The Colorado Avalanche solely have one clear flaw on their roster, and it was on full show in a 7-6 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday evening in Recreation 1 of their Western Convention first spherical collection.
It’s the goaltending.
It’s not solely a weak point, it’s a main downside that might find yourself costing an in any other case nice staff a reputable probability on the Stanley Cup.
Beginning goalie Alexandar Georgiev had a completely brutal exhibiting within the loss, permitting seven targets on solely 23 photographs. That comes out to a .696 save proportion for the sport, which is an unacceptable degree of goaltending for a Stanley Cup playoff recreation.
Or any recreation, for that matter.
It needs to be particularly regarding for the Avalanche as a result of the play of their goaltenders was an enormous downside all through all the common season. On a staff degree, they managed solely a .902 save proportion for the season. That ranked twentieth within the NHL and was the third-worst of the 16 playoff groups (forward of solely Toronto and Tampa Bay).
On a person degree, Georgiev was particularly unhealthy with an .897 save proportion that ranked him among the many league’s worst goalies. Of the 34 goalies that appeared in at the least 40 video games, his save proportion was twenty ninth within the league.
Regardless of all of these numbers Colorado did nothing to deal with the place on the commerce deadline.
Goaltending is the one place that may swing a playoff collection all by itself, and there’s a very actual probability that may occur on this collection. It’s also an enormous edge for Winnipeg which boasts one of many league’s greatest goalies in Connor Hellebuyck.
That’s what has to make Sunday’s recreation so irritating for the Avalanche. They ended up scoring six targets on Hellebuyck and principally carried the tempo of play, out-shooting and out-chancing the Jets throughout the recreation. It nonetheless was not sufficient as a result of Georgiev couldn’t come via with an enormous save for them.
You aren’t going to attain six targets on Hellebuyck fairly often. Doing so in Recreation 1 of the playoff collection and nonetheless not getting the win is the kind of consequence that may be crushing early in a collection.
Whether or not it’s Georgiev or turning to a backup the Avalanche are going to want extra from their goalies if they’re going advance.
