After dropping Game 1 of the series, Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar philosophically answered a question about his team needing to be better the next time out.
He said, “You get in the playoffs and you have no choice but to elevate your game.” And from Game 2 until the conclusion of the five-game series with the Jets on Tuesday night, that’s precisely what the Avalanche did.
Colorado’s goaltending — an area of concern down the regular season stretch and certainly after Game 1 — never faltered again. Their best players levitated to the challenge for four straight games and the team’s overall compete was just too much for the Jets to handle.
In other words, the Avalanche, only two seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup, rose to another level after the first game and deflected the many pushes the Jets tried in earnest to generate to get back in the series, including Tuesday night.
Winnipeg’s star defenceman Josh Morrissey called the Avalanche the better team and spoke about how his club needed to learn and to improve from the disappointing experience of a playoff ouster in the first round for the second straight season.
Upon departing downtown Winnipeg last night, Colorado left little doubt on where they currently sit as one of the league’s heavyweight teams, a group that is well-informed in winning, and more importantly understands what it takes to win at this time of year.
The Jets, meanwhile, will prepare to review every facet of their team. Questions, assessment, and likely acute inspection will follow in the days, weeks and months ahead — despite the team posting one of its best regular seasons in franchise history.
And over that assessment, they’ll probably note the one item that Colorado currently understands better than most, which is when it comes to the playoffs, you have no choice but to elevate your game.
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