Avalanche Weekly Update - May 3
Colorado and San Jose are tied 2-2 in the best-of-seven, second-round series
by Colorado Avalanche @Avalanche / ColoradoAvalanche.com
Avalanche Playoff Notes
LEADING THE WAY: Nathan MacKinnon (6g/7a) and Mikko Rantanen (5g/8a) share the NHL playoff scoring lead with 13 points. It's the most points by an Avalanche player in a single posteason since 2002 (Peter Forsberg 27, Sakic 19, Alex Tanguay 13, Greg deVries 13). MacKinnon's six goals are the most by a Colorado player since Sakic (7) in 2004 and his league-leading three game-winning goals are the most by an Avalanche player since 2002 (Forsberg 4, Chris Drury 3).
MacKINNON STREAKING: Nathan MacKinnon (6g/7a) has an eight-game point streak, the longest of anyone in this year's playoffs, and the longest by an Avalanche player since Forsberg in 2002. MacKinnon's streak is tied for the third longest in Avalanche postseason history.
BARRIE NICE: Tyson Barrie has had two three-point performances in the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs, joining Sandis Ozolinsh (twice: 1997 and 1998) and Rob Blake (2001) as the only Colorado defenders to have two three-point games in a single postseason. Barrie's eight points are the most by an Avalanche defenseman in one playoff year since Greg deVries (13) and Blake (12) in 2002.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Avs are 3-1 at home this postseason and 9-1 in their last 10 home games dating back to March 17. Tuesday's Game 3 loss snapped an eight-game home winning streak for the Avalanche, as Colorado had not lost at Pepsi Center since March 15 vs. Anaheim.
Second Round vs. San Jose Sharks
The Avalanche's second-round series against the Sharks shifts back to San Jose for Game 5 on Saturday night at 8 p.m. MT. Colorado evened the series 2-2 with a 3-0 win in Game 4 on Thursday at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche is 11-9 all-time in best-of-seven playoff series when splitting the first four games, including an 8-5 record since moving to Denver. This is the fifth time the Avalanche and Sharks have met in the postseason, having also clashed in 1999 (CQF), 2002 (CSF), 2004 (CSF) and 2010 (CQF). Colorado is 2-2 in those four series.
Player Spotlight: Philipp Grubauer
Philipp Grubauer turned aside all 32 shots to record his first career playoff shutout in Game 4 vs. San Jose on Thursday. He became the fifth goaltender in Avalanche/Nordiques history to register a postseason shutout and the first to do so since Craig Anderson in Game 3 of the 2010 Conference Quarterfinal against San Jose. He is the first German-born goaltender in NHL history to record a playoff shutout and the second of German nationality to do so, joining Olie Kolzig. Dating back to March 17, Grubauer is 13-3-2 over his last 18 starts with a 1.90 goals-against average and .942 save percentage.
Quotable
"If he's not the best player in the world right now, I don't know who is. Thank God he is on our team because he would make a lot of us look silly, that's for sure. What a player, he is clearly on a different level right now and is feeling it." - Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson on forward Nathan MacKinnon