Initial observations from the Avalanche’s 3-1 loss to the Seattle Kraken in Game 1 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series.
1. Kraken are here to scrap
Seattle’s playoff debut wasn’t always pretty, but the Kraken made it clear they came to the postseason to scrap. They did their offensive work early in each periods – Eeli Tolvanen scored 3 minutes, 26 seconds into the contest, then Alex Wenneberg blasted home a tally 80 seconds into the second period and Morgan Geekie 4:03 into the third. After that, Seattle settled in and did what they do best: Rely on depth and play feisty defense. The Kraken allowed just 16 Avalanche even strength shots and 21 shots total over the first 40 minutes to carry a lead into the third period and made life difficult for Colorado. Nothing new, really. The three regular-season games between these teams? 3-2 Seattle, 2-1 Colorado (SO) and 3-2 Seattle in overtime. The Avs will work for scoring opportunities the rest of this series.
2. No time for d-zone turnovers
Two of Seattle’s three goals came on turnovers deep in Colorado’s defensive zone. Devon Toews tried to clear a puck and sent it directly to Tolvanen, who then banged home an all-alone rebound after Alexandar Georgiev stopped his initial point-blank look. Early in the third period, Artturi Lehkonen lost a battle for the puck behind the net and Wennberg fed Morgan Geekie down low between the circles for another close-range conversion. Forecheck pressure looked like another strength of Scrappin’ Seattle in Game 1, but the Avs can’t expect to give the puck away in that part of the ice and get away with it this time of year.
3. The Killers provided a spark
Down an early goal after a defensive zone turnover from Devon Toews led to the Tolvanen goal, the Avs showed up to keep the Kraken from burying them early. Facing their first shorthanded minutes of the postseason after a Josh Manson hooking penalty midway through the first period, the Avalanche passed their first test — and then pair of tests — with flying colors. Colorado’s penalty kill not only made relatively easy work of the first Seattle power play, but it also provided a jolt of energy for the home team. Just 13 seconds after Manson left the box, Mikko Rantanen scored on a pretty feed from Nathan MacKinnon. Then the penalty kill unit kept the game level again late in the first period when Manson served another two minutes for holding Ryan Donato.
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