On Saturday afternoon, the Colorado Avalanche hosted the Pittsburgh Penguins, and the game was everything fans could have asked for.
With the NHL’s postseason right around the corner, these two teams demonstrated exactly what playoff hockey should look like. Both teams are firmly in the playoff picture, and if they play as they did on Saturday, this could be a Stanley Cup Final preview
The pace of the game was fast from start to finish. Pittsburgh and Colorado combined for 28 first-period shots (17 for the Penguins), and the final count was 40-38 in favor of the Pens.
The back and forth play throughout the game forced both goaltenders to stand on their heads for the better part of 60 minutes. Darcy Kuemper stopped 38 of the shots he faced, including all 17 in the first period to keep the game scoreless after 20 minutes.
At the other end, Tristan Jarry was at his busiest in the final period of the game, facing 14 shots and making some critical saves to give his team an opportunity to stay in the game.
The Avalanche and Penguins gave us a show on Saturday.
As noted above, there were no goals scored in the first, so the ice was broken in period two by Mikko Rantanen. The Avalanche forward swatted a rebound over the shoulder of Jarry halfway through the period.
Penguins captain Sidney Crosby answered later in the frame with his 26th goal of the season. One of the stories of the game, though, was the response by Colorado after Pittsburgh scored.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel gave the Avalanche a new one-goal lead only 20 seconds after Crosby tied the game. Then, Colorado gave everyone deja vu in the third period when, after Mike Matheson tied the game at two, Devon Toews buried a rebound to retake the lead and ultimately win the game.
Both teams raced all over the ice for 60 minutes, while the netminders stole the show at times. The game was also very clean, as there was only one penalty committed in total.
With a masterful combination of offense, defense, and overall elite hockey in a game that either team could have won, nothing was missing from this contest.
The Avalanche and Penguins will do it again on Tuesday, this time in Pittsburgh, as the clubs meet at PPG Paints Arena.