The Avalanche are more confident than ever that they can pull off a first-round playoff series upset against heavily-favored Nashville after their 5-3 win Monday, but there is plenty of work to do and games to win before that can happen.
“I think our heads are in the right place,” coach
Jared Bednar said Tuesday at the Pepsi Center following an optional practice.
The Predators have a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 4 on Wednesday.
“They’re good and we know we can beat them,”
Carl Soderberg said. “Tomorrow’s going to be a huge game for us. We’re playing one of the best teams in the league and we feel we can compete with them. Everyone felt yesterday that this is a series we can win.”
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GAME STORY.
The group of 10 skaters and two goalies (not
Jonathan Bernier) that took part in Tuesday’s casual practice included defenseman
Samuel Girard, who stickhandled and took shots while wearing a non-contact jersey.
Girard has missed the past two games with an upper-body injury and remains day to day, Bednar said.
“Positive sign,” he said. “He’s still day to day so we’ll know more again tomorrow, see how he is tomorrow morning and make some decisions from there.”
Is it possible he could play Wednesday in Game 4?
“Yeah, there’s a possibility,” Bednar said.
The Avalanche could’ve used the slick skating Girard on power plays, even though they stormed to a 4-0 lead early in the second period, with
Nathan MacKinnon leading the way with two goals.
But the Predators are not about to quit and climbed to within 4-2 a little more than seven minutes into the third period, in part because the Avalanche couldn’t convert on any of their five power plays.
They’re 1-for-13 on power plays in the series, the lone goal coming on a
Gabriel Landeskog tip of a MacKinnon shot on a 5-on-3 in Game 2.
“It was better last night for sure,” Bednar said Tuesday. “We got more chances, we shot the puck more, there was more fluidity to it. Attacking out of chaos when we retrieve pucks.”
The Avalanche totaled eight power-play shots Monday. They had six on eight power plays in the first two games in Nashville.
“I do think we got better, and we do need better, from our power play,” Landeskog said. “As a unit we have to find a way to have a shooting mentality, an attack mentality. Sometimes you go through a couple games where we may be looking a little too much for that perfect play or on certain plays you want to run instead of creating things off the top. But I’m not worried.
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The partisan crowd serenaded Predators defenseman
P.K. Subban for much of the game, and he didn’t exactly endear himself to the fans when he sucker-punched MacKinnon in the back of the head with his gloved hand late in the second period.
MacKinnon hung onto Subban’s leg before Landeskog came over and knocked Subban down. MacKinnon and Subban were each assessed holding penalties.
MacKinnon, who didn’t address the media Tuesday, shrugged off the hit after the game. “Nothing, really,” he said.
Subban spoke Tuesday after the Predators practiced at the Pepsi Center and wondered what all the fuss was about.
“I’d do it again next game,” he said. “You’re in the playoffs and there are things that are going to happen in games. It just depends on the media and what they make of it. So it’s up to you guys.”
As for playing physical:
“Good, good, good," Subban said. "I’ve always liked the physical game. It’s easy to get into when you know you’re going to be hit and when you’re going to hit somebody, and you know you have to finish all your checks. Next game should be another physical one.”
Said Bednar: “I think both teams are under each other’s skin. That’s what happens when you play a seven-game series and you’re in Game 3. I think the emotions are high.”
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