A week before tax day in the United States, the Avalanche and Edmonton authored a new chapter in another one of life’s certainties — or at least this NHL season’s — on Tuesday night.
When these teams occupy the same sheet of ice, 60 minutes simply doesn’t suffice.
Less certain, but present all the same as a weeknight Ball Arena sellout crowd roared and the Oilers ultimately prevailed, 2-1, was the sense that these teams could right be back here in a few weeks, squared off for the second straight year in the Western Conference Final.
Vegas and Dallas may well have something to say about preventing a rematch, but with three first-round opponents still in play for the Avalanche and just two regular-season games remaining, a playoff environment doubled as one primed for looking ahead.
Well, unless you happen to have a locker in Colorado’s dressing room.
“I don’t think (a playoff rematch) is really in our mind yet,” defenseman Logan O’Connor cautioned after the overtime loss. “We have to do a lot of things in order to get to that point. We know they’re a talented team. They’ve done a good job restocking with players this year. They’re probably a better all-around team than they were last year. So regardless of who matches up with them, first round, second round, whatever it may be, they’re going to be a tough out.
“But we have to focus on ourselves and with two games left to really sharpen things up before the real hockey starts.”
Not only is sharpening on the agenda for Colorado, but so is getting as close to fully healthy as possible.
A timely example: The Avalanche and Oilers have actually played four straight overtime games dating to Game 4 of last year’s playoff series. The goal that capped a sweep and sent Colorado through to face Tampa Bay: Darren Helm won a faceoff and fed the puck to Cale Makar, whose shot rebounded to Artturi Lehkonen for a clean put-back winner. None of those three played Tuesday night, nor did defenseman Josh Manson or forward Gabriel Landeskog for a team that’s nonetheless stormed back into first place in the Central.
“Coming into tonight, depending on where you back it up to, it’s the two hottest teams in the league,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “Missing guys — we’ve been missing guys all year, and so you’ve got to find a way to win without them. I thought we gave ourselves a really good chance tonight.”
Indeed, the Avalanche came in on a five-game winning streak and winners of 14 of 16 over the past month. Edmonton ran its winning streak to eight and has won 13 of 14 since March 11. The Oilers’ lone loss in that stretch came at home March 25 against Vegas in overtime and they avenged it three days later with a 7-4 win in the desert.
“I think they’re getting back to where they were at the end of last year,” said Bednar, who was speaking about Edmonton but could say similar of his own group. “I think this is a dangerous hockey team, obviously on the offensive side of it. I said it last year, though, they don’t get enough credit for the way they defend and how hard they play and how they suppress chances. It’s a well-rounded team. And then you throw their special teams into it, and they’re off the charts.”
Mikko Rantanen, one of the quintet of 100-plus point scorers on the ice Tuesday, put home the overtime winner against Edmonton on Feb. 19 and logged four goals in Colorado’s sweep last June.
“I think you can tell they really take pride a little bit more on their defensive game,” he said of this version of the Oilers. “Last year they were scoring six, seven goals a game but they were also letting in five, six maybe. That was kind of our playoff series, too. Kind of high scoring. Other than the Game 2. It was kind of low scoring. We shut them down. But maybe they’re defensive, and if you look at the numbers they’re doing a good job on the defensive side of it.
“And (goaltender Stuart) Skinner is playing really good for them, so that helps.”
Bednar expressed confidence in what his team brings to the table. It has the experience of a Cup run last year and has forged an identity through a season rife with injuries. The extra point against the Oilers would have been nice, but he seemed to think the test mattered most, particularly with a pair of non-contenders left on the slate before the postseason begins.
“This team is scrappy. They are. They’re a resilient group,” he said. “They grind, they work, they find a different way to win every night. They’re just a competitive group, they have a lot of heart. That’s a good way to describe this team. They’ve gone through their fair share of adversity at this point and they’re still hanging around, trying to wrap up the division. Tonight was no different.”
If everything holds the same going forward, perhaps there’s at least four more games — and more extra time — for Colorado and Edmonton waiting down the road.
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