DENVER -- The Colorado Avalanche are content after splitting the first two games of the Western Conference First Round series against the Winnipeg Jets, and are hoping to take the series lead at home in Game 3 on Friday (10 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT, ALT, TVAS, CBC).
The 5-2 victory in Game 2 of the best-of-7 series on Tuesday proved to Colorado that it could defeat Winnipeg after getting swept by the Jets in three games during regular-season series and losing 7-6 in Game 1 on Sunday.
"I think, through any series, you have to go play your best and put some doubt in your opponent's minds, right? And that's tough to do, and sometimes it's impossible to do," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Wednesday. "Now we kind of know where we stand. We know how difficult it's going to be and how well we're going to have to play to win, and we have belief that we can win there or here.
"It's not always possible to gain the mental advantage, but you've got to go play your best. Again, if you want to advance, you've got to expect to have to play your best to do it."
Colorado got its best throughout the lineup in Game 2, including from goalie Alexandar Georgiev, who made 28 saves after allowing seven goals on 23 shots in Game 1.
"I didn't love the first period," Bednar said of the Game 2 win. "But the way we came out in period two and period three and kind of locked things down on the defensive side, we got the big saves when we needed it. I was really proud of our group to finally get to that adjustment and finish that game.
"And even more important for me, not just our team making the adjustments but 'Georgie' giving up a goal early and then just fighting through and sticking to his process of what he needed to do to have success. Was really proud of him and the way he handled himself in that game under a lot of pressure."
Through two games, the Avalanche have scored 10 goals on Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck, who won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season (199, including shootout-deciding goals).
Hellebuyck has allowed at least four goals in each game of the series, something he did only 10 times in 60 regular-season games.
"It's important, and to me that was just straight competitiveness and intensity through our entire forward group," Bednar said.
"That's as hard as I've seen our guys play in certain areas of the game, fighting to the net, being relentless on the forecheck, really getting up and getting in attack mode and making it difficult for Winnipeg, and that's going to need to continue."
Colorado has 13 players with at least one point in the series, and defenseman Cale Makar is tied with Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid for the playoff lead in points with five, although McDavid has only played one game.
However, forwards Nathan MacKinnon, who finished second in the regular season with 140 points (51 goals, 89 assists) and Mikko Rantanen, who was eighth with 104 points (42 goals, 62 assists) have combined for one goal in the series.
"I think our top guys have been great through two games," Bednar said. "I think our guys are beyond, when they get to the playoffs, they're beyond just like worrying about points. I don't think they're worried about personal accolades at this point."
