A look at three keys to Sunday’s Game 2:
Turnovers. The Avalanche had 15 giveaways in Game 1 compared to the Sharks’ seven. That will get you beat. The Avs often turned the puck over in the neutral zone — something they limited in defeating the Calgary Flames in five games in the opening playoff round. Colorado plays its best hockey with a north-south game and uninterrupted flow. A clean breakout and offensive-zone entry is the first step to create a sustained attack.
Health issues. The Avs need to capitalize on their health and the Sharks missing key forwards Joe Pavelski and Joonas Donskoi, both of whom aren’t likely to play in this series but are officially listed as day-to-day. In Game 1, San Jose’s Gustav Nyquist and Kevin Lebanc scored in roles normally reserved for Pavelski and Donskoi. That speaks to the Sharks’ depth at forward, true, but also speaks to Colorado not capitalizing on its edge in high-end forwards in this series. Pavelski had a team-high 38 goals in the regular season.
The time to score. The Avalanche had a 2-1 lead and were presented with a four-minute power play to pad their lead in Game 1. But the Sharks killed off Brenden Dillon’s double-minor for cross-checking and tied the game shortly afterward. The Avs blew a glorious chance to get their third goal and all-important two-goal lead and immediately take the home-ice advantage. When it’s time to capitalize, the Avs need to convert.
