Monday went differently than how the Colorado Avalanche wanted it to. A pivotal Game 4 can see a series tied at two apiece or lead to a team being down 3-1 and having to mount a comeback. It all started rough for the Avs it was announced that two of their players would not take the ice, and it promptly ended with them losing 5-1 and falling behind 3-1 in the series.
Devon Toews was announced to be dealing with an illness and could be back for Game 5, but Valeri Nichushkin is a different story. It was announced before puck drop that he would be placed in Stage 3 of the Player Assistance Program. Stage 3 means he will leave the team for six months without pay. There is a lot on the Avalanche’s plate here, with Toews dealing with an illness and Nichushkin now out for the series/playoffs.. Here are some key contributors who have to step up their game to come back from this 3-1 deficit to advance to the Western Conference Final.
Mikko Rantanen
In the Stars vs. Avalanche series preview, I stated that Mikko Rantanen needs to be the MVP of this series. Despite having two goals and seven assists for nine points against the Winnipeg Jets in the first round, I said that his game could have been more aggressive, looking to take more shots and drive to the net more, and that couldn’t be more true against the Stars in round two. With just one goal and two assists for three points in four games, Rantanen looks unenthusiastic and passive. His best game of the series so far came in Game 3; he scored a goal by crashing the net and batting in a loose puck to secure his first tally of the round.
Rantanen is also 6-foot-4, 215 pounds. He can throw the body and play physically in front of the net, but when 5-foot-8 Logan Stankoven ran him over in Game 4, you had question what is going on. This is no shot at Stankoven, as he is playing outstandingly in his first playoff run. Rantanen, however, is a minus-five in the series and has looked nothing close to what we have seen before, especially in the playoffs. With eligibility to sign a contract extension on July 1, there will be many questions heading into summer if he can’t find his game this series.
Jonathan Drouin
Jonathan Drouin‘s return was crucial to the team, given how he played before he got injured. He deserved it, especially with all the hard work he put into this regular season and his rehab to come back for the playoffs. While he definitely looked like a player who hadn’t played in a bit of time, his game was just what was expected when he was on the ice. Playing on the second line with Casey Mittelstadt and Zach Parise, he looked quick and confident and made an excellent play behind the net to set up Mittelstadt on the only goal they scored in the game.
Related: Jonathan Drouin Emerging at Right Time for Avalanche
Drouin could see some time back up with Nathan MacKinnon and Rantanen, a line that shined during the regular season and could help with the offence right now. Their line played together for a total of 485 minutes, which was ranked 13th in the league but had the third-highest Expected Goals% (57.3%), fourth-lowest Expected Goals Against (21.4) and the highest Expected Goals For Per 60 Minutes (3.55). This line has chemistry and was a significant story in the regular season since Drouin took less money to play with an old friend (MacKinnon) and really reignite his game in the hopes of looking for a larger contract this offseason. Look for him to be a significant factor in Game 5 and the rest of the playoffs playoffs.
Sean Walker
The latest addition to the team, brought in from the Philadelphia Flyers during the trade deadline, Sean Walker was a key contributor during the regular season. He helped bolster the defensive group and was often paired with veteran Jack Johnson; he brings excellent speed and versatility while he plays on the second power-play unit. In 18 regular season games with the Avalanche, he had four goals and three assists for seven points, but in the playoffs, he has yet to score a single point. Averaging just under 18 minutes of ice time a game and only recording 12 shots on goal, Walker hasn’t been bad; he just hasn’t given enough on the ice to really make an impact.
He hasn’t been making any defensive mistakes regarding turnovers or “bad” penalties, but his limited offensive performance is a genuine concern. Of all the defenders who have played in the playoffs (besides Caleb Jones, who just played his first game), he is fourth in expected goals (0.5), last in Goals Above Expected (-0.5), last in On-Ice Goals% (33.3%) and fourth in On-Ice Expected Goals (58.9%). He’s been solid defensively, but unless head coach Jared Bednar sees a reason to shuffle the defensive pairings, a little more offence from Walker would be excellent in these desperate times.
The Avalanche have a lot of work to do, down 3-1 in the series and all of the momentum on the Stars’ side heading back to Dallas. This is where star players shine the brightest, and if these three could help spark the Avalanches’ comeback, it would mean a lot for them and the team’s continued chase for another Stanley Cup.