Avalanche Squares Off Against Sharks in Game 7

The Colorado Avalanche and San Jose Sharks face off in the final contest of their second round series in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs on Wednesday at 8 p.m. MT at SAP Center. With the best-of-seven set all squared up at 3-3, the winner of the contest will face the St. Louis Blues in the Western Conference Final.
The last time the Avalanche advanced to a Western Conference Final was in 2002 when the squad went on to face the Detroit Red Wings. The Sharks last earned a spot in the conference final in 2016 when San Jose advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. The Sharks were defeated by the Pittsburgh Penguins in six contests in the final that season.

Recapping Game 6

The Avalanche forced a decisive Game 7 against the San Jose Sharks by earning a 4-3 overtime win on Monday at home. In the back-and-forth affair, neither team scored back-to-back goals as Colorado kicked off the scoring early in the second period with a Tyson Jost marker, with assists from J.T. Compher and Ian Cole. San Jose answered with a goal from Marc-Edouard Vlasic before Compher notched the first of his two tallies on the night. Brent Burns struck for the Sharks just 1:16 later to tie the score at 2-2 heading into the third frame. Compher netted his second marker four minutes into the third stanza, but Vlasic evened the score once again and the clubs needed extra time to decide a victor. Just 2:32 into the bonus frame, Gabriel Landeskog netted the game-winner with an assist from Cale Makar to give the Avs the win and force a Game 7. Carl Soderberg, Alexander Kerfoot, Derick Brassard and Colin Wilson added helpers in the win for Colorado, while Avalanche netminder Philipp Grubauer stopped 19 shots on net. Timo Meier and Gustav Nyquist each registered a pair of helpers for the Sharks, while teammates Erik Karlsson and Logan Couture had an assist apiece on the night. San Jose goaltender Martin Jones made 22 saves.

What To Watch

Déjà Vu
The 2002 Stanley Cup Playoffs was the last time the Avs advanced to the third round of postseason. That year, Colorado defeated the San Jose Sharks in a seven-game set to advance to the Western Conference Final.
The Kids Are Alright
Colorado's last five goals, dating back to Game 5 on Saturday, have been scored by players age 26 or younger. Gabriel Landeskog (26) had the game-winning goal in overtime of Game 6, while J.T. Compher (24) had two tallies in the victory. Tyson Jost (21) netted goals in both Games 5 and 6. During the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, 25 of the team's 33 markers have come from skaters age 26 and younger.

Players To Watch

Colorado: Center Colin Wilson
In 11 games played during the postseason, Wilson shares third place among Avalanche players in scoring with seven points. He has four goals and three helpers, including an assist in the Game 6 victory over the Sharks. The 29-year old is one goal away from tying his playoff career high of five goals set in 2015 and 2016 with the Nashville Predators.
San Jose: Defenseman Brent Burns
The 6-foot-5, 230-pound blueliner has notched eight points (four goals, four assists) during the series against the Avs, the most of any skater during the second round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs. In his most recent Game 7 appearance, Burns registered an assist during 39:37 of ice time in a 5-4 overtime win against the Vegas Golden Knights on April 23.

The Details

Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs' second-round series between the Avalanche and Sharks is slated for 7 p.m. MT on Wednesday at SAP Center in San Jose. The contest can be watched nationally in the United States on NBCSN, viewed online at NBCSports.com or NHL.tv, or streamed on select devices with the NBC Sports or NHL app. The contest will be televised throughout Canada on Sportsnet, CBC and TVA Sports. The radio broadcast can be heard locally on Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM or online at ColoradoAvalanche.com.
Tune in to Altitude TV before and after Game 7 for complete coverage of the Avs
. Avalanche Face-off starts at 6:30 p.m., and the Avalanche Locker Room Report begins immediately following the conclusion of the contest.
The Avalanche's official playoff watch party
, presented by Coors Light, is at Sports Column in downtown Denver. Fans can watch Game 7 with mascot Bernie and the RAM Trucks Avalanche Ice Girls and win prizes, including signed memorabilia.