Phil Posted April 16, 2023 Share Posted April 16, 2023 (1C) Colorado Avalanche vs. (WC1) Seattle Kraken Tue., April 18: Kraken at Avalanche, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN360, TVAS Thu., April 20: Kraken at Avalanche, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN, SN360, FX, TVAS Sat., April 22: Avalanche at Kraken. 10 p.m. ET, TBS, SN360, TVAS Mon., April 24: Avalanche at Kraken, 10 p.m. ET, TBS, SN360, TVAS Wed., April 26: Kraken at Avalanche, TBA Fri., April 28: Avalanche at Kraken, TBA Sun., April 30: Kraken at Avalanche, TBA REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS: Avalanche: 51-24-7, 109 points Kraken: 46-28-8, 100 points SEASON SERIES: COL 1-1-1; SEA 2-0-1 GAME BREAKERS: Avalanche: Nathan MacKinnon has produced 1.33 points per game in the playoffs, third in NHL history behind Wayne Gretzky (1.84) and Mario Lemieux (1.61) among players who have appeared in more than 37 games. The center set NHL career highs in goals (42), assists (69) and points (111) in the regular season, finishing fifth in the League in scoring. When the Avalanche needed a victory to clinch the Central on Friday, he had four points (three goals, one assist) in a 4-3 win at the Nashville Predators, scoring the winner with 1:42 left in the third period. Kraken: Jared McCann set NHL career highs in goals (40), assists (30) and points (70) in the regular season, leading the Kraken in goals and points. The forward has only three assists in 12 playoff games, which he played over three seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2019-21, but he has seized a larger role in Seattle. GOALTENDING: Avalanche: This was one of the biggest questions for the Avalanche, who acquired Alexandar Georgiev in a trade with the New York Rangers on July 7 and lost Darcy Kuemper to the Washington Capitals in free agency July 13. Starting 62 games, 30 more than ever before in an NHL season, Georgiev went 40-16-6 with a 2.53 goals-against average, a .919 save percentage and five shutouts, tying for the NHL lead in wins with Linus Ullmark of the Bruins. He has appeared in only two playoff games, each in relief for the Rangers last season. Backup Pavel Francouz, who was limited by injuries this season, was 8-7-1 with a 2.61 GAA, .915 save percentage and one shutout in 16 games. Kraken: Philipp Grubauer was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy, awarded to the goalie voted the best in the NHL, when he went 30-9-1 with a 1.95 GAA, .922 save percentage and seven shutouts with the Avalanche in 2020-21. But he hasn't been close to that level since signing with the Kraken as an unrestricted free agent July 28, 2021. He went 17-14-4 with a 2.85 GAA and an .895 save percentage in 39 games (36 starts) this season. In 33 playoff games, 29 of them with Colorado, he has gone 19-11 with a 2.50 GAA, a .913 save percentage and two shutouts. Martin Jones, who split time with Grubauer, and is day to day with an upper-body injury, was 27-13-3 with a 2.99 GAA, .887 save percentage and three shutouts in 48 games (42 starts) this season. He won the Stanley Cup as the backup to Jonathan Quick with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. X FACTORS: Avalanche: Cale Makar missed the last seven games of the regular season with a lower-body injury, after missing nine games in a 10-game stretch from Feb. 9-March 1 with a concussion and four games from Jan. 18-24 with an upper-body injury. Will he be ready for Game 1, and if so, how effective will he be? The defenseman led the Avalanche with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 playoff games last season, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Kraken: It looks like a mismatch on paper. Colorado ranked sixth on the power play (24.5 percent) in the regular season; Seattle ranked 21st on the penalty kill (76.7 percent). But the Kraken have improved their PK over the second half of the season. After Jan. 1, they tied for fourth (84.3) with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. WILL WIN IF: Avalanche: MacKinnon and Rantanen continue their playoff production, Georgiev continues to play in the playoffs the way he did in the regular season, and the rest of the roster keeps playing the way it did down the stretch. If Makar returns and looks anything like himself, that would be huge. Kraken: They use their depth to their advantage, limiting the Avalanche's top players and winning the other matchups, and Grubauer plays against his old team the way he did with it. MORE: https://www.nhl.com/news/2023-nhl-playoffs-colorado-vs-seattle-1st-round-preview/c-343571890?tid=343453068 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasRanger Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Seattle giving them all they got. Would love to see Colorado knocked out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted April 23, 2023 Share Posted April 23, 2023 Win or lose this series, kudos to Seattle. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Wtf was that from Makar? Has to be suspension, no? McCann got injured on the play too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 25, 2023 Share Posted April 25, 2023 Looks like playoff hockey to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted April 25, 2023 Author Share Posted April 25, 2023 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted April 26, 2023 Share Posted April 26, 2023 Very strange story; not saying anything about how or why he's gone https://www.9news.com/article/sports/nhl/colorado-avalanche/valeri-nichuskin-leaves-colorado-avalanche-personal-reasons/73-b052166d-46c9-409b-b534-e50becbd43f7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasRanger Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Kraken bringing it to Colorado. Never thought they would have a shot at winning and now they can eliminate them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Remember when Ron Francis was getting dragged and everyone thought he was a moron for the way he handled the expansion draft? Pepperidge Farm remembers. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsm7302 Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 18 minutes ago, Pete said: Remember when Ron Francis was getting dragged and everyone thought he was a moron for the way he handled the expansion draft? Pepperidge Farm remembers. Now you have two successful expansion teams that had SOOOO different expansion drafts. More than one way to skin a cat I suppose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 11 minutes ago, jsm7302 said: Now you have two successful expansion teams that had SOOOO different expansion drafts. More than one way to skin a cat I suppose. Vegas built themselves to jump into the fray immediately. Seattle took a longer term outlook and got themselves Berniers and Wright, while still positioning themselves to be competitive now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 Yeah and because of it, Seattle is probably going to have a much bigger window of success. Vegas has still been quite good even after that magical first season, but in the near future I don't think they will be where Seattle is going to be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 6 hours ago, Pete said: Remember when Ron Francis was getting dragged and everyone thought he was a moron for the way he handled the expansion draft? Pepperidge Farm remembers. It's a good thing he got Beniers and not Lafreniere or Kakko in the draft. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 59 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said: It's a good thing he got Beniers and not Lafreniere or Kakko in the draft. If only we could have gotten that lucky at least one of out of those two times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaveByRichter35 Posted April 27, 2023 Share Posted April 27, 2023 12 minutes ago, Sharpshooter said: If only we could have gotten that lucky at least one of out of those two times. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Could we see another upset in the first round? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 2-0 Seattle! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VegasRanger Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Seattle came to play tonight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 OMG! Grubauer has been great too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Seattle was a buzz saw last year in the style they played, now that they have more chemistry and talent, they're dangerous. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrooksBurner Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Georgie 2 goals on 11 shots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharpshooter Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Big late goal by Colorado going into the third. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillyb Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Really hope COL pulls this off. Fuck the fucking Kraken. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillyb Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 And tied! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
phillyb Posted May 1, 2023 Share Posted May 1, 2023 Oh shit...might be offside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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