This Wednesday there are five playoff games scheduled in the NHL. The Colorado Avalanche will play Game 5 against the Arizona Coyotes. Will the Avs manage to qualify for the second round, or will the Yotes manage to keep the series alive?
Colorado Avalanche: can clinch the series
The Colorado Avalanche managed to impress during the round robin games, which were played to determine seeding in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. After victories against the reigning champion, the St. Louis Blues, and the Dallas Stars, the Avs went down against the Vegas Golden Knights via overtime. As a result, a meeting with the Arizona Coyotes awaited in the first round of the playoffs. Colorado went into the series as a huge favorite and more than lived up to expectations after four games.
The Avs dominated Game 1 and this resulted in a 3-0 shutout victory. After a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series, Colorado suffered a surprising 4-2 defeat in the third encounter last weekend. Colorado came to no less than 51 shots on goal against Arizona's 23. The hockey team bounced back in an impressive way last Monday by winning the most recent game with 7-1. Nazem Kadri was one of the players who deliverd with 2 goals and 1 assist.
Arizona Coyotes: blowout loss
The Arizona Coyotes were somewhat fortunate in the way they managed to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Yotes lean on a stable defense and that became clear during the Qualifier series against the Nashville Predators. The Preds were the more dominant team, especially in Game 3 and 4, but Arizona managed to steal the victories in these games. Goalie Darcy Kuemper already proved himself during the regular season and he also excelled in the series won against Nashville.
Arizona is offensively challenged 'cause it can't rely on an easily scoring forward or a productive first line. The team was therefore given few chances prior to the series against Colorado, who are deep up and down the lineup. After four games it's clear that the Yotes can't cope with an attacking force like Colorado and they have to hope goalie Darcy Kuemper excels again this Wednesday to keep this series alive. This Monday they were dealt a 7-1 blowout loss by the Avs and it's gonna be interesting to see how they're gonna react.
Colorado in regulation
Colorado outscored the Yotes during the first four games with 15-7. The fact that the Avs lost Game 3 can be called a small miracle, considering the way they dominated their opponent in almost every way. Arizona's goalie Kuemper played great in that game, but he was pulled last Monday at the start of the third period after giving up 4 goals. The question will be if Arizona and especially Kuemper can bounce back after that blowout loss. I see the spirit of the Yotes disappearing when the Avs manage to get ahead on the scoreboard. Betting the puckline is tempting, but I'll go with the safer bet: win in regulation.
