NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Colorado Avalanche misplaced goalie Darcy Kuemper late within the first interval. Their energy play is so sturdy proper now that’s all they misplaced.
Gabriel Landeskog scored twice within the second interval, and the top-seeded Avalanche beat the Nashville Predators 7-3 Saturday for a commanding 3-0 lead of their first-round Western Convention sequence.
Landeskog additionally had two assists. Nazem Kadri and Devon Toews every added a objective and an help, and Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play objective apiece as Colorado went 4 for five on the person benefit to push Nashville to the brink of elimination. Cale Makar had three assists.
“I’ve appreciated our energy play loads on this sequence, and tonight we simply transformed on our possibilities,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar mentioned. “Typically it’s so simple as that.”
Valeri Nichushkin added an empty-net objective with 2:46 left. The Avs had a pair missed alternatives as soon as Nashville pulled goalie Connor Ingram with greater than 4 minutes remaining.
Avalanche goalie Darcy Kuemper was harm with a minute left within the first interval. Pavel Francouz changed him and made 18 saves in his seventh profession playoff look. Francouz didn’t see what occurred to Kuemper, solely that his teammate was in a whole lot of ache and he was stepping into instantly.
Bednar mentioned Kuemper took a keep on with the attention, leaving him with swelling. Kuemper will likely be re-evaluated and might be out there Monday evening for Recreation 4.
“I didn’t even know that one thing like this might occur till immediately,” Francouz mentioned. “I’ve by no means seen such an harm. It’s clearly scary that the stick can match into the cage, however I believe it’s a very small likelihood that one thing like this could occur.”
Matt Duchene, Eeli Tolvanen and captain Roman Josi every scored objectives for Nashville. Alexandre Service had two assists.
That is the primary time the Predators have trailed 0-3 in a sequence, and they're going to attempt to keep away from being swept for the primary time of their 15 playoff appearances.
“We've got to win one,” Nashville coach John Hynes mentioned. “You have a look at it proper now we’ve received a gaggle that’s been resilient. We all know what it's. And also you’re not out of a sequence till it hits 4.”
Colorado has merely dominated the Predators, outscoring them 16-6 with a 137-81 distinction in photographs by the primary three video games.
Lehkonen received the Avs on the board first but once more halfway by the primary on one more Nashville penalty, deflecting a slap shot by Toews. MacKinnon made it 2-0 simply 21 seconds into the Avs’ subsequent man benefit at 16:07.
Duchene received Nashville on the board, scoring on a wrister at 17:37. Then Predators middle Ryan Johansen’s stick caught Kuemper’s face, and Francouz changed him in web.
The Predators managed to attain twice on the person benefit within the second with Tolvanen scoring from the dot within the left face-off circle at 5:41. Landeskog beat Ingram with a backhander on the person benefit halfway by the second for a 3-2 lead, then Josi tied it with a slap shot from the blue line at 12:11.
Landeskog scored his second at 14:02 to place Colorado forward to remain.
The Avs received one other man benefit when Nashville misplaced its problem of Landeskog’s objective for Lehkonen interfering with Ingram. Predators ahead Mikael Granlund was blamed for the contact. Ingram performed the puck behind the web, misplaced the puck and Kadri scored into the open web simply 39 seconds later for a 5-3 lead.
“That’s precisely the chance you're taking difficult generally,” Landeskog mentioned. “That’s what we did final sport, and we ended up getting a penalty on it. That was an enormous swing for certain, and we have been in a position to get a bounce on the subsequent energy play and Naz cashes in. Positively an enormous swing within the sport.”
Toews padded the lead with a shot from the highest of the left circle halfway by the third.
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