Matt Calvert's warrior effort lifted Avalanche when it was needed most

“Convince your enemy that he will gain very little by attacking you; this will diminish his enthusiasm.” – Sun Tzu

There was still plenty of time left for a comeback, and if these playoffs have taught us anything, it is: don’t throw the confetti until that final tick is off the clock. The shot was fired, and Avalanche players prepared in “incoming” fashion, protecting their 2-0 lead with just under two minutes left. One player, though, sacrificed his body, splaying in front of the puck and taking a direct hit to the solar plexus.

That player, it will come as zero surprise to hardcore Avs fans, was Matt Calvert.

Calvert’s return, one game after another human sacrifice in San Jose in Game 2, galvanized the Avs in their 3-0 win in Game 4 Thursday night at loud, proud Pepsi Center.

A big hit from Brent Burns may have kept him out for one game, but it was going to take a bigger boat for the Sharks to knock him out more than that.

“It was very tough sitting out that one game, but I felt better yesterday and it’s just good to be back with these guys,” Calvert told BSN Denver afterward.

Calvert took a crushing hit from Burns in the dying moments of Game 2, and he didn’t have to; He could have braced himself and kept on playing probably, but that would have risked not being able to get the puck over to Nathan MacKinnon for him to skate forward and shoot the puck into an empty net. So, he took one literally for the team, as that goal proved the game-winner in a 4-3 victory.

“It was a clean hit,” Calvert told BSN Denver. “It was kind of on me there. I put myself in that position.”

You’d have never known Calvert was hurt in his 15:34 of ice time, a performance that included his third assist of the series (on another empty-netter, this time by Erik Johnson) and 1:42 on the penalty kill in a strong showing against a very good Sharks power play.

There are many very tough players in the NHL, but few players have ever played with their head literally wrapped in a bandage the way Calvert once did for Columbus, after taking a slap shot to the face in a 2016 game against the Rangers. A big puddle of blood formed on the ice from his face, but not only did he return looking like a mummy, he scored the game-winning goal in the third period for the Blue Jackets.

That’s the kind of player Calvert is, and why the Avs targeted him this summer on the free-agent market. Now, he’s playing deeper into the playoffs than he ever has as a player – and loving every minute of it.

“We just talked about using the crowd to our advantage tonight, and they really were a great seventh man for us,” Calvert said. “Our line had a lot of chances. Everybody played hard tonight.”

Now, it’s a best-of-three series, though the Sharks still have home-ice advantage. But the intimidating place that has been the SAP Center to the Avs might be a little less so, after that Game 2 win.

“I think the big thing for us is, we found some belief with that win there,” Calvert said. “I know some of the guys were talking about how we hadn’t won much there before (5-16-2 since 2009 prior to that win). They’re a real tough team and it’s going to be even harder to win there, but we know we can play with anyone now.”

And, battle with anyone now too.