All the players that we spoke to on the Colorado Avalanche after the game last night and after practice on Monday all were positive. They had a reason to be. The Avalanche controlled the majority of the play and took it to the Jets for most of the game.
None of that matters today.
“As positive as I’m going to be up here and sitting up here, we didn’t win the hockey game,” Jared Bednar told the media after an optional practice on Monday.
It’s true. The Avalanche probably deserved a better fate on Sunday night, but that doesn’t mean anything if you don’t win the game. Colorado didn’t, and now they head into a Game Two that is bordering on “must-win” territory.
Arvid Holm was the only goalie on the ice for the optional skate, and after practice, Bednar gave an update on Justus Annunen.
“Justus is still sick,” he said.
That’s as much as we’re going to get these days. Bednar did confirm that Annunen is still with the team in Winnipeg, but he’s obviously not feeling well enough to skate just yet.
What does that mean? Well, it means there’s a decent chance Alexandar Georgiev will be back in net for Game Two. And based on Bednar’s comments, I’d say there actually might be more than a decent chance of it happening.
“It’s going to be about mental toughness, right? Not just for him, for our group,” Bednar said. “If you’re dwelling on the past in the playoffs, then you’re not setting yourselves up for success the next night, and Georgie’s no different. He’s got to reset and go play better than he did last night.”
Georgiev was not available to the media, as he didn’t skate, but Ross Colton did, and he said the Avalanche are standing behind their goaltender.
“He’s our guy,” Colton said. “Obviously, maybe he wants some back, but that’s on us. We’ve got to a better job limiting turnovers, boxing guys out in front and not kind of giving them some Grade A’s that they had. That’s for us to kind of clean up in front of him, but he’s battled for us all year. He’s a warrior. For him, I’ll just turn the page and we’ll be good to go for Game Two.”
The Avalanche are making a move in net, and it likely indicates they don’t expect Annunen to be ready for Game Two. After practice and availability, Holm was sent to the Eagles, and Ivan Prosvetov was recalled. Prosvetov played yesterday for the Eagles and stopped 28 shots in the win. If nothing else, this gives the Avalanche a fall-back option if Georgiev has a similar performance. They didn’t want to throw Holm into the net, but I’m sure they’d feel a bit more comfortable putting Prosvetov in.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!