Blues look to rebound after Avs' domination
A layoff of eight days didn't seem to bother the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of their Western Conference semifinal series against St. Louis on Tuesday night.
They put 54 shots on goal, hit three posts and the crossbar twice before beating the Blues 3-2 in overtime. Now the host Avalanche will try to take a 2-0 series lead in Game 2 on Thursday night in Denver.
Colorado's supporting cast made the difference in Game 1. Valeri Nichushkin and Sam Girard scored in regulation, and Josh Manson got his first career playoff goal in overtime.
“Val is a train,” Avs captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “He's been so good for us and keeps finding ways to be super effective for us and score big goals . ... In playoff games, every goal is massive, and it just brings out that emotion in you.”
Girard was seen heading to get X-rays after the game but Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday morning that he was fine.
Manson wasn't even part of the team three months ago but general manager Joe Sakic traded for the veteran defenceman to bolster the depth on the blueline. He is paired with Girard and gives Colorado a contrast in size. Manson is listed as six-feet-three, 224 pounds while Girard is 5-10 and 170 pounds.
The Avalanche dominated most of Game 1 — including a 13-0 shot advantage in overtime — but came close to falling behind in the series. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington had 51 saves and nearly stole the game, but Colorado is not panicking.
“Their goalie played really good for them,” said Landeskog, who had an assist on the game winner. “He made some saves that we feel like we had empty nets and he stuck a leg out or a hand out or whatever. He played really well.”
St. Louis has lost eight straight playoff games to the Avalanche dating to the 2001 Western Conference finals, and it has lost three in a row to them overall this season.
PANTHERS SEEK MORE PUCK POSSESSION
It is only Game 2 of their Eastern Conference series, but the Florida Panthers are well aware the direction this journey will likely take if they drop Thursday's home clash with the Tampa Bay Lightning in Sunrise, Fla.
The Panthers must respond from Tuesday's 4-1 home defeat in the second-round series. Florida trailed 2-0 in last year's best-ofseven series with Tampa Bay and was dispatched by the Lightning en route to their second consecutive Stanley Cup title.
“We know how to win against this team. We've done it before,” Panthers forward Anthony Duclair said. “We've just got to play with the puck more.”
The Panthers, the Presidents' Trophy winners, have lost seven consecutive playoff series openers.
Duclair's first-period goal opened the scoring, but the Lightning responded with four unanswered tallies, three in the third period.
The Lightning notched three power play goals on six chances while the Panthers were blanked on three opportunities.
The Panthers must do a better job of staying out of the penalty box, but they need their power play to start converting. They have been blanked on all 21 man-advantage opportunities in the playoffs so far, a shocking result for a team which ranked fifth in the league with a 24.4 per cent rate in the regular season.
“We can shoot more,” coach Andrew Brunette said. “We talk about it. We're getting a little stubborn at times. You get out of sync in these kinds of things, and it's hard to get your mojo back. When you have it you have to keep it, and right now we have to find it. It starts with a shot.”