Jordan Binnington’s best game since 2019 not enough for Blues to survive Avalanche at altitude in Game 1
If Game 1 of the second-round series between the Colorado Avalanche and St. Louis Blues is any indicator of things to come, buckle up. Because, despite the Avalanche outplaying the Blues by a wide margin, that was an incredible hockey game.
Looking at the stat sheet, the game shouldn’t have been close. Colorado dominated in almost every statistical category. Yet it took overtime to decide the outcome, with the Avalanche winning 3-2 on a Josh Manson point shot past a screened Jordan Binnington.
Here’s a few observations from an incredible first night of second-round Stanley Cup playoff action.
Colorado played with pace, urgency, and physicality.
The Avalanche had a full week of rest leading into Tuesday night’s game, and it showed. Colorado was relentless on the forecheck in the early going, punishing Blues defenders and earning several good looks on Binnington.
The Avalanche were faster than St. Louis, which isn’t surprising given the altitude. Denver sits a mile above sea level. And I can vouch for the effects on the human body: it’s hard to catch your breath for the first day or two.
But despite the Avalanche’s strong start, they soon found themselves down 1-0 after Ryan O’Reilly forced a turnover by Cale Makar in Colorado’s defensive zone. Usually, an early goal would be a turning point, but the Avalanche were undeterred. The ice was tilted heavily in favor of Colorado for the first half of the opening period.
I think the fans played a big role. It was crazy loud in Ball Arena, and the intensity shown on the ice by the Avalanche mirrored the frenzy taking place in the stands. No doubt the week off helped build anticipation.
But credit to the Blues, who pushed back to a noticeable extent late in the third period. For two teams loaded with offensive talent, Tuesday’s game was exactly what makes the NHL playoffs special. Both clubs were looking to establish physical dominance.
Jordan Binnington, take a bow.
I’ve been on the losing end of countless playoff games, and it’s never a good feeling. But after a miraculous 51-save performance by the Blues netiminder, he has to be feeling confident about his game heading into Game 2, set to take place Thursday night in Colorado.
Binnington was sensational and his puckhandling made life difficult on Colorado’s forecheckers. The 28-year old from Richmond Hill, Ont., made several highlight reel saves, including a diving glove hand stop on Erik Johnson and a fully-outstretched glove save on a rebound opportunity by Artturi Lehkonen midway through the third stanza.
The aforementioned stops were the tip of the iceberg. Binnington battled his way through several multi-shot barrages in which he somehow managed to stay composed. He faced 13 shots in overtime before Manson was finally able to sift a shot through traffic for the game-winner.
Despite the loss, Binnington made quite a statement. It was the best game I’ve seen him play since he backstopped the Blues to the 2019 Stanley Cup championship.
Ball Arena’s end boards are really lively: at some point in this series they will play a factor.
I saw it multiple times and from both teams: pucks purposefully shot wide in hopes of a favorable bounce into the slot area. The tactic has been around longer than I’ve been alive, but I hadn’t heard a name for it until I played for the AHL Belleville Senators a few years ago. Head coach Troy Mann appropriately called it ‘expanding the net.’
When a player looks up and doesn’t have a clear shooting lane, it makes sense to shoot wide. Not just for a bounce off the wall, but also as an opportunity for a teammate in front of the net to deflect it back towards the cage. Those tips are not easy saves for goaltenders.
Blues defenseman Robert Bortuzzo did it 10 minutes into the game. And Avalanche rearguard Samuel Girard followed suit not long after. How active the boards are is something that would be discussed during pre-scout meetings. You can bet that both teams had it in their notes.
Nazem Kadri needs to calibrate his sticks.
I couldn’t believe how many times the Avalanche forward missed the net on quality scoring chances. Kadri had 14 shot attempts but only managed to get five on net. Four were blocked. And five sailed wide.
But despite the poor shooting performance, Kadri was one of the Avalanche’s best players in Game 1. He laid several big hits and was dominant in the faceoff circle, winning eight of nine draws. And Kadri’s hard work on the forecheck resulted in an assist on Manson’s game-winning goal in overtime.
Kadri has had an unbelievable season, but questions remain whether he can stay in control during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Colorado can’t afford to have him suspended. Game 1 was a step in the right direction: Kadri played right up to the emotional edge without crossing over it.
Nathan MacKinnon versus Ryan O’Reilly is appointment viewing.
When these two centers are on the ice against one another, it’s the ultimate game of cat and mouse. O’Reilly is so smooth and crafty. MacKinnon is powerful and dynamic. They’re very different players yet they occupy much of the same ice.
Despite O’Reilly scoring the opening goal of the series for the Blues, I have to give the edge in Game 1 to Avalanche’s top center. The puck was constantly on MacKinnon’s stick. He had 12 shot attempts to O’Reilly’s six.
But where the matchup was really noticeable was when Colorado was on the power play. MacKinnon moved freely around the zone. And it was O’Reilly’s job to shadow him.
When MacKinnon would circle high with the puck, O’Reilly would flex out and apply pressure. Give and take. Back and forth. The two star centermen went head to head all night long.
The special teams battle tipped in favor of St. Louis.
Coming into Game 1, Colorado had the best power play of the postseason, converting at a rate of more than 40 percent. And the Blues weren’t far behind, having scored eight power-play goals in seven games against Minnesota during round 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Colorado had the man advantage three times but was unable to score. Whereas St. Louis only had one chance on the power play Tuesday night, but Jordan Kyrou was able to score at 16:46 of the third period. His fourth goal of the postseason tied the game at 2-2 and set the stage for overtime.
For me, the big takeaway was how well the Blues were able to defend Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. Any time the puck went his direction, a St. Louis forward flexed out and pressured hard, preventing Makar from getting the puck through. He had one power-play shot on goal the entire game.
Colorado fired 54 shots on the St. Louis net in Game 1 but only five were with the man advantage. The Blues’ penalty killers did a great job of triggering on loose pucks and clearing them down the ice. And when St. Louis needed a save, Binnington came up big.
What’s next?
I wonder how St. Louis recovers. Colorado thoroughly outplayed the Blues and the game would have been a blowout if not for Binnington’s heroics.
About midway through, it became apparent to me that St. Louis was going to run out of gas at some point. It had chased the Avalanche all over the ice and expended a ton of energy in doing so.
The Blues had very little extended time in the offensive zone. And too much in their defensive zone. That’s a recipe for tired players. Athletes can’t just walk into the locker room and recharge between periods.
By overtime the Blues were running on fumes. Shots were 13-0 in favor of Colorado during the extra frame. It’s a wonder St. Louis lasted as long as it did against Colorado’s potent offense.
Blues forwards Vladimir Tarasenko, Robert Thomas, and Pavel Buchnevich all failed to register a shot on goal. That’s not acceptable, especially compared to the output of the Avalanche. Only Andrew Cogliano and Nico Sturm were held without a shot for Colorado.
The Avalanche were dominant in Game 1. St. Louis has homework to do.
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