CHN+
Frei: Why I have a hunch Francouz will be the playoff starter (+)
71-8-3.
OK, just kidding.
There is going to be a stretch soon for the Avalanche when the ebbs cause concern … or even panic.
Yes, it’s inevitable, even after the Avalanche ran their home-ice winning streak to 16 with the Pavel Francouz-led 2-0 vanquishing of Marc-Andre Fleury and the Blackhawks Monday night at Ball Arena.
(Brace yourself for the first “Did they peak too soon?” column from somewhere. The only question is whether it will take two losses in a row or three in four games. The template is on page 43 of the Journalism 3130: Sports Writing textbook, midway through the chapter on “Reaching for ‘Hot Takes.'”)
Fleury was mostly terrific in the Blackhawks net, making 27 saves and providing intriguing evidence that there is enough left in the tank for the Avalanche to keep tabs and consider the economic shuffling required to trade for him an ongoing option as the trade deadline and then the playoffs approach.