Game 6: Avalanche 3, Blues 2 | Colorado wins 4-2
Who was the guy? When you win a series with a goal in the last six seconds of regulation, you are The Guy. For a guy like Darren Helm — 35 years old, memorable as a Red Wing but in his first season as a depth player in Colorado — the call is even easier. Helm had gone eight minutes without a shift, from the 13-minute mark to the five-minute mark, and then Jared Bednar put him out there at the end of the game. Was Bednar looking for a babysitter ahead of overtime? Did he have a premonition? Was he watching back in 2009, when Helm ended the Western Conference final before he’d scored a single regular-season goal? Any of those reasons would’ve been acceptable.
Darren Helm scores a series-winning goal to send Colorado to Western Conference Finals.
May 27, 2009 (13 years ago to the day): Darren Helm scores a series-winning goal, sending Detroit to the Stanley Cup Finals. #LGRW pic.twitter.com/12d1HQfA05
— Ryan Hana (@RyanHanaWWP) May 28, 2022
The payoff was as good as it gets, and it makes for narrative gold. It’s hard to imagine how tight things would’ve gotten for Colorado had this series gone to Game 7. All that margin for error the Avs had a few days back — sure, they were trying to avoid a fourth straight second-round flop, but they had a 3-1 lead — would’ve turned to smoke. And for as great as Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and the rest of the Avs’ big guns have been (and are, and will be), it was Helm who helped carry them into a new space.
Darren Helm clutches up big time, beating Husso with just seconds left on the clock to win the series for the Avalanche#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/FVA4JHTg8t
— Hockey Daily 365 (@HockeyDaily365) May 28, 2022
What was the key? J.T. Compher figuring out Blues goalie Ville Husso. Of the first 33 shots Husso faced, he stopped 31. It was Compher — another secondary guy on the Avs roster — scoring both of Colorado’s non-Helm goals. His second, a rush goal with less than 10 minutes left just after a Colorado power play had expired, was crucial. If the Avs play from behind much longer, who knows what happens?
J.T. Compher buries his second of the game and we’re all tied up at two! ✌️ #StanleyCup
🇺🇸: @NHL_On_TNT ➡️ https://t.co/yBeblmWa9E
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet ➡️ https://t.co/1dF9enWGLp pic.twitter.com/7RoZU22cxx— NHL (@NHL) May 28, 2022
As for Husso, the shots that beat him might not have been Grade A chances, but they were good enough. He deserves some credit here, too; he started the playoffs as the Blues’ starter, then lost his job to Jordan Binnington, then had to hop back in mid-series against one of the most overwhelming offensive teams in the league.
Key stat: 19-2. That was the shot-attempt edge MacKinnon’s line held against Ryan O’Reilly’s. While MacKinnon and O’Reilly were on the ice together at five-on-five, Colorado controlled more than 95 percent of all expected goals. High-danger scoring chances were 6-0 Avs. No, Colorado’s top line didn’t produce a goal, but it basically played keepaway with its counterparts on the Blues. That counts for something.
Moment of the game: Josh Manson’s second-period save on Jordan Kyrou. Manson, as you know, is a defenseman.
JOSH MANSON. WOW. 🛑#StanleyCup | #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/wt8hCwdNMq
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 28, 2022
Tough to overstate how big that one felt at the time, and how big it turned out to be when the series was over. Kyrou is St. Louis’ most dangerous forward — look at what he did to poor Darcy Kuemper in the first place. Manson might’ve gotten a bit lucky that Kyrou had to shoot backhanded, but wow. That save was part of a solid night from Manson overall, too. Now he gets to face his dad.
Josh Manson said his dad, Oilers assistant Dave Manson, sent him a message pregame: “Go win this game so I can come see my granddaughter.”
— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 28, 2022
Moment it was over: When Helm scored. If there were a few more seconds on the clock, given what we saw the Blues pull off in Game 5, that would’ve been the choice.
Avalanche worry meter: ✌️ … As in, peace to the second round. They can worry about Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl on Saturday morning.
Blues worry meter: 🎶 … I’m going to miss having the Blues around, and I wish we’d have seen them take their cracks in Game 7. Alas, it’s MacKinnon versus McDavid time. I’m sure they understand.
Three stars
On tap for Saturday
Hurricanes at Rangers, 8 p.m. ET (Hurricanes lead 3-2)
(Photo of Darren Helm celebrating after scoring the game-winning goal against the Blues: Jeff Curry / USA Today)
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