It only made sense that Philipp Grubauer finished the weekend laying down, and exhausted.
After leading the Avalanche to their fourth consecutive win on Saturday, Grubauer was asked to beat the Blackhawks again on Sunday. He fell just short of accomplishing that task, too, but Chicago eventually won 2-1 in overtime.
Blackhawks overcome Grubauer
The winning play was really something. First, Duncan Keith was able to thwart Nathan MacKinnon as the two found each other in a one-on-one situation in three-on-three overtime. Keith then looked far younger than a 35-year-old, as he was able to overcome a 23-year-old speedster in MacKinnon and score a thrilling overtime game-winner.
The effort left Grubauer on his belly, on the ice, and you could forgive him if he took an extra breather after going all-out in willing his team to crucial points.
With both Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog out of the lineup, the Avs have been asking a lot of Grubauer, and he’s mostly delivered. The Blackhawks generated a 42-20 shots on goal advantage, including a 15-3 third period, yet Grubauer was often brilliant, basically dragging the game to overtime.
Philipp Grubauer out here making insane saves tonight for the @Avalanche.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) March 25, 2019
Watch #COLvsCHI → https://t.co/8T7yGehbuR pic.twitter.com/nF5KHfudYt
Grubauer has now allowed two goals or fewer in every appearance since Feb. 12. While his personal four-game winning streak ended with Colorado’s own run, he’s shown why the Avs believed in his ability to become a No. 1 goalie in the first place. That’s refreshing, especially since he’s been a bit up-and-down during his first year with Colorado.
Big win for Blackhawks, almost a win for Colorado
Really, both goalies were great, as the regulation goals came via power-play goals that involved deflections. Corey Crawford had a comparatively breezy night, but he was still sharp in stopping 19 out of 20 shots to help Chicago keep its slim playoff hopes alive.
This win leaves the Blackhawks (76 points in 75 games played, 31 regulation/overtime wins) five points behind the Avalanche for the West’s second wild-card spot.
Grubauer can keep his held high, because this all feels close to a win for Colorado. They’ve strengthened their playoff lead with 81 points in 76 GP (33 ROW), giving them two points of cushion. Now, sure, they might wonder “What if?” in falling short again during an overtime period, but when you consider the back-to-back set and injuries, credit the Avs for gutting this one point out.
The Coyotes were blanked 2-0 against the Islanders on Sunday, leaving them with 79 points in 76 games played, with 32 regulation/OT wins. Meanwhile, the Wild (79 points, 76 GP, 34 ROW) were idle after falling 5-1 to the maddening Hurricanes on Saturday.
So, again, this was mostly a great weekend for the Avalanche, while the Blackhawks can at least daydream about an unlikely run. It’s all a fitting reward, considering how grinding and exhausting this affair seemed at times.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.