JT “Trash Man” Compher and Avalanche steal the playoff victory and are now trying to destroy the Sharks’ championship dreams

Well, look here. The Avalanche found love in a trash can.

With the NHL playoff eliminated, the Avs refused to be kicked to the curb. In the 23rd hour of what might be the last day of their season, captain Gabe Landeskog scored a goal in overtime to beat San Jose 4-3 and force Game 7 against the Haie.

But who was the brightest star on that unforgettable Monday night?

It was JT Compher, who was formerly known as the hard-working ham-and-egg on Colorado’s Third Line.

But forever more it says here that Compher should be known as Trash Man.

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He destroyed a metal trash can after the Avalanche lost Game 5 in San Jose. But Compher filled out the scoresheet in that win-or-go Home Game 6, scoring twice, and adding an assist on a performance no one saw coming.

Nobody except teammate Tyson Jost, who shares a house with Compher in Denver.

“To be honest, I was all over the house before the game. You can ask him about it, ”said Jost. “I tore him up about every little thing and he said, ‘Why are you exaggerating me?’ And I said, ‘Because you’re going to sink some (goals) today.’ Sure enough. He played unbelievably. ”

Playoff heroes were born to two roommates smacking their lips. Are we really supposed to believe that?

“Whatever (Jost) claims, do it,” replied the garbage man.

Hide your trash cans, San Jose. Compher and the Avs return to Silicon Valley for Game 7 to do real damage to the Sharks’ championship dreams.

One evening when the Avalanche’s great top line of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Landeskog was largely hampered, Compher made pieces that put Colorado in the lead three times.

“We have been counted many times,” said Landeskog after the morning skate. “We’re not going to wrap it up just because we’re about to be eliminated.”

True to their captain’s word, the Avs were the aggressors from the moment the puck was thrown. It all started with Compher, who caused a stir as soon as he jumped the boards for his first shift and immediately ran to Erik Karlsson’s in San Jose. It was hockey with no regrets, just as it should be when failure is not a viable option.

The road to playoff fame is often more arduous than glorious. Jost, who made an unwanted stint with the Colorado Eagles in January when he was sent to the minors, broke out goalless early in the second period. As Compher fed Jost a nice pass, he covered a shot San Jose goalkeeper Martin Jones had no chance to stop and give the Avs a 1-0 lead.

However, San Jose was quickly leveled when Philipp Grubauer made a rare mistake. After Timo Meier knocked Avs rookie Cale Makar around the corner in a hurry towards the Colorado network, Grubauer turned the original shot away just to push the puck towards the slot. The split-second decision gave aggressive defender Marc-Edouard Vlasic a juicy chance who thwarted the chance.

Colorado kept spinning. Remember how a frustrated and angry compher cut a foot-length gash in the shark tank’s trash can after road damage left the Avs in very bad shape, let alone a very bad mood?

Well, Compher found a much better use for his stick, dumping a big bomb off the point with a goal that put Colorado 2-1 ahead after 18 minutes and 44 seconds of the second third.

Did the party start here? Not quite. The cheers of 18,098 fans dissolved into collective moans as San Jose Brent Burns re-tied the score with two goals each as the Avalanche defense lost their form just under 10 seconds before the second break.

With some magical dexterity, the Trash Man put Colorado back in front at the start of the third period with a goal scored with a backhand movement of his stick.

But prosperity? The Avs can’t stand it. Vlasic leveled 3: 3 in the final three minutes of regulation and fired a pass that was deflected into the net by Colorado defender Nikita Zadorov’s skate.

Landeskog finally put an end to the tension and sent the crowd onto the street with “Let’s Go Avs” chants by cracking the archway and the game winner only scored 2 minutes, 32 seconds in extra time.

“Sixty minutes to the final of the Western Conference. I mean, who would have thought that before the season started? Who would have thought that before this series? ”Landeskog said:“ We continue to believe. And you just have to keep giving the team on the other side doubts. ”

Think the dented trash can is still in a tunnel in the San Jose arena?

“I don’t care,” Compher insisted.

Well, should the Avs steal Game 7 from the Sharks, someone in Colorado’s tour group should also steal the trash can and bring it back to Denver.

As scarred and ugly as it may be, that trash can is part of franchise lore today.

It might be garbled, but the trash can would look great sitting in Compher’s kitchen, don’t you think?