Sixty-two seconds.
That’s how long the Dallas Stars have led in three games in a Stanley Cup playoffs series vs. the Avalanche. With a 2-1 lead in the series after three games, do you think they care?
There’s no panic inside the Avalanche locker room, but any time you’re down in the series, there has to be a little bit of concern. And when there’s concern, there’s change from Jared Bednar for Game 4 on Saturday at Ball Arena.
Here are three important things to watch from the Avalanche:
More changes to the forward lines
Bednar changed his lines ahead of Game 3, looking to wake up a few of his top-six forwards. Valeri Nichushkin found his game, but the top line struggled mightily.
There will be more changes in Game 4.
Each of the top three lines will have a new look. Artturi Lehkonen, who spent Games 1 and 2 on the top line with Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas, looks like he’ll move back there for Game 4. That line spent far too much time on the perimeter and needs someone willing to go to the net and do the dirty work, a Lehkonen specialty.
The biggest change will come on the second line, as Gabriel Landeskog has already been promoted after one game. Landeskog spent practice with Brock Nelson and Nichushkin, giving Colorado a second line that has real size to it.
“I thought he was incredible under those circumstances,” Bednar said of the captain’s first game back.
Landeskog spoke after Friday’s practice and seemed ready to stop talking about how he feels after everything.
“No issues. The body’s holding up well,” Landeskog said. “It wasn’t really like we were going out to play and then gambling on how I was going to feel, so we felt pretty confident with it.”
Landeskog moving up means Jonathan Drouin, who has struggled in this series, will play on the third line with Charlie Coyle and Joel Kiviranta.
Power play mess
If Colorado’s power play had been able to capitalize on one of its three opportunities over the final 15 minutes of Game 3, we’re probably looking at a different series. They didn’t, and they didn’t look good during those power-play opportunities, so you had to expect changes.
Out on the first unit is Drouin, and in is… Landeskog.
Yes, after just one game, not only has Landeskog moved up to the second line, but he’s found his way to the top power-play unit. What’s interesting is that he wasn’t lining up in his old spot in front of the net. Instead, he was where we’ve come accustomed to seeing Mikko Rantanen line up with the man advantage — on the half-wall opposite MacKinnon.
It’s a new look and one that must pay off if the Avalanche want to turn around this series.
“We’ve got a lot of things to work on,” Landeskog said. “Create some chaos in front of the net and we’re going to need more of it. We’re going to need more shots, more dangerous scoring chances.”
Where is the Makar moment?
We’re still waiting for Cale Makar to have a “wow” moment in this series. He’s Cale Makar, so teams focus on him, especially this time of year. But his performance on the offensive end has been disappointing through three games. He’d probably be the first one to tell you that.
In Games 1 and 3, Makar registered 14 shot attempts at even strength. One of them actually hit the net. Game 4 seems like the perfect time for him to make his mark in the series.
The Avalanche might need it.
“I think he’s probably struggling a little bit in the series on the offensive side of it,” Bednar said of Makar. “We had some guys that beat up the puck pretty good the other night. It’s part of the reason why I think our power play wasn’t as good as it could have been. Listen, I trust in Cale. He’s had a bad game here or there before and bounced back. He was still competitive, defended hard. We didn’t limit the scoring chances like that without all of our ‘D’ and forwards committing to it and playing hard.
“But I think if you ask him or you just get used to watching, it’s going to be harder in playoffs to create quality chances. But he’ll get better as we go here too.”
