NHL20 Playoffs Sim Round 4, Game 3: Avalanche powerplay torches Flames

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Calgary leads best of 7 series 2-1

Leaders:

Goals

COL: Jost (8)

CGY: Monahan (12)

Assists

COL: Rantanen (9)

CGY: Andersson (13)

Points

COL: MacKinnon (14)

CGY: Monahan (22)

Goalies

COL: Grubauer (8-4-1) 3.00 GAA .909 Sv% 1 SO

CGY: Rittich (11-4-0) 2.95 GAA .924 Sv% 2 SO

Calgary Flames 3 – Colorado Avalanche 8

Scoring

Calgary Flames

1st: 7:38- Lucic (4) (Mangiapane [8]), 11:39- Gaudreau (9) (Monahan [10])

2nd: None

3rd: 10:37- Lucic (5) (Mangiapane [9], Backlund [9])

Colorado Avalanche

1st: 15:44- Makar (2) (Calvert [5], Namestnikov [7]), 18:56 PPG- Jost (8) (Rantanen [9], Girard [4]), 19:09- Bellemare (1) (Graves [3])

2nd: 13:33 PPG- MacKinnon (7) (Nichushkin [2]), 19:20- Rantanen (3) (Jost [5])

3rd: 5:59 PPG- Makar (3) (Kadri [5]), 13:27- Compher (4) (N/A), 19:33- Compher (5) (Namestnikov [8])

Recap

The Flames special teams, which have been quite solid all playoffs, faltered miserably in the club’s return home for Game 3 of the Western Final. The Colorado Avalanche scored a powerplay goal in every period en route to a 8-3 victory, and cut the lead to one in the series.

Calgary, who has been plagued by inconsistent home play in real life and in simulation, actually got off to a good start. A turnover at the Avalanche blueline allowed Andrew Mangiapane to dish a perfect pass to Milan Lucic, who opened the scoring 7 minutes into the game.

Nearly exactly 4 minutes later, another turnover gave Johnny Gaudreau ample time directly in front of Grubauer to pick the shortside shelf. Technically, it wasn’t a breakaway.

That would be where the jubilation ended for the night as Colorado scored 3 goals in the final 5 minutes of the first period, and never lost the lead. Cale Makar ripped a slapshot past David Rittich to cut the lead to one, before Tyson Jost scored on the powerplay to even things up with 1:04 left. Pierre-Edouard Bellemare stepped over the top of the circle and ripped a soft goal past Rittich’s glove to give Colorado the lead with 51 seconds in the first.

It was all Avalanche in the second period, as Nathan MacKinnon blasted a one-timer on the powerplay midway through the period. Rittich gave up another questionable goal to Mikko Rantanen with 40 seconds left in the period, to make it 5-2.

Cale Makar scored his second of the game on the powerplay 5 minutes into the third, and made Colorado 3/3 on the PP on the night. It would be the end of a 6 goal run by the Avalanche, after Calgary lead 2-0 to start the game.

Milan Lucic would be the end of the streak, as his physical cut to the front of the net resulted in his second goal of the night, and third of the series.

It would be the last of the jubilation for the home fans, as JT Compher scored two goals in the final 7 minutes of the game, including one with 27 seconds left. That goal meant Rittich gave up a goal in every final minute of the period. 3 players ended with 2 goals.

The series remains in Calgary for Game 4, Saturday night at 7:30PM MST.

Flame of the Game

Milan Lucic (F): Looch has had a pretty decent playoff so far, but tonight marked his best performance yet. Both goals emphasized his strength of driving the net.

by Gordie Taylor