|
Young D are major contributors |
|
|
Rick Sadowski
 Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • RSS
• Archive
• CONTACT
|
|
|
They don’t have close to the experience or the pedigree, but the Avalanche believe they do have an answer for San Jose defensemen Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson:
Try Tyson Barrie, Samuel Girard and Cale Makar.
Burns and Karlsson have combined for four goals and 17 assists in nine playoff games, and they have both won the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. These guys have definite star power.
The Avalanche will need to control both – haven’t done it yet – if they are going to win this second-round series, now tied 1-1 heading to the Pepsi Center for Games 3 and 4.
Colorado also will need production from Girard, Makar and Barrie, who had a goal and two assists Sunday in the Avalanche’s 4-3 win in San Jose.
Barrie did his part in Game 2. He was terrific down the stretch in the regular season and has a goal and seven assists in seven playoff games. Not too shabby.
Now it will be interesting to see how Girard and Makar, both 20, perform as a pair moving forward.
Round 2 schedule
All times Mountain Time
Friday – San Jose 5, Avalanche 2
Sunday – Avalanche 4, San Jose 3
Tuesday 8 p.m. – at Pepsi Center
Thursday 8 p.m. -- at Pepsi Center
Saturday 8 p.m. -- at San Jose
* Monday TBD – at Pepsi Center
* Wednesday May 8, TBD – at San Jose
*If necessary
Coach Jared Bednar liked what he saw after putting them together Sunday, and on Monday said he plans to keep them together Tuesday.
“We wouldn’t be playing them together and playing them the amount of minutes they’re playing if they didn’t deserve it and earned it,” he said.
Girard played 15:43 Sunday and had two shots on goal. He’s averaging 19:31 in four playoff games and seeking his first point. He missed the last three games of the Calgary series with an upper-body injury.
Makar, playing in just his fifth NHL game, logged 14:57 Sunday, had three shots, one hit and one takeaway. He’s averaging 17:23 iand has a goal and two assists.
“They’ve been real effective in being able to move along the offensive blue line and create some shooting lanes and they’re both so good on their skates,” captain Gabriel Landeskog said. “As a defending forward it’s got to be really hard to defend those guys. Obviously, we’ve got to defend Burns and Karlsson, but they also have to defend Barrie and Girard and Makar, so it goes both ways.
“The way they’re able to escape pressure and skate pucks out of our zone, that’s an important quality to have as defenseman, and they’ve done a good job so far.”
Girard admittedly was rusty in Game 1 against the Sharks, a 5-2 Avalanche loss, in his first game after recovering from his injury.
“It's tough when you miss one week and a half, especially in the playoffs,” he said. “It takes a little time. I feel my legs and the rest of the game was more there after Game 2. It's just going to get better.”
As for being paired with Makar:
“Cale is so good on his feet. He's a good puck mover too. It's good to play with him. He's so good on the ice. It's so easy for me to play with him. He's actually good defensively too. Offensively, we all know he's got some good skill. We just need to play our game. We need to bring some offense and make sure we play good offensively as well.”
Bednar said Makar has been “an elite player everywhere he’s been and now he gets here, and it just doesn’t seem like anything fazes him.”
Makar said he enjoyed being paired with Girard on Sunday and is looking forward to doing it again Tuesday.
“It’s really fun to play with him, he’s a fast guy and very dynamic,” he said. “When you have two guys who can move the puck fast, guys who like to go up the ice really quick, it’s fun to play together. We want to create offense and stuff and try to keep it in the zone and create chances, but at the end of the day we’re just trying to be players out there and make some plays.”
Join the Discussion:
»