Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog is nearing his franchise’s biggest moment in a decade, just two successive wins shy of a berth in the Western Conference Finals of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with zero room for error.
Game 6 against the Sharks on Monday night inside Pepsi Center, trailing the series 3-2, helps decide whether the 2018-19 Avs were a greatness-building block or contender coming-out celebration. Expect some team reflection in the dressing room that is pregame, and while Landeskog conveys his leadership torch proudly, don’t anticipate the stoic Swede to wax poetic about the bets.
“I’m not much for speeches ” he said. “So many men have been in this position before. ”
Well, not exactly.
The Avalanche entered this postseason with just a handful of players, such as goaltender Philipp Grubauer and ahead Colin Wilson, who previously reached the next round of the playoffs with different teams. Colorado’s lack of Cup chasing, however, doesn’t mean it’s doomed.
Colorado finished the regular season on a 8-0-2 run to catch the No. 8 seed. The players are utilised to urgency.
“We’ve been counted out times,” Landeskog said. “We’re not going to pack it in just re facing elimination. Everybody will step up. ”
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Coach Jared Bednar told reporters he’s careful to not over-coach his team this time of the year. A civilization has allowed for correction when Colorado needed it. Bednar was clearly irked Saturday night after Game 5 at San Jose where he said the Avs just got in a 2-1 defeat. Bednar didn’t let that frustration follow him off the plane home.
“Our team has built a great deal of trust with me,” Bednar said Sunday. “So I’m at ease a little bit more because we’ve had to play so many must-win games down the stretch. ”
Landeskog has failed to score a point in his past three games. More is expected from the whole lineup Monday night with everything at stake.
“We can’t afford any passengers at this point of the season,” Landeskog said. “I think certainly that our team will step up. In the front of our home crowd we should make sure this isn&rsquo. ”
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