DENVER — Whew!
What was anticipated as a wild, wild Western Conference Finals surpassed expectations in a Game 1 shootout Tuesday night at Ball Arena, with 14 goals scored. It was a video-game-like game between the NHL’s highest-scoring playoff teams before a sellout crowd of 18,044 and a TNT national television audience.
The Avalanche won, 8-6, but it became extremely uncomfortable as Edmonton chiseled away at a 7-3 lead. The Oilers rallied for three consecutive goals to get within 7-6 with 7:34 remaining. Colorado, making its first trip to the conference finals since 2002, held on behind backup goalie Pavel Francouz, who was outstanding in the final minute before an empty-net goal by Gabe Landeskog with 21.4 seconds left sealed the deal.
Avs third-line center J.T. Compher had two goals, defenseman Cale Makar had a goal and three assists, and top-six forwards Nathan MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen each put pucks behind Mike Smith before the Oilers goalie was pulled 6:20 into the second period.
All four goalies in the two lineups saw action, with Mikko Koskinen finishing in net for Edmonton after Smith was benched.
Game 2 is Thursday night at Ball Arena.
Colorado’s fourth line also scored, with Andrew Cogliano capping a 2-on-1 rush with Logan O’Connor as the Avs forged ahead 7-3 at 16:20 of the second frame. Edmonton superstar Connor McDavid scored 31 seconds later.
The visitors trimmed their deficit to 7-5 at 3:28 of the third on Derek Ryan’s point-blank shot from the low slot after Avs winger Andre Burakovsky blocked a shot with his right ankle and could not get off the ice. It was essentially a man-advantage tally.
The Avalanche rallied from a 1-0 deficit to lead 2-1 and 3-2 in a back-and-forth first period. The goals came from Compher on a 2-on-1 rush with Alex Newhook, MacKinnon on a breakaway off a stretch pass from Devon Toews, and Makar’s wrister from atop the right circle.
The latter was challenged for offside by Edmonton, but officials ruled Valeri Nichushkin touched up on the blue line before Makar touched the puck in the offensive zone. So it was essentially a delayed offside.
The failed challenge cost the Oilers a delay-of-game minor and Kadri’ scored on the power play 32 seconds into the second period for a 4-2 lead. Edmonton, however, answered 2:59 into the frame on a sleepy play by Kuemper, who left a rebound in the paint beside him and Ryan McLeod tapped it in.
The Avs then erupted for two goals at 4:38 and 6:20. First, Rantanen beat Smith with a wrist shot from the left circle, and Compher redirected Makar’s shot from the point.
Smith was pulled after the sixth goal, stopping just 19-of-25 shots (.760%). Shortly thereafter, Kuemper was replaced by Francouz — presumably by choice. He skated to the bench and spoke to Bednar before walking to the dressing room. The team later said Kuemper suffered an upper-body injury. He did not return.
Kuemper allowed three goals on 15 shots (.800%).
Footnotes. The Avs and Oilers are playing their third playoff series but first in nearly 25 years. Colorado beat Edmonton in five games in the 1997 conference semifinal and the Oilers downed the Avalanche in seven games at the 1998 conference quarterfinal. … The Avs’ healthy scratches were forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Nico Sturm, and defensemen Ryan Murray and Kurtis MacDermid. Aube-Kubel had played in the previous 10 postseason games.
