The biggest Avalanche storyline through 40 minutes of hockey Thursday night against the Capitals was the continued dominance exhibited by goalie Philipp Grubauer.
That all changed in a disastrous third-period collapse.
Yes, Grubauer allowed a pair of goals in the final frame of a 3-2 loss, but before demanding that general manager Joe Sakic acquire a new goalie before the NHL trade deadline (Feb. 24), understand the extent of Grubauer’s recent brilliance.
“(Grubauer) played great,” defenseman Nikita Zadorov said afterward. “He gave us a chance to extend the game. He made a couple of big saves in the third period.