Avalanche Proving They Can Play Any Type Of Game

We’re finding out that the Colorado Avalanche are a pretty versatile team.

If you want to play a run and gun game, well, they can certainly do that after leading the NHL in goals scored this season. Scoring goals isn’t an issue for this team. This postseason, they’ve also shown that they can lock it down if they really need to and play in low-event games.

In over 70 minutes of action during Game One between the Avalanche and Stars, the two teams combined for just 48 shots on goal. During the final 43 minutes of regulation, the Avalanche held Dallas to just seven shots on net.

At this time of the year, you do whatever it takes, and Jared Bednar believes he has a team that can adjust to whatever the game requires.

“Yeah, I think you have to be (able to play any way),” Bednar said on Wednesday. “Every opponent, every game can be different. Different challenges within the game, things you’re doing well that you saw that you need to do well before the game and then something else comes up during the game you have to adjust to and get better at or something that you’re having success with that you keep exploiting.”

Colorado has an advantage in any type of game, high scoring or low scoring, because they have the superstars that can make a difference in the blink of an eye. Just take Tuesday as an example. Down 3-0, there was no panic in that locker room because they have the stars to get back into it. They were right to be calm. Valeri Nichushkin, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon scored in a 16 minute timeframe to tie the game up.

It all starts in their own end, though. Colorado locked the Stars down and gave them nothing, allowing their superstars to go to work. That’s an essential part of winning in the playoffs.

“Whether it’s high-scoring or low-scoring, we’re still trying to put an emphasis on defending,” Josh Manson said. “Some nights that’s going to happen, but we trust in our offense enough to stick in any game. We kind of feel out the way the game is flowing, kind of what the game demands of us. We trust in the guys that we have. We have guys that can create that momentum for us kind of at any point and then ride that wave.”

That’s what you have to do in the playoffs, and it’s where the great teams separate from the good ones.

“The best teams are teams that can win 1-0 and also be highly dangerous if you need more goals than that, that they’re able to generate enough chances to be able to stick in games like last night, even when you go down,” the Avalanche bench boss said.

Game Two between the Avalanche and Stars takes place tonight at 7:30 PM MST.