Colorado Avalanche Need to Make Like the Blue Jackets in Game 2

The Colorado Avalanche need to take from the Columbus Blue Jackets’ playbook to enact revenge on the Calgary Flames in Game 2.

The Colorado Avalanche need to steal some of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ mojo. The BJs have stunned the world by beating the President’s Trophy Tampa Bay Lightning not once but twice — in Tampa, of course.

Both wins were completely different. However, the Avalanche can learn from their fellow underdogs to make tonight’s game against the Western Conference champion Calgary Flames more successful.

Don’t Give Up

In Game 1 of the series, everything seemed to be going according to plan for Tampa. They quickly went up 3-0 in the first period. The scoring started with a short-handed goal. It looked like t would be a brutal outing for Columbus.

Well, Columbus didn’t just roll over and die. Their captain, Nick Foligno, led the way with a goal halfway through the second period. Nonetheless, the BJs went into the third down 3-1 to the powerhouse Bolts.

So, they scored three more unanswered goals, including a shorty of their own as well as a power play tally. As the Lightning watched in shock, Columbus won the first game of the series.

I’m not saying Colorado gave up in Game 1, but they never bounced back.

Don’t Let Up

Ok, upsets happen. Surely Tampa would come back to their natural form and put paid to the upstart Jackets. After all, the team totally didn’t overreact by cancelling practice and holding a players’ only meeting after the first loss.

Nope. This time it was the Blue Jackets who went up 3-0. Essentially, it was former Av Matt Duchene who went up 3-0 over the Bolts. He earned a goal and three assists on the night and I’m sorry, but that’s impressive a.f.

Anyway, the point is the BJs went up 3-0. Though they let Tampa back in with a single goal at the beginning of the third, ultimately they stuck to their game. They never let up, and they prevailed 5-1.

If Colorado goes up by even a single goal, they need to push all the harder. They can’t let up on the gas as they so often do.

Score on the Power Play

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The Colorado Avalanche drew four power play chances in Game 1 against the Flames. They failed to capitalize on any of them — obviously, since they were shut out.

In the two games so far, Columbus has drawn six power play chances. And they’ve scored three goals on the man-advantage. That’s a very impressive 50% conversion. It’s not sustainable, but it shows that the Jackets are employing an effective power play.

Hopefully Colorado gets at least a couple power play chances and manages to capitalize on at least one.

Limit the Penalties

The officiating has been pretty even between the two teams. While Columbus has drawn six penalties, they’ve only taken five themselves. A big difference-maker has been the penalty killing — they haven’t allowed the Bolts to score even a single power play goal.

The Colorado Avalanche need to sip from that cup. They sat in the sin bin five times alone in the first game. And a big difference-maker was the fact that Calgary capitalized twice. Those were goals two and three, and they pretty much sealed the loss for the Avs.

Well, tonight the Colorado Avalanche have the chance to access their inner BJs. Hopefully they can take some of the lessons Columbus has used to beat Tampa twice and employ the magic on Calgary.