NASHVILLE — The Avalanche scored on its first four power-play opportunities Saturday to wipe out Nashville, 7-3, and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round Western Conference playoff series.
Colorado left wing/captain Gabe Landeskog led the way with two goals and four points and defenseman Cale Makar had three assists.
The victory against the No. 8-seed Preds, however, could prove costly for the No. 1 Avs, though.
Colorado starting goalie Darcy Kuemper left in the final minute of the first period with a potential eye injury. While on his knees protecting the net, he was poked in the face through his mask by Nashville forward Ryan Johansen, who was battling with Avs center Nathan MacKinnon for position. Kuemper was in obvious pain and tried to skate to the bench, but couldn’t find his way and fell to the ice. He was escorted off the ice and replaced by Pavel Francouz with the Avs nursing a 2-1 lead and did not return.
Nashville forced 2-2 and 3-3 ties before the Avs put two pucks behind rookie goalie Connor Ingram in a 39-second stretch late in the second period. Defenseman Devon Toews beat Ingram with a slap shot for the only goal of the third period as the Avs improved to 7-0 in the first round of the past two seasons.
With the game tied 3-3 late in the second period, Landeskog used a wrist shot from the left circle for his second goal. Linemate Artturi Lehkonen made contact with Ingram in the crease but it appeared he was pushed by a defender toward the goalie.
The Preds challenged goaltender interference and lost that gamble, sending the Avs on the power play as Nashville was assessed a delay-of-game minor for the failed challenge. On the ensuing shift, just 39 seconds after Landeskog’s goal, Ingram tried to play the puck behind his net but saw Landeskog skating in on the forecheck from the right wing. The goalie threw the puck to the other wing where center Nazem Kadri slapped it in for an unassisted power-play goal and a 5-3 lead.
From the outset, Colorado weathered Nashville’s 10-minute storm before going on the power play and having Devon Toews’ long slap shot carom off Lehkonen and behind Ingram at 10:45. Then, at 16:08, the Avs were again on the power play and MacKinnon swatted at a loose puck in the crease that sneaked past Ingram.
Former Avs forward Matt Duchene got Nashville within 2-1 by the end of the second period before Kuemper went down, and Eeli Tolvanen scored a power-play goal early in the second as the Preds forged a 2-2 tie.
Midway through the middle frame, the teams traded power-play goals in a 1:56 stretch — first by Landeskog (backhand from the crease) and then Preds defenseman Roman Josi (long slap shot).
Game 4 is here on Monday night.
Footnotes. The Avs used the same lineup as in Game 2. The scratches were forwards Alex Newhook and Andrew Cogliano (upper-body injury) and defensemen Jack Johnson, Kurtis MacDermid and Ryan Murray.
