edm 6, col 8

THIRD PERIOD

0.0: That’ll do it for Game 1 and what an intro to this Western Conference Final. The Avalanche takes this one and a 1-0 series lead by a score of 8-6 in a high-altitude affair when it comes to goals and action. We’re just getting started in this one. Game 2 goes Thursday at 6:00pm MT back at Ball Arena.

21.4: Landeskog empty-netter will do it. | COL 8, EDM 6

1:57: Coach Jay Woodcroft calls his timeout with an offensive-zone draw coming up. The Oilers net is empty!

4:01: The Oilers are relentless in their pursuit! Josh Archibald just misses a redirection from Zack Kassian before Cody Ceci’s open look hit his captain in front. Going to be an exciting finish to this one.

7:24: POWER-PLAY NUGE!!! He buries the cross-crease feed from Draisaitl to make it a ONE-GOAL GAME!!! | COL 7, EDM 6

8:41: Landeskog gets called for holding McDavid through the neutral zone. Important Edmonton PP coming up!

12:20: Mikko makes his best stop on Nichushkin on a one-timer from the left circle!

16:32: DEREK RYAN!!! It deflects off a skate and onto his tape in front where he rips Edmonton’s fifth goal into the top shelf. Burakovsky was laying the ice after blocking a shot on the play and he exits to the dressing room. But the Oilers have made it a two-goal game thanks to the fourth line. | COL 7, EDM 5

20:00: The third period has begun! Work to do.

SECOND PERIOD

0.0: A six-goal second period sees the Avalanche take a 7-4 lead into the intermission.

57.0: Three great stops by Francouz on that Oilers powerplay, and another as the penalty expired when he sprawled out and denied a tap-in for McLeod.

2:54: Hyman makes a holding penalty happen for Edmonton. To the PP we go for the first time tonight!

2:02: THE CAPTAIN!!! Avalanche turn the puck over at their blueline and Draisaitl sends a cross-slot pass to McDavid, who one-times it past Francouz. Takes one to start the comeback. | COL 7, EDM 4

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3:40: Andrew Cogliano, the former Oiler, finishes off a 2-on-1 with Logan O’Connor. | COL 7, EDM 3

10:38: After that last TV timeout, Pavel Francouz came into the Avalanche crease to replace Darcy Kuemper. No word if it’s injury or equipment.

12:09: Nurse holds up Kadri coming into the zone. Edmonton is heading to the penalty kill.

13:40: Makar with a blast at the end of 1:41 of zone possession that hits Compher coming through. Koskinen is going to replace Smith here. | EDM 6, COL 3

15:22: Rantanen hits the back bar with a hard shot that beat Smith. Another quick response from COlroado, this time 1:23 after McLeod scored. | COL 5, EDM 3

15:45: Kassian can’t put the breakaway home after the Avalanche defender tripped and left Archibald to feed Kassian for the 1-on-1!

17:01: CLOUDY CONDITIONS!!! MCLEOD CAPITALIZES!!! The rebound off Warren Foegele’s shot isn’t picked up by Kuemper, leaving Ryan McLeod able to tap home a loose puck in the crease. Back to a one-goal game! | COL 4, EDM 3

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19:28: Kadri cleans up a loose puck and puts it home early. | COL 4, EDM 2

20:00: The second period starts with Colorado having 1:41 of power-play time.

FIRST PERIOD

0.0: Colorado leads 3-2 after 20 minutes on a mystery offside review that went heavily in Colorado’s favour.

14.0: Not even sure what to say. Makar brings the puck in offside and snipes one top shelf, but a clear-cut review for offside is upheld. Colorado takes the lead. We’re going to need an explanation here. | COL 3, EDM 2

*** So it’s our understanding that Makar pushed the puck into the zone rather than having hold of the puck, so Nichushkin could get onside before he regained possession. Well then. *** 

Bobby has it here.

22.3: HYMAN BACK DOOR! RIGHT BEFORE THE BREAK! It hits the skate of John Manson, but Hyman got a piece of it as it trickled into the far side for his seventh goal in six games — tying a franchise record for goals in consecutive games. Nine on the post-season for Zach. | EDM 2, COL 2

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2:12: Hyman nearly bangs it in close on the second and third tries from an Edmonton point shot.

4:50: A quick Colorado break sees MacKinnon slide it five-hole on a breakaway to give the Avalanche the lead. COL 2, EDM 1

5:10: A hard shift hemming the Oilers in their own zone by the Avalanche ends with a chest save by Smith.

7:25: Smitty with a quick save on a quick strike from Nathan MacKinnon! Almost 20 seconds later, he shits the door in close on Mikko Rantanen. Six saves so far for the 40 year old.

14:20: JT Compher ties it up 36 seconds later off the feed from Alex Newhook on a 2-on-1. | EDM 1, COL 1

14:56: KANE BREAKS IT OPEN!!! A chill Nugent-Hopkins backhand saucer unlocks Evander Kane on a breakaway, where he puts it off Kuemper’s left shoulder and in to open the scoring! | EDM 1, COL 0

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17:47: KULAK POST! Right off the draw, he comes down along the left halfboards and puts a shot off the far post. Kuemper didn’t see it.

17:52: McLeod fires one on net that Kuemper grabs with the glove. First shot of the night gets us going.

20:00: THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL IS UNDERWAY!!!

20:00: Lights out and we are moments from puck drop here in Denver.

20:00: Teams are out on the ice for warm-ups!

20:00: Game 1 tonight at Ball Arena will start at 6:07 PM MT.

TONIGHT’S LINEUP:

Draisaitl – McDavid – Hyman
Kane – RNH – Yamamoto
Foegele – McLeod – Puljujarvi
Archibald – Ryan – Kassian

Nurse – Ceci
Keith – Bouchard
Kulak – Barrie

Smith
Koskinen

Scratches: Derick Brassard, Devin Shore, Kris Russell

OILERS TODAY | Pre-Game 1 at COL

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