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Why JT Compher has been Colorado Avalanche’s secret weapon in chase for Stanley Cup

In hindsight, we should’ve seen it coming. In the 14 regular-season contests in which winger Avalanche winger JT Compher found the net — he scored just 16 times, but few were cheapies — Colorado posted a stellar record of 10-1-3.

Fast forward to the Stanley Cup playoffs and there’s Compher, again, fastening a set of jumper cables to the Avs’ offense and cranking that engine like there’s no tomorrow. The Chicago native’s goal with 2:39 left in the third period of Game 2 forced overtime in Calgary; his goal with 11:50 remaining in regulation in Game 4 cut the Flames’ lead in half. Colorado won both contests, and the Avs are 5-1 over their last two playoff series in contests where Compher tallies at least a point.

“When our depth players play well, it gives us a much better chance to win,” Compher said Thursday before the Avs boarded their flight to Calgary for Game 5 of their best-of-seven series, taking a 3-1 lead back to Alberta after a 3-2 overtime win at the Pepsi Center late Wednesday. “And I think that shows, late in the game, it’s been line after line. Everyone’s getting involved with physicality, and we’re playing as a unit right now, which is generating a lot of offense for us.”

Compher’s empty-net rebound goal late in Game 2 at Calgary knotted the contest at 2-2, a game the Avs went on to take in overtime. The scrappy winger got the party started again late Wednesday night. With the hosts trailing 2-0 at the Pepsi Center, Compher again cleaned up the trash, as Flames goalie Mike Smith’s deflection of a Matt Calvert shot spun a loose puck in the winger’s direction left of the crease. As Smith scrambled and went low, Compher beat the net-minder top shelf to get the Avs on the board. Teammate Mikko Rantanen would tie the score nine minutes later and eventually fire home the game-winner in overtime.

“Your top players are (matched up) every night against other teams’ top players, and you need depth of scoring,” coach Jared Bednar said of the Avs, who find themselves a victory away from taking their first playoff series since 2008. ” And you need depth of scoring. (It’s) not just big goals that he’s scored, but timely goals, goals to get us back.

“(He’s) getting to the net, doing all the right things. Very similar goal (Wednesday) to the one he scored with the empty net in Calgary.”

Compher already has as many postseason points (three) in four playoff appearances this month as he did in six first-round appearances in 2018. And, like most of his teammates, he hasn’t appeared to be bothered by the big stage, having been used by Bednar on 22.5 shifts per game during this series compared to 17.7 per game during that first-round elimination by Nashville a year ago.

“Why wouldn’t you like this? It’s a great group to be a part of and we’re having a lot of fun, playing well and playing for each other,” Compher said.

“We played that (last) month of hockey (like it) was basically (playoff) hockey for us … so there’s no panic in our room. There’s a ton of belief that no matter the situation, we can go get that win.”

In hindsight, Calgary should’ve seen it coming, too. Happily for the Avs, it might already be too late.

footnotes. defenseman Samuel Girard (upper body) skated Thursday morning and was a part of the team charter, Bednar said. The coach noted that Girard was “getting better” and said he’d be evaluated early Friday and again just before the start of Game 5. … According to Hockey-Reference.com, rantanes other Nathan McKinnon are the first Avs duo to both have multi-goal games in the same playoff run since 2003. … The Avs’ two postseason overtime wins are their most in a single series since a pair in 2014 during a first-round loss to Minnesota. “Our belief system is strong,” Bednar said.

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