Kelsey Hammond
The Colorado Avalanche use their speed to many advantages. Breaking out of the zone, creating odd-man rushes and drawing penalties. Speed can be frustrating for other teams as they simply can’t keep up. When that frustration boils over, it can result it post-whistle scrums, questionable plays and a few more added chirps.
“Just working to use our skating to draw penalties and trying to use our skating to check and not getting caught in bad spots and staying away from things after the whistle scrums, etc,” said Jared Bednar before joining his team on the plane for Tampa on Sunday.
The Avalanche blew out the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 on national television. Great for the Avalanche and not so great for the opposing team. The Avalanche were able to draw four power plays and kill off three penalty kills. When on the power play, they capitalized on their opportunity and punched it in, going 2-for-4.
While the power play and penalty kill have been something of magic as of late, it’s been the ability of the team to turn away from retaliation and not giving the Lightning the ability to even sniff a comeback on the PP.
“I think you saw them get a little more physical and I think you know, that’s just gamesmanship on their part,” said Avalanche defender, Erik Johnson before departing for Tampa Bay.” They’re trying to get into a four-on-four situation and then you know maybe we take another penalty four-on-four and they get a four-on-three to get some momentum.”
Not just in this series but really all of the playoffs the Avalanche have been able to stick up for themselves while staying out of the box. It takes one opportunity like that, for another team to get back into it.
“All playoff long, I think we’ve played teams throughout the entire playoffs that have tried to get us off our game and, you know, we’re just gonna take that first punch in the face and get the power play and skate away,” Johnson said.
When drawing that penalty and skating away, the Avalanche have been lethal. They are 32.7% on the power play and 79.1% on the penalty kill. Top 10 for both categories.
“We’re not going to get sucked into that stuff and we will continue to not do that,’ Johnson said.