ST. LOUIS — Pavel Francouz and the Blues are a lot alike. If the Avalanche backup goalie had to be compared to any team this season, it would probably be St. Louis.
The Blues are erratic and streaky. They lost eight consecutive games, then won seven straight, then lost seven of nine entering Sunday afternoon’s matchup against Colorado. Francouz had a four-game stretch with a save percentage of .948, then he struggled at .862 in his two most recent starts over the past three weeks. The Avs arrived in St. Louis not knowing which Francouz they were going to get, or which Blues.
So it was fitting that Francouz faced the division rivals for the first time in his career Sunday, and the spin of the wheel resulted in an unpredictable game with a wild finish: a 3-2 Avalanche overtime victory led by Mikko Rantanen’s dramatic hat trick.
