Every first-round Western Conference playoff series is dripping with storylines. Despite a one-sided rivalry during the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets had their share of talking points going into their first-round series, too. The Avalanche hold a 3-1 series lead entering tonight’s Game 5, as they’ve answered the bell after dropping Game 1.
There were two big questions entering this series. Could the Avs right the ship after getting hammered in all three regular-season contests against the Jets? Would goaltender Alexandar Georgiev be Colorado’s downfall after some dismal play entering the postseason? Both of those questions have been answered in the last three games. Here’s a look at who’s shining, who’s struggling, and who is flat-out awful in the first-round series between the Avalanche and Jets.
Studs: Makar, Mittelstadt, Nichushkin Pushing Colorado
Cale Makar has been a top-shelf playoff performer since his first shot with the team in 2019. He’s continued to impress this postseason – particularly with one of the best goals of the playoffs so far. He leads the high-powered Avalanche offense with eight points and is delivering exactly as you’d expect. He’s tallied 73 points in 65 playoff games in his career and registered multi-point games in three of this year’s four playoff games. He’s the driving force that starts so much for the Avalanche, and he has not disappointed this postseason.
The Avalanche brought in Casey Mittelstadt in a deal at the trade deadline to, hopefully, fill the second-line center spot. This has been an issue for much of the last two seasons, but the revolving door stops here. Mittelstadt held his own in the regular season and has been spectacular this postseason with a goal and four assists. The tally was his first career playoff goal and came in a three-goal third period of a 7-6 loss for the Avalanche in Game 1, but that period was a harbinger of what was coming in the next three games. After the Avs dispatched the Jets in Game 2, Mittelstadt was in the thick of a five-goal third period in Game 3, posting three assists – including two just 4:24 apart to slam the door. He is who the Avalanche needed at that spot, and he’s been a fantastic addition.
Related: 3 Avalanche Players Who Must Come Through Against the Jets
Colorado’s playoffs lasted just seven games a season ago when they were bounced in the first round by the Seattle Kraken. Valeri Nichushkin’s playoffs didn’t even last that long, as he played in just the first two games before getting sent home with some drama off the ice. He’s back this postseason and isn’t looking back. Nichushkin has piled up six goals – the most of any player in this year’s NHL playoffs. He has scored in every playoff game and racked up a hat trick in the Avalanche’s 5-1 dismantling of the Jets in Game 4. He scored Colorado’s first goal of the postseason in Game 1 and racked up three third-period goals and two game-winning goals in the next three games. If he keeps this up, Colorado will be tough to top.
Duds: Rantanen, Jets Penalty Kill Both Struggling
This is nitpicky, as Colorado’s Mikko Rantanen has recorded at least a point in each of the four games of this series. He’s playing well, but there aren’t many duds to choose from right now. The problem for Rantanen is that he hasn’t scored a goal. That’s a streak that will end sooner rather than later, but he’s a player that the team needs going forward. Again, he’s not exactly struggling mightily, but Rantanen sets a high bar with his goal-scoring, and that’s what is missing right now.
Rantanen has scored 97 goals in the last two regular seasons combined, and 27 of those have come on the power play. Colorado’s power play is clicking right now, as the Avs have registered at least two power-play tallies in three of the series’ four games. The Winnipeg penalty kill has struggled all season, as they ranked 21st in the NHL at 77.1 percent. Only three playoff teams were worse than them – the Nashville Predators, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders – all of whom will also be going home shortly – all trail 3-1 in their respective series, just like the Jets.
Related: Nichushkin’s Hat Trick Leads Avalanche Past Jets in Game 4
This is a good news/bad news scenario (depending on which team you’re rooting for). Bad news first: Winnipeg had 86 games to straighten out their penalty kill between the regular season and playoffs, and there are no signs of it happening any time soon. Good news: Rantanen has proven his goal-scoring slumps usually don’t last very long. The longest stretch he went without a goal this season is five games – but he had eight assists in those games and broke that slump with six goals in his next four contests. Colorado might not need Rantanen right now, but they will soon enough. On the other hand, the Jets are down to their last chance to figure things out or the Avalanche power play could send them packing.
Thud: Connor Hellebuyck Stinks Right Now
Connor Hellebuyck may take home his second Vezina Trophy this season, but it’s a good thing votes are cast before the puck drops on the postseason. Hellebuyck has been brutal in this series, posting a dismal .870 save percentage and 5.22 goals-against average through the first four games. It finally got him benched in Game 4, as Laurent Brossoit took over in the third period of Colorado’s 5-1 victory.
All of the talk entering the series was whether or not Georgiev would hold up – and that narrative continued when the Jets took the series opener 7-6. People quickly piled on Georgiev and started dismissing the Avalanche while calling for injured backups to start Game 2. Sure, Georgiev was bad in that one but lost in that shuffle was the fact that Hellebuyck didn’t look very good, either. The difference in the subsequent games has been that Georgiev has buckled down while Hellebuyck keeps flailing as his team gets outshot night after night.
There should have been more concern for the Jets following that performance in the series opener. Now they have a goaltending crisis on their hands – something that seemed impossible entering this postseason. Colorado has piled up 22 goals in the four games of this series, including six on the power play. Winnipeg gave up the fewest goals this season, but that seems like a distant memory as the Jets sit on the brink of elimination.
Related: Avalanche Continue to Have Hellebuyck’s Number in Game 3 Win
The Jets are in deep trouble, and a lot of that is on Hellebuyck’s shoulders. However, the Avalanche are clicking like they have a few times this season, and when those heavy goal numbers are coming, the wave can last a while. Colorado looks like they have found their form, and it’s going to take Hellebuyck pulling himself back together for the Jets to latch onto that last glimmer of hope.
