The Edmonton Oilers felt pretty good about ThursdayB次元官网网址檚 first period.
After getting their doors blown off in the opening 20 minutes of an eventual 8-6 loss in Game 1 of the Western Conference final two nights earlier, the group had managed to weather another ferocious Colorado Avalanche attack that included a long two-man advantage.
Heading to the intermission 0-0 represented a victory for the visitors.
Two disastrous minutes early in the second undid all those good vibes to send the Oilers home in a big hole B次元官网网址� and searching for answers.
Nazem Kadri set up three goals in quick succession and Pavel Francouz made 24 saves in place of the injured Darcy Kuemper for his first playoff shutout as Colorado blanked Edmonton 4-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the teamsB次元官网网址� third-round series and move two wins from a berth in the Stanley Cup final.
B次元官网网址淚t was a really competitive first period,B次元官网网址� Oilers head coach Jay Woodcroft said. B次元官网网址淲e laid it on the line, especially finding ourselves short-handed. We pushed back, we generated some offence.
B次元官网网址淭hat little span in the second period really hurt us, took the wind out of our sails. We werenB次元官网网址檛 able to generate.B次元官网网址�
Edmonton stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, who entered with a combined 57 points in the post-season, were unable to find the time and space afforded them by the Los Angeles Kings and Calgary Flames in EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 first two series.
B次元官网网址淧robably havenB次元官网网址檛 been at the top of my game,B次元官网网址� said McDavid, who had a goal and two assists Tuesday.
B次元官网网址淲e havenB次元官网网址檛 had a ton of chances off the rush. WeB次元官网网址檝e got to find a way to create off the forecheck.B次元官网网址�
When asked who he looked to after his goal, Manson informed us it was in fact, his dad.
B次元官网网址� Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen, with a goal and an assist each, and Josh Manson scored for the Avalanche during that furious push. Nathan MacKinnon added a power-play goal with under five minutes to go in regulation to seal a victory that never seemed in doubt after the second-period deluge.
B次元官网网址淲e wanted to turn it up a notch,B次元官网网址� Kadri said of ColoradoB次元官网网址檚 commitment to defence. B次元官网网址淲e understood that last game probably wasnB次元官网网址檛 sustainable for the whole series. Obviously, theyB次元官网网址檙e a high-octane team.
B次元官网网址淰ery proud.B次元官网网址�
The raucous crowd at Ball Arena chanted FrancouzB次元官网网址檚 name as the seconds ticked down to salute a player who has a strong bond with fans in the Mile High City.
B次元官网网址淪pecial feeling,B次元官网网址� said the 31-year-old. B次元官网网址淭ough to describe. It was a special night.B次元官网网址�
Mike Smith stopped 35 shots for Edmonton, which had scored 31 goals in its last six contests, after getting pulled in the opener.
The best-of-seven matchup now shifts to the Alberta capital for Games 3 and 4 on Saturday and Monday.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been a real solid home team for the last little while,B次元官网网址� McDavid said. B次元官网网址淲e love playing in front of those fans.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l get ourselves back in this series back at home.B次元官网网址�
Following TuesdayB次元官网网址檚 crazy curtain-raiser that saw all four netminders see action, the most goals in a conference final game in 37 years and a controversial offside review, the teams played that spirited and even first before the home side exploded.
Lehkonen put the Avalanche in front at 3:58 of the second when he tipped KadriB次元官网网址檚 shot for his fifth goal of the post-season after Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Darnell Nurse and Cody Ceci conspired to fumble the puck away in the defensive zone.
The raucous crowd barely had a chance to catch its breath when Manson blasted his second of the post-season just 15 seconds later off a Kadri feed following a soft play from Nurse, who missed the last four games of the regular season with an undisclosed injury, that led to another turnover.
B次元官网网址淭hey found a way to break through,B次元官网网址� McDavid said when asked to explain what happened in the middle period.
B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛.B次元官网网址�
Woodcroft called timeout in an effort to stop the bleeding, but Rantanen continued the onslaught with his third at 6:02 on a 2-on-1 by finishing off another Kadri feed with Nurse as the only defender back.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 giving us everything he has B次元官网网址� a true warrior,B次元官网网址� Woodcroft said after his top defenceman was a minus-3 in a 124-second span. B次元官网网址淎s a team we can be better.B次元官网网址�
Colorado, meanwhile, is a team loaded with speed and skill that feasts on momentum.
And the Oilers B次元官网网址� no slouches in those categories themselves B次元官网网址� so far havenB次元官网网址檛 had an answer when the Avalanche start moving downhill.
B次元官网网址淭hey find ways to compound one (goal) and turn it into three,B次元官网网址� McDavid said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 on us to grab that. It seems like shifts after goals B次元官网网址� either for or against B次元官网网址� have hurt us over the last couple of games.
B次元官网网址淭hey find a way to score right after.B次元官网网址�
The shell-shocked Oilers tried to respond as the second period wore on, but Francouz was there to shut the door, including on a Draisaitl power-play chance.
Nurse then had an opportunity to make it 3-1 when the seas parted only to have the puck poked off his stick at the crucial moment by the Colorado backup, who played the second half of Game 1 after Kuemper exited with an upper-body injury.
Also pressed into service during ColoradoB次元官网网址檚 four-game sweep of the Nashville Predators in the first round after Kuemper took a stick to the eye, Francouz saw a McDavid shot rattle his mask early in the third.
B次元官网网址淗e knows the magnitude of it coming into a playoff series like this,B次元官网网址� Colorado head coach Jared Bednar said of his goaltender. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 worked extremely hard to stay sharp.B次元官网网址�
The home side continued to keep its foot on the gas in a dominant performance at both ends of the rink before MacKinnon scored his 10th on a power play with 4:40 left and Smith minus his catching glove after it was knocked off his left hand.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l go back to the drawing board,B次元官网网址� Woodcroft said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l prepare to regroup and head home to friendly confines.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檒l be ready to put forth our best effort in a big bounce-back in front of a crazy building,B次元官网网址� Oilers defenceman Tyson Barrie added of Rogers Place. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e certainly not counting ourselves out.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got a lot of hockey left to play.B次元官网网址�
Woodcroft scrambled his top-6 forwards Thursday in hopes of spreading out his offensive options, including the splitting up of his two best players for the first time since the opening round of the playoffs.
McDavid skated with Zach Hyman and Evander Kane, while Draisaitl lined up with Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto, who exited with an upper-body injury following a high hit from Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog.
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Much like in Game 1 when the Avalanche came at him in waves in building a 3-2 lead through 20 minutes, Smith was under fire early.
But unlike the opener, EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 40-year-old netminder weathered the storm B次元官网网址� at least for a time B次元官网网址� as Smith stopped Devon Toews, Lehkonen and MacKinnon on a string of Avalanche opportunities.
After killing off the gameB次元官网网址檚 first power play, the Oilers faced the daunting task of facing that 5-on-3 man advantage for 1:32, but Edmonton survived with Smith making another big stop on MacKinnon.
Jesse Puljujavri had two chances at the other end before Francouz had to scramble back to his crease on a Ceci shot from outside the blue line after he cleared a loose puck into the neutral zone.
EdmontonB次元官网网址檚 other highlight of the opening 20 minutes was a crunching McDavid hit on Andrew Cogliano before the wheels fell off in the second as the Avalanche flexed their muscles to send the Oilers north with plenty of questions ahead of Game 3.
B次元官网网址淭hey do a lot of good things,B次元官网网址� McDavid said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e got to find a way to figure them out.B次元官网网址�
Because if they donB次元官网网址檛 B次元官网网址� and fast B次元官网网址� the OilersB次元官网网址� first trip to the conference final since 2006 could be brief.
Joshua Clipperton, THE CANADIAN PRESS
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