The Colorado Avalanche made history on Tuesday night, taking a 2-1 series lead in their first round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchup against the Seattle Kraken. After a hard fought battle, the Avalanche emerged victorious with a 4-2 win in their first ever home playoff game.
The Avalanche got off to a strong start, scoring two goals in the first period. Captain Nathan MacKinnon opened the scoring with a power play goal, and forward Joonas Donskoi added another late in the period to give the Avalanche a 2-0 lead.
The Kraken responded in the second period, with forward Austin Rueschhoff scoring on the power play to cut the Avalanche’s lead in half. But the Avalanche would not be denied, as forward Andre Burakovsky scored his first goal of the playoffs late in the period to restore the two goal lead.
The third period saw the Kraken press for a goal, but the Avalanche defense held firm. Goalie Philipp Grubauer was outstanding in net, making several key saves to preserve the lead. The Avalanche would add an empty net goal late in the period to seal the victory and take a 2-1 series lead.
The Avalanche now have a chance to close out the series on Thursday night in Denver. With a win, they would advance to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2014. It will be an exciting game, and one that could make history for the Avalanche franchise.
