The Colorado Avalanche look to go the way of their arena-mate Nuggets and claw all the way back from 3-1 in Game 7 against the Dallas Stars.
The Colorado Avalanche enter game 7 after an absolutely dominate 4-1 win. They were one cheap goal by Miro Heiskanen at 17:35 into the first from being a shutout. This was obviously the only goal Michael Hutchinson would allow through the rest of Game 6 for his 2nd-career playoff win. Both coming in this series. The kind of dominance this roster can exhibit with a 3rd-string goaltender is mind-blowing. It honestly reminds me of the 2015 Denver Broncos riding a strong D and supporting cast around a hobbled Peyton Manning to a Super Bowl win.
Hutchinson stopped 27 of 28 shots for a save% of .964. The best by a Colorado Avalanche goalie since the playoffs started. And well north of that magic 90% I have been harping on. If you took away the final score though, you would believe Dallas won. As they bested the Avalanche in every statistical category besides save% and penalty minutes/power plays. Not to mention the Avalanche being 0-5 on their PP opportunities. This is yet another positive for Coach Bednar to keep the team honest and focused to finish the comeback off.
Unlike with the Nuggets in their series against the Jazz. I have every belief that the Colorado Avalanche can complete the comeback, and do it in dominant fashion. It took them 4 games to realize the Dallas Stars were not the bully they were in the past that dominated them. But a team they had every right to be playing, and that they are the dominant squad now, even with their third-string ‘keeper.
The Colorado Avalanche have completely shook their Dallas Demons and will continue their impressive playoff run with another statement game. So I took the Puckline from DraftKings:
With the shift to a defensive strategy by the Colorado Avalanche that minimizes shots on goal with a hot-goalie that has his confidence at an all-time high has me taking the Under for the first time this series:
Nathan MacKinnon has been unconscious this entire playoff, he’s not waking up in Game 7 as I not only took this line for him to score a goal from DraftKings:
But also this line for him to score 2+ goals from Draftkings:
Denver needs to get ready for another Game 7 induced hangover. One that will produce long-term memories, just as they did on Tuesday.
