Grubauer steals game 2 for the Avalanche
Game two of the Knights/Avalanche series is in the books and this time around the Knights were the better team. Although it didn't end up mattering. In game one it was all Avalanche. Game two was all Knights. They outshot, and outplayed the Avalanche all game. Something that is extremely rare. Pretty sure the Avalanche had less shots on goal than their opponent like 5 times all regular season. So yeah, it's pretty rare to see a team outshoot Colorado. But that's why you have a good goaltender. To steal games in the postseason. And that's exactly what Phillip Grubauer did.
Grubauer stopped 39 of 41 shots on goal through three periods and overtime. Which gives him a .951 save percentage. Is that good? Sounds pretty damn good to me. Mikko Rantenan was the overtime hero scoring the game winning goal on the power play just two minutes in to overtime, but without Grubauer the Avalanche don't win this game. He was awarded the first star of the night. Although with how poorly the rest of the team played Gru should have been awarded the first, second, and third star.
As for the rest of the team, they barely showed up. Defense was sloppy and gave up far too many high danger chances. Grubauer was bailing them out all game. I bout near had a heart attack seeing how many back door opportunities Grubauer had to defend. Besides Mikko's overtime winner the top line was lackluster. The other two goals came from the second line. Saad opened the scoring in the first period, then Jost put the Avs up 2-1 at the end of the first. The game ended up going in to overtime tied 2-2.
Just forty four seconds in to overtime the Avalanche were on the powerplay after Reilly Smith slashed Mikko Rantanen. The Knights called it a weak call and even went as far to call it embellishment on Mikko's part. Though last time I checked you are not allowed to knock the stick out of a players hands. Vegas players, staff, and fans don't want the refs deciding the game by calling a penalty at a ridiculous time, which I understand, but the Knights had a poorly timed weak penalty called in their favor too. They went on the powerplay in a tied game with less than 3 minutes to go in the third period. When the refs call a penalty that late in a tied game they are helping decide the winner, and it sucks. The only difference between the two calls is that one team was able to execute on the powerplay and the other didn't. Sucks to suck Knights. Have a better powerplay. Although when the goalie is playing out of his mind and starts to resemble a brick wall more than a human being theres not much you're going to do to get past him. And that's exactly what Grubauer looked like in game two.
To win in the playoffs you have to win games with the top line. You have to win games with the secondary guys. And sometimes a goalie has to stand on his head and steal a game to win. Game two Grubauer stole a win for the Avalanche. Six games down, ten more to hoist the Cup.