

Their power play is so strong right now, that’s all they lost.

Gabriel Landeskog scored twice in the second period, and the Western Conference’s top-seeded Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 7-3 for a commanding 3-0 lead in the first round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs.

Landeskog also had two assists, Nazem Kadri and Devon Toews each added a goal and an assist, and Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal apiece as Colorado went 4-for-5 with the man advantage to push Nashville to the brink of elimination. Cale Makar had three assists.

“I’ve liked our power play a lot in this series, and tonight we just converted on our chances,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Sometimes it’s as simple as that.”

Valeri Nichushkin added an empty-net goal with 2:46 left. Colorado had a couple missed opportunities once Nashville pulled goalie Connor Ingram with more than four minutes remaining.

Kuemper was hurt with a minute left in the opening period. Pavel Francouz replaced him and made 18 saves in his seventh career playoff appearance. Francouz didn’t see what happened to Kuemper, only that his teammate was in a lot of pain and he was going in immediately.

Bednar said Kuemper took a stick to the eye, leaving him with swelling. Kuemper will be evaluated again and could be available Monday night for Game 4.

“I didn’t even know that something like this could happen until today,” Francouz said. “I’ve never seen such an injury. It’s obviously scary that the stick can fit into the cage, but I think it’s a really small chance that something like this can happen.”

Matt Duchene, Eeli Tolvanen and captain Roman Josi each scored goals for Nashville. Alexandre Carrier had two assists.

This is the first time the Predators have trailed 3-0 in a postseason series, and they will try to avoid being swept for the first time in their 15 playoff appearances.

“We have to win one,” Nashville coach John Hynes said. “You look at it right now, we’ve got a group that’s been resilient. We know what it is. And you’re not out of a series until it hits four.”

Colorado has simply dominated the Predators to this point, though, outscoring them 16-6 with a 137-81 difference in shots through the first three games.

Lehkonen got the visitors on the board first yet again midway through the first on yet another Nashville penalty, deflecting a slap shot by Toews. MacKinnon made it 2-0 just 21 seconds into the team’s next man advantage at 16:07.

Duchene got Nashville on the board, scoring on a wrister at 17:37. Then Predators center Ryan Johansen’s stick caught Kuemper’s face, and Francouz replaced him in net.

The Predators managed to score twice on the man advantage in the second, with Tolvanen succeeding from the dot in the left faceoff circle at 5:41. Landeskog beat Ingram with a backhander on the man advantage midway through the second for a 3-2 lead, then Josi tied it with a slap shot from the blue line at 12:11. Landeskog scored his second goal at 14:02 to put Colorado ahead to stay.

Nashville led the NHL in penalties during the regular season, and Colorado has converted 42.9% on the man advantage in this series.

“They’ve got so many great offensive players, and you don’t want to put them on the power play, you don’t want to give them looks,” Josi said. “They made us pay for them.”