Philipp Grubauer started last season as the backup to Semyon Varlamov in the Colorado Avalanche net, but when given the chance to become the number one goaltender down the stretch he took it, leading the team through the playoffs until their ultimate demise in game seven of the second round. Thanks to an injury sustained in the Stadium Series loss to the L.A. Kings he may have just lost that role to his backup this year, Pavel Francouz, who was fantastic again Saturday night as the Av’s beat division rivals the Nashville Predators 3-2.
It was a lackluster opening period from the Avalanche who looked tired following a tough game last night against the Carolina Hurricanes. Passes went awry and Francouz, who made the start one night removed from facing 47 shots against the Canes, made a number of good saves to keep Nashville out.
It was captain Gabriel Landeskog who opened the scoring 13:23 into the second period. Picking up the pass from Erik Johnson, Landeskog made his way to the net and somehow lifted it past Juuse Saros’ shoulder into the far corner of the net.
Martin Kaut doubled the lead with 15:38 played in the second when he blasted a Tyson Jost pass beyond Saros for his second ever NHL goal. Cale Makar batted down the puck and took off before picking out Jost on the right hand side. Jost stood up the puck just long enough to pick out Kaut entering the offensive zone and the rookie from Czech Republic did the rest.
That put the Av’s second period goal differential at +39 for the season so far, the best in the NHL ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs (+18) and the Minnesota Wild (+16).
Nashville pushed back and Viktor Arvidsson scored on a breakaway with 5:20 remaining, making it a nervy finish for the Avalanche.
Avalanche sink Ducks
And Nashville did get a second from Calle Jarnkrok with 2.5 seconds remaining but not before Erik Johnson had killed the game off with 57 second on the clock, shooting the puck from behind his own net into an empty Nashville net to make it six wins in a row. This all without Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, Andre Burakovsky, Matt Calvert and Philipp Grubauer.
