In the Stanley Cup Playoffs, you need your goaltender to come up with key saves at the most crucial moments of the game.
In the first game of the Central Division Semifinals between the Winnipeg Jets and Colorado Avalanche, Avs netminder Alexandar Georgiev did not rise to the occasion, surrendering seven goals and on 23 shots in a 7-6 loss.
With many doubting his ability as a playoff netminder, Georgiev briefly silenced the critics on Tuesday night, making 28 saves in a big 5-2 win over the Jets, evening the series at a game apiece heading back to Denver.
Goaltending was a question mark heading into the playoffs for the Avalanche, as Georgiev had never been the No. 1 guy for a postseason contender.
On Wednesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, Ken Wiebe of the Winnipeg Free Press joined Tyler Yaremchuk and Colby Cohen to explain why Georgiev’s performance was a confidence boost for himself and the Avalanche.
Ken Wiebe: I thought [Georgiev] came up with an impressive effort. It was a wild game…it wasn’t the 7-6 special that we saw in Game 1, but Connor Hellebuyck was so dialed in in the first period…As the game wore on, it was the guy at the other end shining brightly. To me, Georgiev was the story. Most people we wondering if [Justus] Annunen was going to come out of the bushes and have a chance to be in the game, despite the illness that he’s been dealing with.
This is a guy that has played a ton of games over the last couple of years…He didn’t just give them a chance to win—he helped them win in a game where he needed to be good. He was a stabilizing force.
You can watch the full segment, and the entire episode here…
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