Avalanche Holds Full-Team Practice Before Game 2

CENTENNIAL, Colo.-- All Colorado Avalanche players were accounted for at the team's practice on Tuesday at Family Sports Center, including defenseman Ryan Graves.

Graves came back for two shifts to finish Sunday's Game 1 against the Vegas Golden Knights after a scrum in front of the Colorado net at 8:04 of the third period. Graves ended up getting his head pushed into the ice while Vegas' Ryan Reaves held him down for retribution on an earlier hit.
The league suspended Reaves for two games on Monday for roughing and unsportsmanlike conduct. While Reaves is currently defined as a repeat offender, his situation is different to that of Nazem Kadri, who is continuing his appeal process while having served three of an eight-game suspension handed down by the NHL Department of Player Safety on May 21 for an illegal check to the head.
"Totally different circumstances. He got two games, and that's it," said head coach Jared Bednar on comparing Kadri and Reaves' incidents. "I really don't have anything else to say on it. My focus is on preparing our team for tomorrow night."
Colorado had a 25-minute, full-team session at its practice facility after having a day away from the ice on Monday. The Avalanche has two days between contests versus Vegas, as Game 2 is set for 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday at Ball Arena.
The Avs won Game 1 by a 7-1 score after jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the second period.
"There is always room for improvement," said goaltender Philipp Grubauer, who made 24 saves. "The first game, always kind of a feeling out mode, see what they're doing, see what we're doing, see what they're coming and throwing at us. So going to watch some video here in the next couple of hours and get ready for the next game. Overall, I thought we played a really strong game, 60 minutes, everybody contributed. That was great, and that is how it's going to have to be moving forward too."
Prior to the skate, defenseman Erik Johnson (upper body) and forward Logan O'Connor (lower body) both participated in individual skills drills. Johnson, who wore a red, non-contact jersey, did not participate in a team practice, but O'Connor did stay out and practiced with the "Black Aces" after the Avs' regulars had finished up their on-ice activities.

GRUBAUER VEZINA FINALIST

The NHL announced on Tuesday morning that Philipp Grubauer has been named a finalist for the 2020-21 Vezina Trophy, given to the league's best goaltender.
Grubauer tied for first in the NHL with a career-high seven shutouts, while ranking second in both wins (30) and goals-against average (1.95), which were also personal bests. The Rosenheim, Germany, native ranked eighth in save percentage (.922).
The NHL general managers submitted ballots for the award, with the Vegas Golden Knights' Marc-Andre Fleury and the Tampa Bay Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy also earning finalist honors.
"Never in my life did I think I would be a part of that group, sitting on that table with Vasy and Flower. It's a huge honor," said Grubauer. "It's not only an honor for myself, but I think it represents the organization really well. It's an honor for the coaching staff, for [goaltending coach Jussi Parkkila], for everybody who put time and effort into it behind the scenes."
Grubauer is the third netminder in Avalanche/Nordiques history that has been voted a Vezina Trophy finalist (Patrick Roy, twice; and Semyon Varlamov) and is looking to become the franchise's first winner of the award. Olie Kolzig (1999-00 with Washington) is the only other German-born keeper to capture the hardware.

PRACTICE LINE COMBINATIONS

Forwards
92 Gabriel Landeskog - 29 Nathan MacKinnon - 96 Mikko Rantanen
20 Brandon Saad - 17 Tyson Jost - 13 Valeri Nichushkin
95 Andre Burakovsky - 37 J.T. Compher - 72 Joonas Donskoi
75 Sampo Ranta - 41 Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - 18 Alex Newhook
34 Carl Soderberg - 91 Nazem Kadri - 44 Kiefer Sherwood
Defensemen
7 Devon Toews - 8 Cale Makar
49 Samuel Girard - 27 Ryan Graves
24 Patrik Nemeth - 22 Conor Timmins
4 Bowen Byram - 26 Jacob MacDonald
Goaltenders
31 Philipp Grubauer
40 Devan Dubnyk
35 Jonas Johansson

ONE TIMERS

Sampo Ranta on when he learned he was making his NHL debut in Game 1: "It was the morning skate before the game, game-day morning skate, so it was pretty exciting. I was super excited and I felt ready to go, and I told my family and let them know I was playing. It was a good day."
Philipp Grubauer on being in a playoff series with fellow Vezina Trophy finalist Marc-Andre Fleury: "It makes it really exciting. Hopefully he plays tomorrow. I don't think it happens too many times, so I'm really looking forward to it. It's been a battle all season long with him, and he's an unbelievable goalie, a goalie that I watched when I came over and played in the Canadian Hockey League. I always watched Flower, so it's kind of fun for me to look down at the other end and see him there."