DENVER (AP) — Forget motivational speeches. Colorado coach Jared Bednar simply let the game tape do the talking.
The Avalanche went over the video of their 4-2 loss to Vegas in the opener of the Western Conference Final. All things considered — no Cale Makar,
defensive miscommunications, falling behind 3-0 — Bednar saw more that was quickly fixable than not, even if it might have been hard to watch again.“We don’t tiptoe around it in our locker room.
We show the things we liked, we show the things we didn’t like. There’s no secrets,” Bednar said as the team prepared for Game 2 against the Golden Knights on Friday. “Expectations are high, and if one guy’s making a mistake, it’s likely that other guys are going to be put in the same positions. ... We feel like a lot of it’s on us.”
The return of Makar would be a big boost. Bednar, though, offered no update on the star defenseman, who's sidelined by an upper-body injury. Makar did skate Thursday in an optional practice.
For now, Bednar is banking on the fact his team has responded when faced with adversity. That bounce-back trait is a reason Colorado captured the Presidents' Trophy as the league's top team.
“I know our team, and I know our goals, and I know the mindset of our group. So it’s not like I’m going in there and giving some speech that’s going to turn the series around,” Bednar said. “Or get it going in the right direction. It’s pretty pointed on what we need to do and what we think we can do. To me, the motivation to play is there for all of our guys. It’s about us going and trying to be the best version of ourselves that we could be, because we weren’t (Wednesday).”
At times, and maybe to be expected, the Avalanche looked disorganized on the defensive end without Makar. Bednar, though, made one thing clear: “That has nothing to do with Cale,” he said. “I’m just looking at the guys that are in the lineup, and I think I’ve seen them play a lot better when it comes to the way we move the puck.
“Most of the chances that we gave up were more execution issues, mismanagement of the puck. There’s some decision-making in there that wasn’t great.”
Forward Nazem Kadri zeroed in on the positives, like Colorado scoring two third-period goals and making it 3-2 with 2:21 remaining before surrendering an empty-netter.
“We’re a good team. We have full confidence in our capabilities, and I don’t think that really wavers depending on if you win or lose, especially early in the series,” Kadri said. “We did a lot of great things last game, a little bit sloppy at times, but felt like we did enough to win the game. Credit to them, they stole one. Now we’ve got to respond.”
Kadri noted the rebound by Colorado after Minnesota won 5-1 in Game 3 of the second round. Colorado followed that with a 5-2 victory to take control of the series.
“Some people thought the sky was falling then,” Kadri said. “We have a process that we stick to, and we’re not going to waver from that.”
Vegas is a savvy group that plays with a swagger. Coming into a hostile arena doesn't faze the Golden Knights. It's an attribute coach John Tortorella appreciates about his team.
“They’ve seen it, most of the guys have seen it, have felt it,” said Tortorella, whose team is 3-0 in Game 1s this postseason. “It’s sometimes easier for the away team in these type of situations to play. You can use it to your advantage.”
For the Avalanche, it boils down to a faster start. They're 5-0 when scoring first in the postseason and 3-2 after giving up the opening goal. To get an early lead, they have to solve Carter Hart, who had 36 saves in Game 1.
“We've got to start to try to take the lead a little bit more in these games, and put our foot down,” defenseman Devon Toews said. “Put pressure on teams to try to attack us, instead of us having to attack them.”
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