Well, the Avs finally backed into a literal and not proverbial must-win situation, and they won. Decisively. I know there'll be bitching about the offsides call, but frankly (and I know I'm heavily biased) I hope that's the way they call it from here on out. If it gets to the point where they gotta pore over the video extensively then it's too close to call. Also, this makes up for the botched offsides call that cost the Avs in a game against those very same Blues earlier this season. To their credit, the Blues admitted the Avs were the better team last night, and y'know what? They were. For the first time in a long time, they didn't try to sit on the lead, they kept attacking, and Jake Allen kept them in it best he could, even kept going with a pulled hammy.
The best part is that the best player on the ice wasn't Nathan MacKinnon, Gabe Landeskog, or Tyson Barrie. It was Samuel Girard, the 19-year-old blueliner acquired as part of the Duchene trade. And holy hell was he good last night. Scored the game's first goal in the waning seconds of the 1st period with a rocket from the point, threw big hits, blocked a crucial shot that likely would've shifted the tide of the game, and also...he did this.
https://twitter.com/twitter/statuses/982811463831171072Whatever happens from this point on happens, but last night was just plain amazing. And there's reason to believe that THIS time, at least, this won't be some podunk fluke run.
The one thing that gives me pause is that we know every team in the Central that didn't make the postseason will be furiously retooling. It's gonna be an absolute madhouse next season, and there's not much reason to believe that the Jets and Predators will take a huge step back. And while I think they're the biggest candidate to do so in the division, the Wylde will likely keep hanging around, because that's what they do.
Also, this article has been making the rounds. I still like Matty Duchene and think he got a raw deal from the organization, but this quote is likely gonna haunt him for years to come.
https://www.thescore.com/news/1399812