Associated Press

Rantanen leads Avalanche in OT comeback win against Flames

By Ryan DadounApr 18, 2019, 1:41 AM EDT

For most of Game 4, it looked like Flames goaltender Mike Smith would be the hero, but just as they did in Game 3, the Colorado Avalanche bombarded him and eventually it worked. Mikko Rantanen played an instrumental role, scoring the game-tying goal late in the third and then the overtime winner in Colorado’s 3-2 victory.

The Calgary Flames were tied for second in the league in goals scored during the regular season, but so far Smith has been their most important player. The 37-year-old goaltender earned Calgary’s only win of the series by posting a 26-save shutout. The Avalanche have made life too difficult for him lately though.

Just one game after the Avalanche managed to blowout Calgary by launching an overwhelming 56 shots at Smith, they sent another 52 shots his way Wednesday night. Smith held firm though for most of the game. His efforts combined with goals from Elias Lindholm and Derek Ryan gave the Flames a 2-0 lead by 6:58 of the third period. That’s despite the Avalanche firing 17 shots in the first period and 15 in the second.

Eventually though, their persistence paid off. Barely a minute after Ryan’s goal, Smith made a great save on Matt Calvert, but J.T. Compher picked up the rebound to finally get Colorado on the board. It was a start, but that might have been as close as Colorado got if not for some late penalty troubles by Calgary. Mikael Backlund took a tripping penalty at 16:39 and Noah Hanifin was penalized for a puck over the glass at 17:23.

The Backlund penalty was the one the Avalanche capitalized on, courtesy of Rantanen shoveling a Nathan MacKinnon centering pass into the net. That pushed the game into an overtime period that lasted 10:23 minutes before Rantanen scored again to complete the comeback.

With that, the Colorado Avalanche have a 3-1 series lead despite dropping their playoff opener. At this point, the Flames would have to make franchise history to advance as they’re 0-8 when trailing a series 3-1.

In a Round 1 that’s already featured some major surprises, the Avalanche seem on course to deliver yet another. Of course, hope isn’t lost for the Flames yet, but if they are to bounce back, they’ll need to rely on Smith less. He’s already had to face 173 shots in this series, which is 28 more than any other goaltender.

Avalanche-Flames Game 5 from Scotiabank Saddledome will be Friday night at 10:00 p.m. ET on NBCSN

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Ryan Dadoun is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @RyanDadoun.

Rejuvenated Avs add Makar for Game 3 vs. Flames

Associated PressApr 15, 2019, 12:08 PM EDT

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Things looked bleak for the Colorado Avalanche late Saturday night. Down a game to the Calgary Flames in the series and a goal in Game 2 with time running out, their fortunes turned quickly — and in many ways.

J.T. Compher tied the game with 2:39 left in regulation, Nathan MacKinnon won it in overtime and then Colorado got more great news: Its top prospect is signed and ready to play perhaps as soon as Game 3 on Monday night.

While it has been a busy weekend for the Avalanche, their new defenseman has had a whirlwind 36 hours. Cale Makar won the Hobey Baker Award as the best college hockey player, played in the NCAA title game with the University of Massachusetts — a 3-0 loss to the University of Minnesota-Duluth on Saturday evening — and signed a three-year entry level contract with Colorado.

The Avalanche, coming off the 3-2 win in Calgary on Saturday night, announced the signing Sunday morning and said the 20-year-old will join the team immediately.

“Cale obviously had a tremendous season, winning the Hobey Baker and getting his team to the Frozen Four,” Colorado general manager Joe Sakic said in a release. “He is a game-changing type of player who made a lasting impact on the UMass hockey program. We are excited to have him join our team.”

Head coach Jared Bednar would not say for sure that Makar would play in Game 3, calling it a “possibility.”

[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

“I just want to make sure he’s in, rested, prepared, focused on what we’re doing here,” Bednar said.

Adding another layer to the narrative is that Makar is from Calgary, meaning his first NHL game would be against his hometown team.

The Avalanche think Makar is a generational talent, and he’ll get a chance to show it against the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Flames finished the regular season with 107 points, 17 more than Colorado, but are in a dogfight after missing an opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead on Saturday night.

“We have to be better,” Calgary defenseman and captain Mark Giordano said after the game. “We have to be a lot harder to play against, and we know that. We had moments tonight, but we have to put a full 60 (minutes) together.”

The Avalanche beat Flames goaltender Mike Smith just once in the first 117 minutes of the series before Compher tied it. In overtime, after a great save by Philipp Grubauer on one end, MacKinnon’s wrister beat Smith high to send Colorado home even and confident.

“We feel good. We feel going back to Pepsi Center that we can hopefully win two games,” MacKinnon said after the game. “Saying that, we have to take care of Game 3, but we feel good as a group.”

Colorado should expect a Calgary team ready to atone for blowing a third-period lead. The Flames felt they didn’t bring enough urgency to Game 2 and promise to show it Monday night.

“They seemed hungrier than us. Seemed like they wanted it more than us, and we’re definitely going to learn from that,” Calgary forward Sam Bennett said after Saturday’s loss. “We can’t sit back. Into Game 3, we’ve got to play with that urgency that they played with and I think we definitely learned a lesson tonight.”

The Playoff Buzzer: Working overtime; Kadri over the line

By James O'BrienApr 14, 2019, 2:57 AM EDT

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The Scrappy Hurricanes forced overtime, but the defending champs persisted (with a Brooks Orpik OT game-winner[!]), as the Capitals came up clutch.
In a grinding affair where every goal mattered, the Predators tied things up with the Avalanche via Craig Smith‘s OT heroics.
The only Saturday game that didn’t go to OT, and wasn’t really competitive, involved the Bruins dominated the Maple Leafs. The violence was as much the story as anything else.
Calgary couldn’t steal one from the Avalanche, thanks to Nathan MacKinnon and Philipp Grubauer.

Capitals 4, Hurricanes 3 [OT] (Washington leads 2-0)

The Capitals are up two games, and in each case raced off to leads, but the Hurricanes have shown that they aren’t going down without a fight. Actually, without fights. They pushed this one to OT, but a broken stick and a broken play opened the door for Brooks Orpik to be an unlikely hero. Can the Hurricanes “storm surge” back into this series? Maybe, but Washington held serve … at worst.

Predators 2, Stars 1 [OT] (Series tied 1-1)

Nashville is a defensive-minded team, but compared to the Stars, they’re basically pushing the pedal to the metal. The Predators dominated the game from a shots on goal standpoint, yet it seemed like Ben Bishop might just steal a 2-0 series lead for Dallas. The Preds found a way to beat Bishop twice, and that was enough in a tight-checking, testy Game 2.

Bruins 4, Maple Leafs 1 (Series tied 1-1)

The final score was accurate, if not generous to a Toronto team that wasn’t often overmatched in Game 2. The Bruins stormed off to an early lead, and rarely looked back. It’s possible that both teams won’t be the same for a while after this one. Nazem Kadri could receive a significant suspension for his misdeeds. Other players might be injured thanks to the assorted violence, particularly Torey Krug and Connor Clifton. It was just a nasty, nasty affair.

Avalanche 3, Flames 2 [OT] (Series tied 1-1)

Mike Smith was brilliant once again, but so was Grubauer. It seemed like Calgary would gain a 2-0 lead, as the Flames went up 2-1 with less than eight minutes remaining in regulation. J.T. Compher‘s tying goal came in the closing minutes of the third, and then MacKinnon turned on the jets to win it for Colorado in Game 2. An impressive outing by the Avs, although there’s concern on defense if Samuel Girard is injured. MacKinnon’s up there when it comes to Avs stars producing early in their playoff careers.

Three Stars

1. Evgeny Kuznetsov/top Caps

It’s difficult to put together a consensus top three because a) no one scored more than two points and b) the best goalie performances probably came from Mike Smith and Ben Bishop, who were in net for losing teams. So let’s go with players who made the biggest difference in winning games, particularly the three of four Saturday Game 2 matchups that went to overtime.

You could make arguments for multiple Capitals; both Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie managed a goal and an assist apiece, while Alex Ovechkin and Kuznetsov managed two-point games. I’m giving Kuznetsov the nod because he set the table for Brooks Orpik’s overtime game-winner by recognizing that the Hurricanes were borderline-shorthanded with a broken stick, and making a great pass to land the primary assist.

I mean, just look at Orpik’s face.

2. Mikko Rantanen/MacKinnon

MacKinnon nabbed the highlight reel OT-winner, and that shot really was a work of art. Like Predators OT hero Craig Smith, MacKinnon also felt “due,” as he generated seven SOG. if it weren’t for Smith’s strong performance, MacKinnon likely would have finished with more points than that one goal.

Rantanen got an extra point, though. He had two assists in Game 2, helping to set up MacKinnon’s breakaway tally, and was also involved in the late third-period goal that sent the contest to overtime in the first place.

If Rantanen is close to 100 percent along with Gabriel Landeskog (who were both hurt and missed key games late in the regular season), then he can help open things up for MacKinnon, which means Colorado’s elite top line could be “back.” Not a ton of lines are better than Johnny Gaudreau‘s top line, but at times, that Mac-Rant trio can be just tat. And that could really swing things if Philipp Grubauer keeps up his outstanding play.

3. Brad Marchand

OK, Marchand’s assist – the second of his two points – basically came during the playoff equivalent of “garbage time.” And the Bruins didn’t quite need Marchand’s points like the players above were needed. You could probably argue that Calle Jarnkrok deserves this, or maybe Marchand’s goalie pal Tuukka Rask (30 out of 31 stops).

But Marchand had a goal and an assist with six SOG, and he didn’t do something reckless when a lot of reckless things were happening. He didn’t even get a penalty. Maybe Marchand truly has this whole reformed thing … licked.

[NBC 2019 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]

Highlight of the Night

MacKinnon’s OT goal is just a delight to watch, and Sam Bennett‘s first of two assists was a no-look looker. So let’s just enjoy the highlights from the Avs’ 3-2 OT win, in general.

Lowlight of the Night

There were some questionable hits on Saturday, but Nazem Kadri’s was the most blatant, and might draw a significant suspension from the Department of Player Safety.

Fact of the Night

At 38 years and 199 days old, Brooks Orpik became the oldest defenseman in NHL history to score an overtime goal in the playoffs.

Sunday’s schedule

Game 3: Islanders at Penguins, 12 p.m. ET (Islanders lead 2-0) [NBC; Live stream]
Game 3: Jets at Blues, 7:30 p.m. ET (Blues lead 2-0) [CNBC; Live stream]
Game 3: Sharks at Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET (Series tied 1-1): [NBCSN; Live stream]

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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.

WATCH LIVE: Blackhawks face Avalanche on NBCSN

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By James O'BrienMar 24, 2019, 7:29 PM EDT

NBCSN’s coverage of the 2018-19 NHL season continues with Sunday night’s matchup between the Colorado Avalanche and Chicago Blackhawks. Coverage begins at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN. You can watch the game online and on the NBC Sports app by clicking here.

The Avalanche head into Sunday in a solid position, as they hold a one-point lead and game in hand on the closest teams behind them vying for the West’s second wild-card spot. That rosy outlook can change in a big way if the Avs can’t beat the Blackhawks, though.

Looking at The Push for the Playoffs, things don’t look very good — at all — for Chicago, but this proud team likely isn’t waving the white flag on the 2018-19 season just yet. Beating the Avalanche (particularly in regulation) would certainly improve their odds of making an unlikely run, too.

With the stakes in mind – not to mention the star power in Nathan MacKinnon, Patrick Kane, and Jonathan Toews – this should be a fun one at the United Center.

[WATCH LIVE – COVERAGE BEGINS AT 7 P.M. ET – NBCSN]

What: Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks
Where: United Center
When: Sunday, March 24, 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBCSN
Live stream: You can watch the Avs-Blackhawks stream on NBC Sports’ live stream page and the NBC Sports app.

PROJECTED LINES

AVALANCHE

Derick Brassard — Nathan MacKinnon — J.T. Compher

Colin Wilson — Carl Soderberg — Andrew Agozzino

Alexander Kerfoot — Tyson Jost — Matt Calvert

Gabriel Bourque — Sven Andrighetto

Samuel Girard — Erik Johnson

Ian Cole — Tyson Barrie

Nikita Zadorov — Patrik Nemeth

Ryan Graves

Starting goalie: Philipp Grubauer

[More: check out this preview for Sunday’s game.]

BLACKHAWKS

Dylan Sikura — Jonathan Toews — Patrick Kane

Alex DeBrincat — Dylan Strome — Brendan Perlini

Brandon Saad — Artem Anisimov — Dominik Kahun

Chris Kunitz — David Kampf — Marcus Kruger

Duncan Keith — Brent Seabrook

Carl Dahlstrom — Erik Gustafsson

Gustav Forsling — Connor Murphy

Starting goalie: Corey Crawford

Gord Miller (play-by-play) and Joe Micheletti (‘Inside-the-Glass’ analyst) will have the call from United Center in Chicago, Ill. Pre-game coverage starts at 7 p.m. ET with NHL Live, hosted by Kathryn Tappen alongside Keith Jones and Jeremy Roenick.

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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.

The Buzzer: Patrik Laine ends 15-game goal drought

Getty

By Adam GretzFeb 23, 2019, 12:55 AM EDT

Three Stars

1. Patrik Laine, Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg Jets forward Patrik Laine entered Friday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights stuck in one of the worst slumps of his young career. He had not scored a goal in 15 consecutive games and recorded just four assists during that stretch. Consider the slump now over. He scored a pair of goals for the Jets in their 6-3 win over the Golden Knights to reclaim the top spot, for now, in the Central Division by jumping back ahead of the Nashville Predators. The Jets still have two games in hand as well. Even with Laine’s goal drought he still has 27 goals in 61 games, which is still a 36-goal pace over 82 games. Just shows how good he is when he is at his best that he can go 15 games in a row without scoring a goal and still have a good chance to score more than 35 goals in a season. He was not the only Jets player to snap goal drought on Friday. Adam Lowry also scored to snap what had been a 17-game goal slump, and they ended their droughts by scoring just 27 seconds apart.

2. J.T. Compher, Colorado Avalanche. The Colorado Avalanche picked up two huge points and won for the fourth time in their past five games by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. J.T. Compher was one of the stars of the night for Avalanche and was one of two players (Carl Soderberg being the other) to score a pair of goals. Compher’s second goal was the big one as it went in the books as the game-winner with just under six minutes to play in regulation, giving the Avalanche their third win in a row and fourth win in the past five games.

3. T.J. Brodie, Calgary Flames. The Calgary Flames increased their lead in the Pacific Division to three points over the San Jose Sharks thanks to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Defender T.J. Brodie played a pretty big role in the win by contributing to both goals, scoring one and assisting on the game-winner.

Highlights of the Night

The save of the night belongs to Minnesota Wild forward (Yes! Forward!) Mikael Granlund for stepping up in net after this turnover by Devan Dubnyk. It helped lead to a huge win for the Wild in the Western Conference Wild Card race.

In more traditional saves, this stop by Anaheim Ducks goalie Ryan Miller was also pretty impressive.

Matt Duchene did not record a point in his debut with the Columbus Blue Jackets but he did play extremely well in their 3-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. He also received a video tribute and a standing ovation from Senators fans. His time with the team may not have gone as planned on a team level, but he was still very good in parts of two seasons with the team.

Factoids

Sergei Bobrovsky recorded the shutout for the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night, giving him 16 since the start of the 2016-17 season, tying him for the most in the NHL during that stretch with Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. [NHL PR]
It came in a losing effort but Patrick Kane extended his point streak to 20 games for the Chicago Blackhawks, making him the seventh player in NHL history to have multiple 20-game point streaks. [NHL PR]
Winnipeg Jets coach Paul Maurice won his 685th regular season game on Friday night and moved into sole possession of eighth place on the NHL’s all-time coaching wins list. [NHL PR]
Carl Soderberg of the Colorado Avalanche became the ninth player in NHL history to record his first 20-goal season after their 33rd birthday. [NHL PR]
Speaking of which, this is the first time since the 2006-07 season that the Colorado Avalanche have had at least four 20-goal scorers in a single season. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Gabriel Landeskog are the other three this season. [NHL PR]

Scores

Columbus Blue Jackets 3, Ottawa Senators 0

Colorado Avalanche 5, Chicago Blackhawks 3

Minnesota Wild 3, Detroit Red Wings 2

Calgary Flames 2, Anaheim Ducks 1

Winnipeg Jets 6, Vegas Golden Knights 3

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Adam Gretz is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @AGretz.