The Avalanche began Game 6 like a team with its season on the line, taking five of the first seven total shots. They also collected the first four scoring chances of the game, and the eye test agreed. It wasn’t just nearly anonymous depth Avalanche players, either. Each of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog had a shot on goal before the first period was halfway over.
San Jose found their legs after a rough few minutes, taking nine of the next 10 shots before killing a Kevin Labanc penalty.