Avalanche forward J.T. Compher skates to an opposing goaltender’s crease on a mission to create havoc on the forecheck, and even if it’s ugly, to put in the puck.

“That’s how you score goals,” Compher said. “Getting to the net.”

Colorado’s third-line center is more than just talk. Remember Saturday?

In the Avs’ 4-3 overtime defeat against Vegas, Compher scored the third-period equalizer when he bullied Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt by knocking him off-balance with a two-gloved shove — and creating the small space required to rebound a Nazem Kadri shot attempt back into the net.

“A big goal from the Compher line getting it in on the forecheck and bringing us back to even,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said postgame. “Going into the playoffs, you have to expect that teams are going to check you hard. That’s the goal of every team.”

Lately, Colorado’s third “Compher line” hasn’t been afraid to bring the pain. In three games of Western Conference round-robin seeding play, the trio of Compher, Andre Burakovsky, and Jonas Donskoi combined for eight points (four goals) with a net-aggressive brand of hockey.

On Wednesday, in the Avs’ 4-0 blowout win over the Dallas Stars, Donskoi’s net focus led to a power-play scoring opportunity when he drifted near the crease just as a Sam Girard fired a slapshot from the point. When the puck bounced off Stars goalie Anton Khudobin’s leg pads, it led to an easy backhand putback for Donskoi.

Burakovsky was more poetic in attacking Dallas when he rifled a puck from the top of the right circle, off the crossbar and into the goal. But Colorado knows those pucks won’t always find the net.

Compher is happy to post up for the dirty work.

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“Both of those players are great puck possession guys and play with a lot of speed,” Compher said. “As long as we keep finishing to the net, I think we’re going to be successful.”

Bednar and players have lauded the team’s depth on its road to securing the No. 2 seed, and Colorado needs its third-line to maintain excellence as the Avs await the Arizona Coyotes in the first round of the Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs in Edmonton. NHL MVP finalist Nathan MacKinnon told reporters after Saturday’s game that “it’s going to be a tough series.”

Can the Avs match the Coyotes’ physicality? Compher and company are ready to answer the call.

“Arizona has an identity and they play to it every night,” Bednar said. “They’re very consistent in what they do. They’re going to make it difficult for our guys. We’re going to have to be ready to deal with their checking. It’s nothing that we haven’t seen before. It’s just an important time of the year. They’re a really good hockey team and they’ve proved that already here in the bubble.”

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