Final Buzzer: Avs Tie Series

DENVER -The Kraken jumped out to a two-goal lead in the first period here Thursday, only to receive a 1-2 punch back at them in the second period when host and defending champion Colorado scored twice in 48 seconds. Game on and series on.
After nearly 13 minutes of back-and-forth, heart-in-throat but scoreless third-period action at both ends of the ice, the Avalanche climbed back to a 1-1 series with the upstart Seattle. Defenseman Devon Toews scored the game-winner on a rebound after Artturi Lehkonen took the original shot. Philipp Grubauer, valiant in defeat with 38 saves, couldn't control the rebound, which bounded straight to Toews' stick blade.

Third Period Pushes Wrong Way
If Kraken faithful were offered a deal of sorts that this Game 2 would be tied at two goals apiece going into the third period, it's highly like most fans would shake hands on that offer. While such a guarantee is pure folly, a 2-2 tie was exactly what Seattle faced coming back out for the third period. After an opening period largely controlled by the Kraken both in scoring chances (10 to just two for Colorado) and goals (two and an Avs goose egg), fortunes were flipped in the middle 20 minutes with Colorado not only notching the two goals but out-chancing Seattle 13 to six.
The third period promised to be must-watch hockey and didn't disappoint with the Kraken proving they not only belong in the 16-team Stanley Cup Playoffs but in this series with the defending champion Avalanche.
"We're obviously happy with the first period," said Dave Hakstol to a packed press conference in Denver. "We knew they were gonna have a push and they did in the second period. The first 10 minutes they were on the gas and had some real good opportunities to tie the game up. We evened it out [later second period]."
The final 20 minutes featured near-misses at both ends and the tight, physical play that is the standard operating procedure for the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Colorado outshot the Kraken, 15-6, in the frame and totaled 41 for the game compared to 29 for Seattle.
"I like the way we started the third period," said Hakstol. "They had a three- to four-minute push right before they scored the game-winner. To that point, I liked where we were at, but we didn't weather the storm and couldn't turn the momentum quick enough."

##### Early to Rise...
The Kraken did it again. After scoring within four minutes of the starts of each period during the Game 1 win, Justin Schultz, joining the play just like Dave Hakstol designed, took a pass from Eeli Tolvanen (he scored early first period Tuesday) to put the puck past Colorado goalie Alexandar Georgiev just 2:40 into this contest. Yanni Gourde earned the secondary assist as his line turned into a half dozen strong shifts in the opening 20 minutes.

Thing is, Schultz's shot was the Kraken's fifth on goal in less than three minutes into the game. Seattle dominated the first half of the period with a 7-2 shots-on-goal advantage in the first 10 minutes, including four Grade-A scoring chances. Per the intensity of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Colorado defenseman resorted to roughing up Jared McCann in an attempt to reverse momentum.
While Seattle didn't convert on the power play and SEA defenseman Jamie Oleksiak was soon after whistled off for a two-minute interference penalty, the Kraken retained the momentum and then some. While killing the Oleksiak penalty, Yanni Gourde played a form of keep-away, dumping a puck from center ice deep into the Avalanche zone and then out-hustling Avalanche all-star and 2022 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar to the puck in the corner.
Gourde then slowed down the play, gliding and keeping the puck underfoot to kill more time. Colorado second-line center J.T. Compher joined to help retrieve the puck, but Gourde poke-checked his stick just enough to move the puck to an onrushing Brandon Tanev at his usual warp speed.
Tanev fired his shot up and over a laid-out Makar (possibly altering course off the defenseman's body) and past Georgiev. It was suddenly 2-0 and the pre-game crowd hype and mega-decibels were flattened. Along the sidewall, Tanev was blowing a kiss to Avs fans on the other side of the glass in celebration of his seventh goal in 35 Stanley Cup Playoffs games.

"Jared [McCann] did a great job getting the puck up the ice and everything goes to Yanni from there," said Tanev. "He worked his butt off to get that puck out in the slot. I was fortunate to have some time and space to get a shot off."
The period ended 11-10 Kraken in terms of shots on goal with Colorado not racking up a single Grade-A scoring chance, per Natural Stat Trick. While Kraken fans on hand offered up more than a few "Gruuuuuu" chants in the first 20 minutes, the period ended with more than a smattering of boos from frustrated Avalanche fans.
##### Lead Vanishes in 48 Seconds, Playoff Intensity Ensues
Just under seven minutes into the second period, Philipp Grubauer made his best save of the night to that point, kicking out a quick-release shot from Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson from the dangerous high slot. But soon after, Colorado broke out its Cup-winning offense from last spring's title postseason and Kraken fans got to experience (wince?) the first true seismic momentum in favor of the home team.
The aforementioned and now back-on-his-feet Makar took a hard shot following an Avs faceoff win. Forward Artturi Lehkonen got a piece of it to break Grubauer's scoreless string of 54 minutes and six seconds dating back to Tuesday's first period. Forty-eight seconds later, with the now-boisterous Colorado faithful still roaring from the first goal, veteran forward Valeri Nichushkin sent the decibels jet-plane high with a game-tying goal.
Seattle held serve from there to exit and skated off to the second intermission with a 2-2 deadlock and Kraken getting the full gulp of a physical, fast, breathtaking NHL playoffs hockey. Grubauer recovered from the two quick scores by turning away eight more saves before the period ended, clearly bending rather than breaking. The Kraken mounted a scoring threat during a late middle-period power play, forcing Georgiev to make one of his best saves of the night and then doing the same on a final-minute 2-on-1 rush by Jared McCann and Jordan Eberle that Jamie Oleksiak joined with the Avs goalie thwarting Eberle's shot.