The Avalanche are giving the Predators a run for their money

While being the top seed always comes with more accolades, the pressure of that crown can be difficult to handle. The underdog always carries less pressure, and playing a team with less reason to have any fear can be dangerous.

We’re seeing this unfold in the series between the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche. The Predators came into the series as the Stanley Cup favorite for many and were expected to blow through the Avalanche. While Nashville came into Monday night with a 2-0 lead in the series, it’s been far from easy from the start. And the Avs have now cut their deficit to 2-1 with a 5-3 victory in Game 3 in Denver.

This time last year, the Avs had just wrapped up one of the worst seasons in NHL history with a 48-point year. They were the laughingstock of the league and in the midst of big trade rumors with a few of their star players.

To the surprise of many around the hockey world. The Avalanche made a 47-point improvement over last season and picked up the final wild card spot in the Western Conference. It was a great story around the league, headlined by Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon. The former first overall pick proclaimed at the end of last season he was going to make sure things were different the following year.

He’s lived up to his promise by carrying his team to the playoffs. The 22-year-old was electric all season, scoring 39 goals and 97 points in 74 games. It wasn’t just MacKinnon who contributed to the turnaround. Players like Mikko Rantanen, who burst onto the scene in his second full NHL season with 84 points in 81 games, were critical.

Alex Kerfoot scored 19 goals as a rookie and defenseman Samuel Girard, acquired in the midseason trade of Matt Duchene, are two other players who stepped up.

As cool of a story as this Avs was, it was supposed to come to an abrupt end in the first round. Colorado was up against arguably the deepest team in the playoffs, the defending Western Conference champion and Presidents’ Trophy-winning Predators. Nashville won that trophy by finishing the regular season with a league-best 117 points.

But the Avalanche continue to add new chapters to their storybook season. They’re playing without fear and not backing down against a superior team. They set the tone in this series by scoring on their first shot on goal, which went in and gave them a lead in Game 1. They would lose that game, but they made it known they weren’t here to be a tuneup. They were competitive in Game 1 and had a big edge in scoring chances even as they lost, 5-2.

In Game 2, the Avalanche again scored on their first shot of the game to silence the raucous crowd in Nashville. For the second time, they ended up coming up short and fell behind, 2-0. But, heading home, they had the belief that they could play with their powerhouse opponent.

In a must-win Game 3 for the Avalanche back home, they continued the trend of jumping out to an early lead. This time it took them until their second shot of the game to get out front. But The Avs didn’t take off their foot off the gas in this one. They stunned the Predators by jumping out to a 3-0 lead in the opening period. They chased Pekka Rinne from the net after scoring their fourth goal a few minutes into the second period.

The Avs skated to a 5-3 win and found themselves back in the series. They again had an edge in scoring chances, and this time, the goaltending favored them. Jonathan Bernier stopped 29 of 32 shots, which wasn’t great but was enough to do the job.

If the Avalanche can get back to even in the series, the whispers of an upset begin to surround Nashville. The Predators should know more than anyone about being the heavy underdog and shocking a top seed. They swept the Chicago Blackhawks as the second wild card on their way to the Stanley Cup Final last season.

Don’t underestimate a hockey club that has lots of talent and little fear.