Nathan MacKinnon: “We are Ready For Game 3 Against the Sharks”

Colorado Avalanche has hit back at San Jose Sharks and tied the series to 1-1. The boys from Denver clinched a huge win in California and are now heading back home with an excellent chance to get closer to the Western Conference finals.

The final result of Game 2 at SAP Center was 4-3 for the guests, who fought heroically in this one.

Avalanche was down 1-0 in the opening period and were under huge pressure of the hosts, who had several excellent chances to knock out the rival. But somehow they missed them. On some occasions, the Sharks’ players didn’t have enough concentration to execute, on others fantastic goalie Phillip Grubauer saved his crew.

Tyson Barrie praised his teammate, saying that he is one of the main reasons for Colorado’s success in the past two months.

“He is a big reason why we are where we are. He’s been lights out the last two months of the season and into the playoffs.”

Barrie didn’t spare any kind words while trying to explain the impact of Grubauer on last night’s game. And he had every right for that, as Avalanche goalie had 31 saves.

The visitors had a lot of luck. All those misses came back at Sharks who were stunned with a good second period of the guests, in which the game went in a totally different direction.

Gabriel Landeskog and Barrie turned the result upside down, and that was the moment when guests got the momentum and took over the control on the ice.

Hosts became anxious and nervous, which only made it easier for Colorado, who was calm and confident.

“Pretty frustrated and disappointed,” Logan Couture explained that feeling during the match. “We should have been up two or three after the first,” Sharks forward said.

On the other end, everything went well for Jared Bednar’s guys. Avalanche’s coach made a few adjustments in the team’s lines, and they immediately gave results. At the midpoint of the third period, Matt Nieto was at the right place at the right time, using chaos in front of Sharks’ goal to put the puck into the net of the home team.

Colorado cut the deficit to 3-2 through Brent Burns with 4:34 left in the game, and the home team decided to become more aggressive after that.

They pulled oud Martin Jones from the goal, to have an extra man, but like in the majority situations during this game, they simply couldn’t score. Nathan MacKinnon sealed their fate with an empty-net goal 62 seconds before the end.

All that San Jose did until the end was Burns’ second goal of the match, which came on a powerplay.

“It’s great, we needed this,” MacKinnon said. “We just wanted a split, and we got it and it’s massive for us.”

To understand the magnitude of Colorado’s win, we will tell you only one thing. Last night’s victory was only the third one in the previous 24 meetings here.

An assist from Grubauer.
A huge effort from Calvert.
An empty net game-winner from MacKinnon!#GoAvsGo https://t.co/0Is4OJS1Tn

— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) April 29, 2019

But it’s not only that. Avalanche players are playing much better at home, and they don’t hide that. Pepsi Center is their stronghold and the place where they feel confident. MacKinnon stressed out that, saying that a win at SAP Center improves their position enormously.

“We feel really good at home right now. We won both games at home in the first round. We feel good and are ready to go.”

What makes them feel good is that home-ice advantage they took away from the Sharks, and the fact that they snapped a four-game losing streak against this opponent.

Will they be able to make a mini-stretch of their own at home, we’ll see that over the next few days. Game 3 is set for Tuesday 10 p.m. ET at Pepsi Center.