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Colorado Avalanche: Game 4 Thoughts

By Tony Cimato

DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 30: Matt Nieto #83 of the Colorado Avalanche is congratulated by his teammate after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks in the third period during Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - APRIL 30: Matt Nieto #83 of the Colorado Avalanche is congratulated by his teammate after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks in the third period during Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche face a monumental Game 4 Thursday Night against the San Jose Sharks.

The Colorado Avalanche lost the first game at Pepsi Center since March 15th on Tuesday night. If the Avalanche have any plans of advancing to the Western Conference Finals, Thursday night is a must win. It’d be difficult, but not impossible to come back from a 3-1 deficit, with two games in San Jose, but it’s far from ideal.

The Avalanche were grossly outplayed for the majority of the game Tuesday night, and there are adjustments they will have to make. San Jose has been clogging the neutral zone all series so Bednar and Company must find a new tactic to get into the offensive zone.

Turnovers were deadly on Tuesday night and if they continue, the Avalanche have zero chance of beating the San Jose Sharks. Let’s face it, we are underdogs as it is, so there is no reason to be giving the Sharks any kind of help.

There were some obvious no-calls on the Sharks that would have resulted in Avalanche penalties, but there is no reason to complain. The Avalanche were given a power play with 2 and a half minutes to go in the game, down by one and failed to convert. There is no way to control what the refs do and don’t see, so there is no reason in complaining about these calls.

The one thing the Colorado Avalanche can control is who is in the lineup come Thursday night. I have a really hard time typing this, but, should Erik Johnson be scratched for Patrik Nemeth?

Wow.

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I had extremely high expectations for The Condor coming into these playoffs because he is an aging veteran defenseman who had to watch last year’s playoffs from the stands. He has been nothing short of dreadful in these Stanley Cup Playoffs, but I can’t scratch Erik Johnson. He is an assistant captain on this team and has been the anchor on our blue-line for years.

However, if he is scratched, I wouldn’t be entirely surprised.

Another lineup decision will be based on the health of Matt Calvert, and oh did we miss him out there on Tuesday. The top line was the only line that was going, and the Avalanche surely missed Calvert’s heart and soul out there. Sven Andrighetto and Derick Brassard have been arguably ineffective in this postseason.

Matt Calvert skated Wednesday, so my guess is he will be back in the lineup and either Brassard or Ghetto will be in the stands.

Phillip Grubauer will be in net, as there is zero goaltending controversy. He has played well, and is the future of our team.

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The Colorado Avalanche must make the aforementioned adjustments, and I’m sure they will.

Resulting in a Game 4 W.

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