Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) and Colorado Avalanche left wing Miles Wood (28) gets collected on the boards in the first period during game three of the first round of the NHL playoffs at Ball Arena in Denver on Friday, April 26, 2024 .(Photo by Andy Cross/The Denver Post)
The Colorado Avalanche have flipped the script on the Winnipeg Jets in this opening-round playoff series, and now it’s time to finish the job.
After losing all three matchups in the regular season, two in decisive fashion, the Avs have roared to three consecutive victories and grabbed a 3-1 lead in the series. They’ve outplayed the Jets in every game, although turnovers and a rough night from their goalie prevented a sweep.
Here are the three keys for Colorado to win Game 5 and send Winnipeg into the offseason before just about anyone might have predicted:
1. Weather the storm
All of the clichés about an elimination game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs are relevant here. The Jets will be backed by one of the best home crowds in the NHL, and should come out flying at the start of Game 5. There didn’t seem to be a ton of pushback from Winnipeg after Colorado grabbed a 4-1 lead in Game 4 — the Jets had one high-danger scoring chance in the third period, per Natural Stat Trick.
There should be (at least) one last push from the Jets, though. If the Avs let up after four great games, it will give Winnipeg an opening to get back into this series.
2. Take away the hope
Jets coach Rick Bowness pointed repeatedly to the last 10 minutes of the first period in Game 4. That’s when the Jets played the way they wanted, and it’s when the contest looked most in Winnipeg’s favor. The Jets have had a half period here or there where they have slowed the Avs down, but turnovers and penalty trouble have overwhelmed them.
Winnipeg players know Colorado is a faster team. The Avs have shown over and over in this series that they can take the game to the Jets. Doing so early in Game 5 and for long enough might be enough for the home side to come to a collective realization that a miracle comeback, given the way the first four games have gone, just isn’t going to happen. If it is will-breaking time in Winnipeg, the Avs will be waiting for their second-round opponent on Wednesday morning.
3. Get the third line going
There’s not a lot of nits to pick after the past three games. The third line started this series on fire, with Miles Wood scoring in the first two games, and the trio of Wood, Ross Colton and Zach Parise or Joel Kiviranta titled the ice on the Jets. Nikolai Kovalenko joined Wood and Colton for Game 4. While they had some nice defensive moments in their own end, the trio did very little at the other end of the ice, even while the Avs were creating plenty of chances.
That line doesn’t need to score goals to be effective, but winning the possession battle and keeping the Jets from setting up consistently in the offensive zone — where Winnipeg has looked comfortable at times — would be helpful. It will be interesting to see if Kovalenko looks more comfortable now that his NHL debut is out of the way.
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