Avalanche and Coyotes Complete Back-to-Back in Game 3

The Colorado Avalanche is looking to keep rolling against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday at 1 p.m. MT when the teams face off in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series. The Avs currently own a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven set.

Colorado and Arizona played a tight contest on Friday afternoon where the Avalanche eventually came out on top, 3-2, following a bomb of a shot from Andre Burakovsky with less than three minutes to play in regulation. Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring for the Avs in the first period before Clayton Keller tallied to tie the game at 1-1 before the middle frame. Tyson Jost redirected a shot in from Cale Makar to give Colorado a 2-1 lead early in the second period, but it was quickly answered by the Coyotes' Michael Grabner. Burakovsky's goal put the Avs on top for good in the end.

Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer saved 30 of the 32 shots he faced, while Coyotes netminder Darcy Kuemper grabbed 25-of-28. The Yotes outshot the Avs 32-28.

Saturday's matchup is the second half of the back-to-back set. It is Colorado's first time playing on consecutive days in the playoffs since Games 3-4 of the Western Conference Quarterfinals on April 14-15, 2008 versus the Minnesota Wild.

Avalanche vs. Arizona Coyotes | Game 3

Rogers Place | Edmonton, Alberta

| Game Time: | 1:00 p.m. MT | | --- | --- | | TV: | Altitude, CNBC, Sportsnet 360, TVA Sports, Fox Sports-Arizona (ARI) | | Radio: | Altitude Sports Radio, FM 92.5 (KKSE) | | Live Streams: | NHL.tv, AltitudeNow.com, Official app, NBCSports.com, NBC Sports app (blackouts apply) | | Online Audio: | Listen Live Here | | Follow: | Virtual GameDay, Digital Arena, Playoff Central, @Avalanche, Official app, Gamecenter |

COLORADO-ARIZONA CONNECTIONS

The Avalanche acquired defenseman Kevin Connauton and a 2020 third-round draft pick from Arizona on June 25, 2019 in exchange for Carl Soderberg, who had played the previous four seasons in Colorado (2015-2019)… Arizona's Brad Richardson was drafted in the fifth-round by Colorado in 2003 (No. 163 overall) and played his first three NHL seasons with the Avs (2005-2008)… Coyotes head coach Rick Tocchet was an assistant coach in Colorado from 2002-2004… Avalanche defenseman Ian Cole and Arizona forward Phil Kessel were teammates on the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2015-2018 and won two Stanley Cups together with the Pens (2016 and 2017)… Kessel and Nazem Kadri both played on the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2009-2015… Colorado's Matt Nieto and Arizona's Jason Demers were teammates on the San Jose Sharks from 2013-2015… Erik Johnson and Coyotes' Alex Goligoski were teammates at the University of Minnesota in 2006-07.

HISTORY

Colorado and Arizona each won one game during the regular-season series in 2019-20. The Avs claimed a 3-2 victory in overtime at Pepsi Center on Oct. 12, but the Coyotes won 3-0 in the second matchup on Nov. 2 on their home ice. The clubs were slated to play a third and final game on March 31, but the outing was cancelled when the NHL paused its season due to coronavirus concerns.

The Avalanche has earned a 64-50-18 all-time record against the Yotes during the regular season and is 47-30-10 against the Arizona/Winnipeg Jets franchise since moving to Colorado in 1995. With Friday's win, the Avs moved to 6-1 all time against the Coyotes in the playoffs. Colorado and Arizona's only other postseason meeting came in the 2000 conference quarterfinals when the Avalanche defeated the Coyotes 4-1 in a best-of-seven series.

The Avs won 3-0 in the first game of this series on Wednesday after scoring three goals in 1:23 span in the third period. Friday's game was more contested, but Colorado defeated Arizona 3-2 after Andre Burakovsky scored the game-winning goal with less than three minutes to go in the third frame.

ROSTER REPORT

Forward Tyson Jost was in the lineup on Friday in place of Joonas Donskoi, who was unfit to play… Vladislav Namestnikov left Game 2 and didn't return, and head coach Jared Bednar told media afterward that the forward is believed to be day-to-day… Avs goaltender Philipp Grubauer started in the first half of the back-to-back set on Friday.

SCOUTING THE COYOTES

Arizona took 32 shots in Game 2, 18 more than the club took in the first outing. Phil Kessel led the team with five shots, while Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Conor Garland and Clayton Keller each fired four pucks on net. While Colorado holds the series lead, Arizona has been forcing the club to score at full strength, only allowing one power-play goal on six opportunities through two games. However, the Coyotes have yet to score on their man advantage in the two games against the Avs, going 0-for-6.

(AVS) PLAYER TO WATCH: Andre Burakovsky

Andre Burakovsky scored the go-ahead goal on Friday, giving the Avs a late 3-2 lead over the Coyotes. The tally marked the second time in his first season with the Avs that he scored the game-winning goal against Arizona, as the forward notched the overtime-winner when the clubs faced off in the regular season on Oct. 12. Burakovsky has earned four points (two goals, two assists) so far during the 2020 postseason and now has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in his 61 career playoff games.

(OPPOSING) PLAYER TO WATCH: Taylor Hall

Taylor Hall is currently tied for the second-most points on the Coyotes in the playoffs, registering four (one goal, three assists) in six postseason outings. Hall is one of the Arizona players who spends the most time on the ice, as he led the team's forwards with 22:35 of ice time on Friday. Additionally, he is a key member of Arizona's power-play unit, spending 4:53 of playing time during man-advantage opportunities in Game 2. Hall, who was acquired by the Coyotes in a trade with the New Jersey Devils in December, registered 27 points (10 goals, 17 assists) during the regular season with Arizona after piling up six goals and 19 assists with Jersey to start the 2019-20 campaign.

NUMBERS GAME

0

Colorado's penalty-kill unit has yet to allow a power-play goal during this series. The Avs only allowed two man-advantage tallies during round-robin play, killing 8-of-10 penalties.

3

With Andre Burakovsky's game-winner within three minutes of regulation time, the Avs became just the third team in the last 10 years to score multiple such goals in a single postseason, joining the 2019 St. Louis Blues and 2016 Tampa Bay Lightning. Nazem Kadri scored the club's first such instance on Aug. 2 at 19:59 against St. Louis during the Stanley Cup Qualifiers.

5x2

Nathan MacKinnon (two goals, four assists) and Nazem Kadri (two goals, four assists) both extended their point streaks to five games, notching a point in each of Colorado's first postseason contests. These are the longest streaks to open the playoffs since 2004 when Peter Forsberg had a seven-game streak and Joe Sakic had a six-game run.

20

This is the 20th time in franchise history that Colorado has played back-to-back games during the playoffs. The Avalanche/Nordiques own a 10-9 mark in the second half of consecutive sets during the postseason and own a 3-1 record since moving to Denver in 1995.

NOTEBOOK

Colorado has only surrendered one goal in the third period during the postseason this year, tied for the fewest of any club (Vegas)… The Avalanche's eight third period goals are tied for the third most in the league… After setting a new personal high for points in a single playoffs on Wednesday, Nazem Kadri set a new career best for assists (four) after notching a helper on Friday… J.T. Compher extended his point streak to three games with an assist on Friday… The Avs have taken a 2-0 series lead for the first time since the 2014 playoffs against the Minnesota Wild… Colorado has taken a 2-0 series lead 13 times since moving to Denver for the 1995-96 campaign, owning a 12-1 record in those instances… Friday's outing marks the Avalanche's 200th playoff contest since moving to Denver (113-86).