I said before the game started that it would likely take more than 2 goals to get points against the Avs. And I told my seat mates after the 2nd period that there was no way this game would end 2-1. I am happy to be wrong on both accounts. I guess when you have a formula that is working you just stick to your guns regardless of opponent. This game did have a bit of the feel of last week's game with a much higher volume of near misses and dangerous plays against that could easily have made 2 goals not enough. The game also featured a pretty good 60-minute effort by the Canes. There were definitely more and bigger stretches where the Canes were on their heels a bit, hemmed in the defensive zone and mostly fighting to survive, but I chalk it to the competition more than lack of jump. And the Canes ability to fight for and win or at least tie up loose pucks in their own end was exactly what made it possible to grind out a 2-1 win despite the volume of rebounds and other loose pucks in the defensive zone.
The game definitely had some peeks and valleys to it. The Canes definitely got the better of the 1st period though I am not sure it was by as much as the 11-5 shot margin would indicate. I think it is fair to say the 1-0 lead at the end of the 1st period was deserved. The Canes came out strong in the 2nd period and built the lead to 2-0 which seemed to be the ignition switch for the Avs who were the better team the 2nd half of the game. It looked like the Canes were under siege at times, but they avoided big mistakes and made Colorado earn its chances. The combination of Justin Peters being a good 1st shot goalie and both the defense and forwards working hard to win and clear rebounds again proved to be a workable formula for a big win.
The loss marks Colorado's 1st on the road in 2013-14 and only their 3rd of the season, so it should not be taken lightly. And it runs the Canes record to an impressive 3-0-1 in the 1st 4 games of the 5-game home stand. The run has already been a success, but there is nothing wrong with getting greedy and collecting another point or 2 in the last game Friday against Anaheim.
A few quick player and other notes:
--Gerbe/JStaal/Dwyer. Best game of the year for that line. They were dominant all night regularly creating scoring chances or worst case playing full shifts in the offensive zone. Hopefully it proves to be a confidence builder for Jordan and starts him toward a more normal scoring pace.
--Justin Peters. At the point where the Canes had lost 5 straight and the last couple were rough, who would have guessed we would be where we are now? Not I. He has now been named the #1 star in 3 of the past 4 games and is 3-0-1 in that stretch.
--Jiri Tlusty (and the EStaal line). I think they have transitioned from struggling to just snake bit which is a step along the way to more production. If my memory is right, it was Tlusty who had the post from between the circles and also got robbed on a great save by Varlamov coming across to close up what looked like an open back door. The key for me was the number of chances this line got from in close not just EStaal or Semin firing low-percentage shots trying to beat the goalie. Winning hockey makes for patience, and also reduces the pressure.
--Hainsey/Bellemore. The defense across 18 skaters continues to be solid, so there is much credit to go around right now, but I think Hainsey and Bellemore were the standouts on Tuesday night. As the lone "big, physical" defenseman Brett Bellemore might have been a point to watch against a speedy Avs team, but he stood out none and that is in a good way.
--Balance. In the Manny Malhotra blog that I wrote last week, I noted how the rising of the 4th line has had a bunch of side benefits. One of those was the balance of ice time and its effect on energy levels both within games and during busy stretches of schedule on Tuesday amongst the forwards, Eric Staal topped the list at a very low 17:50 of ice time and the low was still 10:28 by Radek Dvorak. We are not far removed from EStaal and Semin logging in the 22-23 minute range and a couple players getting 4-6 minutes of ice time. As we get deeper into the current run of consistent 60-minute efforts, the evidence is mounting that a solid 4th-line and a the even ice time that results might have been the missing ingredient necessary to achieve more even intensity/effort across the full 60 minutes of games.
--The face-off as a weapon. Manny Malhotra won 15 of 20 draws (nothing new here) and the team won 58% of the draws. In a face-off heavy game, the Canes won 36 and lost 26 draws which equates to starting shifts with possession 10 more times than without. This is pretty close to the +12 rate that I noted a few games back and makes for more playing with the puck than chasing it.
When you are playing well in the NHL, momentum and mojo can be all-powerful. Together they can overcome injuries, tough opponents, difficult scheduling and the occasional bad bounce. Here is hoping that the Canes can continue riding that. Thus far, current run has pulled the Canes back to a tie for 3rd in the Metro Division which is a fine place to be 18 games into the season.
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