Game 3 Recap: Avs Power Past Preds With 7-3 Win

The Colorado Avalanche aren't letting up.
As the series shifted to Nashville in Game 3 of the First Round Series of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Avalanche powered past the Predators in a 7-3 victory on Saturday afternoon at Bridgestone Arena. Colorado now leads the series 3-0.

The Avs offense featured four power-play goals. Gabriel Landeskog led the way with four points (2G, 2A) including one power-play strike. Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri (1G, 1A) also scored on the power play. Devon Toews (1G, 1A) and Valeri Nichushkin scored in the third period. Cale Makar posted a three-point outing on three assists, while Mikko Rantanen handed out two helpers.
Darcy Kuemper started the game and made 9 saves on 10 shots in 19:53 minutes, but left the game in the final minute of the first period after suffering an injury and did not return. Pavel Francouz took over and made 18 saves on 20 shots in 40:57 minutes.
For Nashville, Matt Duchene scored at even-strength, while Eeli Tolvanen and Roman Josi provided strikes on the power-play. Conor Ingram made 35 saves on 41 shots for the Predators.

REGULATION SUMMARY:
After weathering a push from Nashville early in the first period and being outshot 4-0 through the first five minutes, the Avalanche took a 2-1 lead heading into the first intermission and scored the game's icebreaker, a trend they've accomplished in each game of this series.
The Avs first-period scoring featured two power-play goals. Darren Helm drew a tripping penalty on Eeli Tolvanen at 9:26 to give Colorado its first man advantage. Devon Toews sent a shot from distance for an easy tap-in by Lehkonen at the goal post to give Colorado a 1-0 lead at 10:45.
After killing off a Nazem Kadri cross-checking penalty, the Avalanche went back on the power play at 15:46 as Luke Kunin hi-sticked Josh Manson. On their second power play, Cale Makar threaded a pass to the doorstep to Landeskog. Colorado's captain redirected the pass straight to the net front, where MacKinnon jammed the puck past Ingram's legs at 16:08 to give his team a 2-0 lead.

Nashville responded on a transition play up ice, where Duchene and Kunin exchanged a pass opening up Duchene in the left faceoff circle and Duchene pinpointed his shot over Kuemper's shoulder to trim the Predators' deficit down 2-1 at 17:37.
In the final minute of the opening frame, Kuemper exited the game to the dressing room after Ryan Johansen's stick caught him in the eye hole of his helmet. Francouz replaced him in net and made one stop before both teams took to the first intermission.
The second period saw an exchange of goals as the Predators tied the score up twice, but ultimately the Avalanche pulled ahead - with two goals from Landeskog - to take a 5-3 lead heading into the final frame.
At 5:41 and on a Nashville power play, Tolvanen fired a shot at the left faceoff dot that hit off the post and crossbar and into the net to tie the score 2-2. At 10:58, after Andre Burakovsky drew a holding penalty, Ingram made back-to-back stops on Landeskog but on the third rebound, the Avs captain roofed the loose puck to restore the lead to his team. Burakovsky then took a holding penalty at 12:11 and Nashville converted on the man advantage at 12:54 as Josi ripped a one timer from distance over Francouz's glove.

With the score tied 3-3, Colorado capitalized on its next changes. On a quick line change, the Avs countered and from the slot, Landeskog grabbed a pass from Kadri and sniped it over Ingram's left shoulder at 14:02. The Predators challenged the play for goaltender interference, after suspecting that Lehkonen knocked Ingram out of position - but upon review, the goal was confirmed. On the subsequent penalty that Nashville had to serve for the incorrect challenge, the Avs extended their lead 5-3 at 14:41. Ingram stopped a rimmed puck behind the net, but as Landeskog was pressuring him he misplayed the puck to the abandoned net front where a crashing Kadri put away the costly error.
In the final frame, Toews jetted up the ice in transition and unleashed a low slap shot to the far side of Ingram's skate blade to extend Colorado's lead 6-3 at 9:33. The Avalanche furthered their lead 7-3 at 17:14 as Nichushkin scored on the Predators' empty net.
IN NET:
Kuemper made 9 saves on 10 shots in 19:53 minutes before suffering an injury and not returning. Pavel Francouz made 18 saves on 20 shots in 40:57 minutes.
Early in the first period when the Avs were under siege, Kuemper came up with timely stops to keep the PRedators off the board. On the same shift, he denied Duchene on an instance where he turned and fired a shot off from the left faceoff circle then subsequently came up with a big stop on a turnover that allowed Kunin with a chance in the low slot.
Francouz was solid for two periods that he played between the pipes and his first game action in eight days as he last played in the Avalanche's regular-season finale on April 29.
NOTEWORTHY:
NEXT GAME:
The Avalanche and the Predators continue the First-Round series in Nashville with Game 4 on Monday night at Bridgestone Arena with a 7:30 p.m. MT puck drop.