“Good teams are able to build momentum”: Avs are winners of three of four after shutting out Sharks

For the second straight game, it was a high-profile Av getting the proverbial monkey off his back to lead the Avs to victory. Two nights ago, it was Brandon Saad leading the Avs to victory as he enjoyed a two-goal effort.

Tonight, his linemate Nazem Kadri enjoyed a three-point third period as relentless Avalanche pressure finally broke through on a surprisingly resilient Devan Dubnyk in a 3-0 win.

It was the first “sweep” of a series this year for Colorado and gave them back-to-back wins for just the second time. After a disappointing 2-2 run through California left them 3-3 on the season, the Avs came home used the lowly Sharks as “get right” games as the offense revved up and the second line did a lot of the heavy lifting across the two games.

Tuesday night’s win was of the blowout variety as the Avs got up big early in the game and shifted into a cruise control-style win. Tonight, it was much tougher as the game entered the third period tied at 0-0 despite the Avs holding a shot advantage.

For the third straight game, Colorado locked down the third period and put forth a great effort. There was no John Gibson in their way tonight as they eventually solved Dubnyk. He shut the Avs out for nearly 50 minutes but then gave up three in the final ten as Avs just kept pouring the pressure on the porous Sharks defense.

It took a good bounce to get it going and nobody on Colorado’s roster was in more need of something good happening to him than Kadri. After watching Saad get two on Tuesday, it only felt like destiny that Kadri follow suit.

“It felt great,” Kadri said. “Like I said, it’s a game of patience, especially our division specifically. There are a lot of teams that play lockdown defense and you’re going to have to earn everything you get. I understand that. In previous games, I felt like I’ve been on the net and missing quality opportunities so I think if you just stay with it and the guys I’m playing with and the team I’m playing with it’s going to come.”

Even though the Avs lost the second game against the Ducks, they can feel good that they followed up that disappointing loss with strong performances at home against the Sharks. Just like that, Colorado is 5-3 and tied with Minnesota as they prepare to take on the Wild the next four games.

“For us, it’s a confidence booster,” Kadri said. “During the season, good teams are able to build momentum and separate themselves in the standings. That’s what our main focus is on.”

From the other end of the ice, Philipp Grubauer recorded his second shutout of the year after stopping just 21 shots. He rather enjoyed the tight game while it lasted.

“It’s always nice to get into those kinds of games because that’s what the playoffs are going to be like,” Grubauer said. “You’re not always going to score six-plus goals. In the playoffs, things are going to get tightened up. There’s a little more attention to detail and it’s going to be tougher to score some goals so every little situation matters like we learned last year in the playoffs. Playing in those tight games is a benefit to us because if we skate and play our game, there’s not many teams that can beat us.”

As for the shutout, Grubauer said he “did not care” about it and was only happy with the win.

There isn’t a lot of fluff needed for this one. Colorado got the job done against an opponent they should have their way with this year. It’s exactly what they needed and they got a big performance from a guy they needed one from.

TAKEAWAYS

• Not a lot was asked of him but Philipp Grubauer has quietly made a case for being one of Colorado’s best players this season. The first period was very even and he slammed the door shut. As the Avs started to take over, his job shifted into “don’t give them a gift” mode and he was excellent. Easily his worst game of the year was Tuesday against San Jose and the offense was dominant so it didn’t matter. He’s humming very nicely right now.
• Speaking of Colorado’s best players, Cale Makar is magnificent to watch. I thought the first period was a lot of back and forth and then Makar dropped the proverbial hammer. He was awesome again tonight, though nowhere near as statistically dominant as he had been his last four games. He snagged an assist on the third goal and still hasn’t scored a goal this year but he is finding ways to impact the game every single night, something he definitely did not do last season. We talked before the year that Makar’s second season in both the AJHL and NCAA resulted in dominant seasons from him and right now he’s not holding back in the NHL either. The Norris Trophy is usually something reserved for players with a little more experience but Makar is off to the kind of start that results in me firebombing the internet as I make the case for him. His fancy stats really back up the case and as long as he keeps producing at a point-per-game, he’s going to force himself into that discussion. Could he win a Norris before MacKinnon wins a Hart?
• I ask this because right now, I’m not sure MacKinnon is the MVP of this team. Grubauer and Makar have great cases to be made but I’m over here stunting for Mikko Rantanen, too, who is physically dominating in a way we’ve only seen in glimpses. What’s really separating Rantanen’s play, however, is the defensive effort he’s playing with. He’s always been an easy Jaromir Jagr comparison but right now he looks like late-career Marian Hossa, who was a power forward who earned a dominant defensive reputation in the twilight of his career. Rantanen’s current effort on that end of the ice is very noticeable. I can’t say that it’s translated into elite results yet but he’s making a concerted effort on defense and I think it’s helping him to find a groove in games where he’s not scoring. Speaking of, it was a bummer to see his goal-scoring streak end at six games tonight. He had some great looks, too.
• I asked in my Tuesday postgame piece if Andre Burakovsky was turning into Colorado’s ninja star and I’m wondering again. He’s playing great hockey and I feel like a moron for ever wondering what his transition to the Avs would be like.
• The injury to Pierre-Edouard Bellemare looked pretty bad. Hope for the best for one the game’s truly good people.
• If the Bellemare injury is long-term, I don’t know what the Avs would do to react but if giving Shane Bowers an extended look isn’t the answer, it will be frustrating. Just don’t go out and trade for Vlad Namestnikov at the deadline again, okay?
• Rumors around the league have Chris MacFarland on Pittsburgh’s short-list of candidates to replace Jim Rutherford after his surprising resignation this week. Needless to say, that would be a major loss for this organization and front office. MacFarland has been a major difference-maker in shaping this organization since arriving from Columbus in 2015. He has previously interviewed for GM openings in both Minnesota and New Jersey.