Takeaways: Avalanche Fall In Shootout To Rangers

In a potential Stanley Cup Final preview on Thursday night that felt every bit of the intensity that implies, the Colorado Avalanche came up short in the dreaded shootout 3-2.

Despite controlling play in overtime and most of the final frame, the Avalanche will walk away from Ball Arena with only one point. More heartbreakingly, Nathan Mackinnon’s 35-game home point streak comes to an end due to a controversial scorer’s decision.

Let’s dive in:

Toews Unassisted

Let’s rip the band-aid off right away: I do think Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren tapped the second Avalanche goal into his own net, leaving the official scorer’s decision of Devon Toews (unassisted) as correct. It sure didn’t look that way without an overhead close-up, though. It appeared to all in attendance that Mackinnon and Toews assisted a Mikko Rantanen rebound to tie the game late in the third. Alas, not to be, though, as Mackinnon would tell you he cares more about the scoreboard than the stats, and despite losing a carnival game, the Avalanche impressed where it counts.

Playoff Hockey

This game was a must-watch from start to finish between two very good teams in late-season form. As you can see in the chart below, Colorado controlled the scoring chances most of the night, but Igor Shesterkin stood on his head, and the puck luck wasn’t there for the Avalanche. This game should be a must-watch on ESPN Powerplay for everyone who missed it Thursday night, and we can all look forward to seven games of this in May.