The line is pretty clear: either you believe game-to-game momentum swings can exist in the Stanley Cup playoffs, or you don’t.
But regardless of which side you stand on, time will certainly tell us what is more likely as this first-round playoff series between Winnipeg and Colorado progresses into the weekend, and now into next week, with at least five games to decide it a certainty.
After Tuesday night’s Game 2 victory over the Jets to wrestle away home ice advantage, the Avalanche have now gained the upper hand in the series as it shifts to Denver for the next two games on Friday and Sunday afternoon.
In bouncing back from a series-opening, one-goal loss, the Avs found another level in their game, particularly as Tuesday night’s contest continued to advance into the night.
Colorado, led by the usual cast of all-star characters, built on a strong finish to Game 1, withstood a quick start from the Jets in Game 2, and hopscotched out of Manitoba with the series knotted at a win apiece.
But perhaps the biggest difference was the play of much-maligned goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who shook off a troubling first game to turn in one of his best performances in weeks, all the while helping to prevent Winnipeg from building on what they felt was a satisfying win on Sunday.
But that laurel was short-lived and the work begins again in earnest for Winnipeg to find a solution for the “M & M boys”: MacKinnon, Makar, and with a goal and a plus-3 rating on Tuesday, Manson.
With Tuesday night’s win, it is now the Avalanche who have a chance to double down for a second-straight victory as they head home with, as some might suggest, all the momentum from one Stanley Cup playoff game to the next.
That is, of course, depending on what side of that line you stand.
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