Current NFL playoff picture: AFC shake-up as Ravens slide into No. 1 seed
The clock was ticking toward midnight on Sunday when we got the official word: The Ravens are in the driver’s seat in the AFC bracket. Their 16-10 victory over the Browns elevated them to the top spot in the AFC, replacing the Titans and just ahead of the surging Patriots.
Are the Ravens the best team in the AFC? It’s way too early to say that. But for one week, at least, we can say that the Ravens rose to the challenge.
In more ways than one, the NFL’s Week 12 playoff picture is a mess. It’s foolhardy to try identifying the top two or three teams in the AFC at this point, while on the NFC side it’s impossible to say whether there are seven legitimate playoff teams in the making. For now, the 5-6 Vikings are clinging to the No. 7 spot, among a total of six teams that have five or six wins. If Washington beats the Seahawks on Monday night, it will bring that number to seven.
Let’s take a closer look at where the league stands after all but one game of Week 12. As always, we’ll use ESPN’s Football Power Index (FPI) and a bit of our own gut instincts to guide us.
AFC
FPI chances to make playoffs: 92%
FPI chances to win division: 65%
The quarterback of the AFC’s top seed threw four interceptions Sunday night — and his team still won. You can view that as a sign of strength for Lamar Jackson‘s Ravens, or the relative inability of the Browns to capitalize. But at the end of the night, the Ravens had supplanted the Titans atop the AFC.
Their presence at the top of the rankings reflects a conference that is truly up for grabs among a half-dozen teams. Can the Ravens truly hold off the Patriots, Titans, Chiefs and Bills? We don’t often say this, given the competitiveness of the rivalry, but the Ravens have a strong chance of advancing their quest when they play the reeling Steelers in Week 13.
Next up: at Steelers
FPI chances to make playoffs: 93%
FPI chances to win division: 33%
The Patriots keep giving us reasons to think they’re one of the best teams in the NFL. Sunday’s 23-point victory over the Titans was their sixth victory in a row. They’ve won by at least 18 points in five of those, and overall, they lead the NFL with a point differential of plus-144. And it’s wild that this has all come with rookie quarterback Mac Jones, who is playing well but isn’t among the league’s top 10 in Total QBR.
Amazingly, at least to some, the Patriots can begin the process of locking down the AFC East in Week 13 when they travel to Buffalo. FPI doesn’t like their chances of winning the division, much less earning home-field advantage, but they’re all legitimate possibilities for the Patriots. Had the Ravens lost on Sunday night, the Pats would have ended Week 12 with the AFC’s top seed.
Next up: at Bills
FPI chances to make playoffs: 99%
FPI chances to win division: 98%
The good news for the Titans is that a two-game losing streak hasn’t really damaged their standing in the AFC South, where they have a two-game lead with five games left to play. They’ll have a bye in Week 13 and then return to play the Jaguars and Steelers, two teams who are going in the wrong direction. The question with the Titans is not whether they’ll make the playoffs, but rather — given their health and the results of their past two games — whether they can be considered likely to make a deep run. At the moment, the answer is very much in doubt.
Next up: vs. Jaguars (Week 14)
FPI chances to make playoffs: 80%
FPI chances to win division: 56%
The Chiefs will return from their bye week with their playoff positioning unchanged. But they now have a full game lead in the AFC West, where the other three teams are all 6-5. With that said, the division remains very much in play. Four of the Chiefs’ final six games will be against AFC West foes, including two against the Broncos and one each against the Raiders and Chargers.
Next up: vs. Broncos
FPI chances to make playoffs: 62%
FPI chances to win division: 28%
The Bengals look like a different team than the one that lost consecutive games heading into its Week 10 bye. Since then, they’ve defeated the Raiders and Steelers by a combined 57 points. They’ve gotten themselves to the point where FPI likes their chances of at least making the playoffs, and they have a roughly one-in-four chance of winning the AFC North. Had the Ravens lost Sunday night to the Browns, the Bengals would have supplanted them atop the division. That’s how close they are right now.
Next up: vs. Chargers
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Joe Mixon rushes for 165 yards with two touchdowns in the Bengals’ dominant victory over the Steelers.
FPI chances to make playoffs: 94%
FPI chances to win division: 67%
Will a convincing win Thursday in the Superdome be enough to pull the Bills out of a midseason spiral? They entered Week 12 having lost two of their past three games, including an inexplicable defeat to the Jaguars and a 26-point loss to the Colts. The Bills better hope they’ve figured things out, because they’re about to head into a brutal stretch of their schedule. They will play the red-hot Patriots twice in four weeks, with a game at the Buccaneers mixed in there, as well.
Next up: vs. Patriots
FPI chances to make playoffs: 52%
FPI chances to win division: 25%
Sunday’s loss to the Broncos was the Chargers’ fourth defeat in their past six games. They’ve clearly turned in the wrong direction after a 4-1 start, but for now, they’re still among the AFC’s top seven thanks to their head-to-head victory over the Raiders in Week 4. As to whether they can stay here is another story. Had the Browns won Sunday night, they would have supplanted the Chargers at the No. 7 spot, and all told, the Chargers haven’t been playing consistent playoff-level football since mid-October. They’re teetering on the edge.
Next up: at Bengals
In the AFC hunt
Las Vegas Raiders (6-5)
We can do nothing but tip our cap to the Raiders, whose post-Jon Gruden slide seemed well underway during a three-game losing streak entering Thursday’s game at the Cowboys. But they went into AT&T Stadium and won a war of attrition and now have 10 days to prepare for a winnable home game against Washington in Week 13. FPI says they have a 21% chance to play beyond Week 18.
Denver Broncos (6-5)
The Broncos came out of their bye with a dominant performance against the Chargers, their third win in their past four games. It drew them even with the rest of AFC West and set them up to at least have a chance down the stretch. In fact, FPI has Denver at 32% to make the playoffs. Four of the Broncos’ remaining six games are against divisional rivals, starting in Week 13 at the Chiefs.
Indianapolis Colts (6-6)
The Colts’ three-game winning streak ended with an odd home loss that featured 27 consecutive pass plays from their offense, presumably in part to beat a Buccaneers defense that was geared to stop tailback Jonathan Taylor. We found out, to no surprise, that quarterback Carson Wentz can’t carry this team. They’ll have a chance to get back on track, however, in Week 13 against the Texans. Indianapolis still holds a 42% chance to make the playoffs, per FPI.
Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5-1)
Yeesh. The Steelers don’t look like anything close to a playoff team after a 41-10 loss to the Bengals, their third consecutive game without a win. FPI is giving them just a 10% chance to make the playoffs, and the path won’t get any easier in Week 13 against the Ravens.
Cleveland Browns (6-6)
The Browns had a golden opportunity to get back into the playoff picture Sunday night but couldn’t win in Baltimore despite intercepting Jackson four times. They would have finished Week 12 in the No. 7 spot if they had won. Instead, they’re heading into their bye with losses in two of their past three games, and they will face the Ravens again when they return in Week 14. FPI gives Cleveland a 19% chance of playing postseason football this season.
NFC
FPI chances to make playoffs: 99%
FPI chances to win division: 96%
The Cardinals entered Week 12 knowing they would also exit it at the top of the NFC, no matter what happened in between. And now comes the final playoff push, presumably with quarterback Kyler Murray and receiver DeAndre Hopkins back in the lineup.
They’ll need to be at full strength. The Cardinals’ strength of their remaining schedule ranks No. 18 in the NFL, based on FPI, but the eyeball test suggests it’s more difficult than that. Three of the five games are on the road, and two are against teams that currently have winning records (Rams and Cowboys). Plus, their Week 16 opponent (Colts) will be a tough out, as well. Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have the league’s best record on the road (6-0) through Week 12.
Next up: at Bears
FPI chances to make playoffs: 99%
FPI chances to win division: 98%
The Packers rebounded from a Week 11 loss in Minnesota to put themselves in great position heading into their bye. They’re right on the heels of the Cardinals, with whom they own the head-to-head tiebreaker. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers now has an extra week to rest his fractured toe — and possibly even have surgery on it — and injured left tackle David Bahktiari could potentially get back on the field.
And of their five remaining games, three will be at Lambeau Field, where the Packers are 5-0 this season. One of the two road games will be at Ford Field, where they’ll play the winless Lions. The Packers are very much in the running to be the NFC’s top team, both on the field and in the playoff standings.
Next up: vs. Bears (Week 14)
0:18
Aaron Rodgers beats Jalen Ramsey on the edge for the 1-yard touchdown to get the Packers on the board.
FPI chances to make playoffs: 99%
FPI chances to win division: 98%
The Buccaneers have now won consecutive games, scoring 68 points in the process, since a two-game losing streak had everyone around the NFL losing their minds. They got some help Sunday from the Colts, who tried to protect a 10-point halftime lead by ignoring tailback Jonathan Taylor and throwing the ball on 27 consecutive plays, but it’s hard to argue that the Buccaneers aren’t back on track. Their remaining strength of schedule ranks No. 22, and at the moment, it includes only one opponent with a winning record (Bills, Week 14).
Next up: at Falcons
FPI chances to make playoffs: 95%
FPI chances to win division: 89%
Uh-oh. The Cowboys were expected to take off once they got quarterback Dak Prescott back from injury. Instead, they have lost three of their past four games, most recently to the Raiders on Thanksgiving Day. As we have said often in recent years, the NFC East leader is protected by poor competition from their division rivals. The Eagles’ loss Sunday to the Giants means no one is within two games of the Cowboys. But it remains an open question whether the Cowboys will head into the playoffs as a genuine contender or will be in the postseason simply because they’re the least-flawed team in a weak division.
Next up: at Saints
FPI chances to make playoffs: 91%
FPI chances to win division: 4%
At this point, it’s fair to ask if the Rams are going to make the playoffs at all. They have now lost three games in a row, with quarterback Matthew Stafford throwing a pick-six in each of them, and appear in significant disarray. Even coach Sean McVay seemed overwhelmed by the moment Sunday at Lambeau Field, making an inexplicable decision on run on third down with no timeouts on their final possession, forcing a hurried field goal attempt as the clock ticked.
They’ll get the best chance they could to regroup in Week 13, with a home game against Jacksonville, but overall, their remaining schedule is the fourth-most difficult in the league.
Next up: vs. Jaguars
FPI chances to make playoffs: 76%
FPI chances to win division: 1%
The 49ers are figuring things out at just the right time. They have won three consecutive games and four of their past five, and Sunday’s victory over the Vikings will supply them with an important head-to-head tiebreaker should it be needed at the end of the regular season. The strength of their remaining schedule ranks No. 24, and an argument could be made that they’re playing better right now than all but one of their final six opponents (Bengals in Week 14). At this rate, they’ll overtake the Rams in the NFC West and the playoff standings in a matter of weeks.
Next up: at Seahawks
FPI chances to make playoffs: 48%
FPI chances to win division: 2%
The only thing keeping the Vikings in the playoff picture is a complex set of tiebreakers that ultimately broke on their conference record (4-3), which is better than the Falcons (2-5). Washington could knock them out of the top seven on Monday night with a victory over the Seahawks.
The Vikings’ loss to the 49ers on Sunday illustrated most of the reasons why the Vikings have some work ahead to get into the postseason, much less make a run. Their defensive personnel is decimated; they played Sunday without their starting defensive line and then lost linebacker Anthony Barr during the game. Running back Dalvin Cook appeared to suffer a significant shoulder injury Sunday, and quarterback Kirk Cousins can’t be trusted to play consistently well in pressure situations. The Vikings are fortunate to have road games coming soon at the Lions and Bears, but wins in both of those games might not be enough if someone below them catches fire.
Next up: at Lions
In the NFC hunt
Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
The Falcons started 1-3 and then went on another 1-3 bender before holding on for a seven-point victory Sunday over the Jaguars. As improbable as it might seem, the Falcons are one game out of the sloppy NFC wild-card situation, thanks to a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Saints. Stranger things have happened, but they have a pretty significant obstacle in Week 13 when they host the Buccaneers. FPI has Atlanta at just 5% to qualify for the postseason.
New Orleans Saints (5-6)
That’s now four consecutive losses for the Saints since starting quarterback Jameis Winston suffered a season-ending knee injury. Their offense had zero punch Thursday night against the Bills, and they’re now looking up at the NFC playoff field. They’ll play the Cowboys in Week 13, but the one bright spot is that four of their final six opponents have losing records. FPI says New Orleans has a 35% chance to make the playoffs.
Philadelphia Eagles (5-7)
There’s no way to sugarcoat it. The Eagles flunked a pretty basic test of playoff worthiness on Sunday, scoring just seven points in a loss to the equally anemic Giants. Had they won, the Eagles would have put themselves squarely in the wild-card mix while also putting some pressure on the Cowboys in the NFC East. Instead, it’s fair to ask if they’ll squander one of the NFL’s easiest remaining schedules, which continues in Week 13 at the Jets. Philadelphia still has a 24% chance to make the playoffs, per FPI, but their division winner likelihood fell to 5% this weekend.
0:35
On the Eagles’ final play, Jalen Hurts lets it fly to Jalen Reagor. Reagor can’t haul in the catch, sealing the win for the Giants.
Carolina Panthers (5-7)
The Panthers have now lost seven of nine games since a 3-0 start. Their fade from the playoff picture is nearly complete, but they’ll have a bye week followed by a winnable game in Week 14 against the Falcons to delay the inevitable for a little longer. FPI is giving them 3% of hope.
Washington Football Team (4-6)
It’s not often that a four-win team is in the playoff picture in Week 12, but if it beats the Seahawks at home Monday night, Washington will have the same record as the Vikings, Falcons and Saints. FPI thinks Washington has a 14% chance of finishing in the NFC’s top seven.
The second Sunday of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs is here. There will not be any teams eliminated following the four matchups, but each game is nonetheless pivotal as we move closer to the second round.
In each of the four series that play Sunday, the home team has won every game thus far. Will that trend continue? Or will the favored teams in each head back home with a chance to close things out?
Read on for game previews with statistical insights from ESPN Research, recaps of what went down in Saturday’s games, and the Three Stars of Saturday Night from Arda Öcal.
Matchup notes
Winnipeg Jets at St. Louis Blues
Game 4 (WPG leads 2-1) | 1 p.m. ET | TBS
The two teams had an extra day off, playing Game 3 on Thursday, a 7-2 win for the Blues. Entering this game, history is not on the Blues’ side; teams that have led 2-1 in a best-of-seven series have gone on to win the series 68.6% of the time, and the Blues specifically are 8-20 when trailing 1-2 in a series.
The good news for St. Louis is that Game 3 was the club’s 13th straight victory at home, going back to the regular season. The Blues have scored at least five goals in seven of those 13 games.
Pavel Buchnevich‘s hat trick was the first of his career, and quadrupled his career playoff goal total — he previously had one goal in 22 games.
Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck appears off his game — compared to the regular season, but not past playoffs. He has allowed four goals or more in nine of his past 12 playoff games.
Winnipeg will need their top players to get back in the scoring swing. Mark Scheifele had two goals and three assists through the first two games, but was held scoreless in Game 3. Kyle Connor began with two goals and two assists and was also held pointless in Game 3.
Carolina Hurricanes at New Jersey Devils
Game 4 (CAR leads 2-1) | 3:30 p.m. ET | TBS
A healthy scratch earlier in the series, Simon Nemec was the Game 3 hero, scoring the game-winning goal in double-overtime. He is the youngest Devil with an OT goal in a playoff game (21 years, 69 days), and the second-youngest defenseman with such a goal in Stanley Cup playoff history; only Andrei Zyuzin (20 years, 97 days in 1998) pulled off the feat at a younger age.
The multiovertime result was not a shock based on the history of these two clubs: the Devils have now won five straight multi-OT playoff games, while the Hurricanes are now 1-11 in multi-OT playoff games, the worst percentage in Stanley Cup playoff history.
Jacob Markstrom has shown up for the Devils this postseason, with a .929 save percentage and 2.08 goals-against average through three games, facing an average of 33 shots per game.
The Hurricanes have had seven different goal-scorers through three games, including expected output from their stars like Seth Jarvis as well as from some surprising contributors such as Jordan Martinook (15 goals in the regular season) and Jalen Chatfield (seven).
As impressive as Markstrom has been for New Jersey, Frederik Andersen has been a bit better for Carolina: through three games, the Dane has 82 saves on 87 shots, generating a .943 SP and 1.48 GAA.
Washington Capitals at Montreal Canadiens
Game 4 (WSH leads 2-1) | 6:30 p.m. ET | TBS
The six goals that the Canadiens scored in Game 3 were the most they’ve scored in a playoff game since May 7, 2015.
With his assist on Cole Caufield‘s second-period goal, Lane Hutson now has 63 in the regular season and playoffs combined, tying Chris Chelios’ record for the most by a rookie defenseman.
Alex Ovechkin scored playoff goal No. 75, which passed Joe Pavelski for 13th all time. He’s now one behind Mario Lemieux for 12th.
All eyes will be on the status of the goaltenders heading into this game. Sam Montembeault left the Canadiens’ crease during the second period, while Logan Thompson was knocked out of action in the third period.
Los Angeles Kings at Edmonton Oilers
Game 4 (LA leads 2-1) | 9:30 p.m. ET | TBS
As part of the Oilers’ offensive onslaught in Game 3, Leon Draisaitl extended his playoff point streak against the Kings to 17 games, which is the third-longest streak against an opponent in Stanley Cup playoffs history, two behind Wayne Gretzky (19, against the Flames) and Mark Messier (19, against the Kings). Decent company!
Connor McDavid now has 12 career playoff games with a goal and two assists, tied with Messier for second most in Oilers history. They both trail Gretzky, who had 24. McDavid also drew even with Jaromir Jagr in sixth place for most games with three-plus points in a game in Stanley Cup playoff history. McDavid has done it 20 times, trailing Gretzky (59), Messier (30), Jari Kurri (28), Nikita Kucherov (22) and Denis Savard (21).
Kings forward Adrian Kempe has nine points this postseason, tied for the second most by a player through three games in the past 40 years of the Stanley Cup playoffs (one behind Gretzky, who had 10 in 1987).
Anze Kopitar‘s six assists are the most through three games in Kings playoff history.
Heading into the postseason, Darcy Kuemper was seen as a strength for L.A. But through three games, he has an .859 save percentage and 4.04 goals-against average, well behind the .902 and 2.57 he registered for the Colorado Avalanche during their Cup run in 2022.
In the other crease, the Oilers switched to Calvin Pickard to start Game 3. Stuart Skinner had rung up an .810 SP and 6.11 GAA in two games, while Pickard generated an .857 SP and allowed four goals in the victory. Who starts Game 4?
Arda’s three stars from Saturday night
The Big Cat returned to form in Game 3, making 33 saves in Tampa Bay’s 5-1 win over Florida to make the series 2-1.
Barbashev had two points, including the overtime winner, as the Golden Knights tied up the series with a 4-3 win over the Wild.
The Battle of Ontario will continue! Sanderson scored the overtime winner for the Senators, keeping them alive with a 4-3 win in Game 4.
Landeskog scored his first goal since his return to the NHL — an absence of nearly three years. His teammates swarmed him, jumping for joy. What a moment!
0:47
Avs go up 3-0 on Gabriel Landeskog’s slap shot goal
Gabriel Landeskog’s slap shot gives the Avalanche a 3-0 lead in the second period.
Saturday’s scores
Tampa Bay Lightning 5, Florida Panthers 1
FLA leads 2-1 | Game 4 Monday
As dominant as the Panthers were win winning Games 1 and 2 of this series in Tampa Bay, so were the Lightning in Game 3 in Sunrise. Florida’s Matthew Tkachuk started the scoring at 2:43 of the first period, but it was all Lightning thereafter, as Brayden Point, Nick Paul, Jake Guentzel and Luke Glendening put pucks past Sergei Bobrovsky, and Anthony Cirelli scored an empty-net goal to put a cap on the festivities. Recap.
0:54
Guentzel scores off Kucherov’s setup 21 seconds into 3rd period
Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel connect again on a Lightning goal to increase their lead on the Panthers.
Vegas Golden Knights 4, Minnesota Wild 3 (OT)
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Tuesday
The Golden Knights were determined to avoid going down 3-1 in this series to the heavy underdog Wild, and they scored the first goal of the game, a Shea Theodore blast on the power play at 6:47 of the first period. The Wild would charge ahead on goals by Marco Rossi and Marcus Foligno before a Nicolas Roy goal early in the third tied the game at 2. After the two teams traded goals less than a minute apart midway through the third, the game headed to overtime, where Ivan Barbashev was in the right place at the right time to knock in a rebound for the game-winning goal. Recap.
1:06
Ivan Barbashev’s OT winner levels series for Golden Knights
Ivan Barbashev manages to tip the puck into the net amidst the chaos and tie the series at 2-2 for the Golden Knights vs. the Wild.
Ottawa Senators 4, Toronto Maple Leafs 3 (OT)
TOR leads 3-1 | Game 5 Tuesday
For the third straight game in the series, the Battle of Ontario went to overtime — this time, it was won by the Senators on a goal from Jake Sanderson with 2:18 remaining in the extra frame. Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto and David Perron had the other goals for Ottawa, while John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for Toronto. Recap.
1:07
Jake Sanderson sends Ottawa fans into a frenzy with Game 4 OT winner
Jake Sanderson celebrates with his teammates after netting the game-winning goal in overtime for the Senators vs. the Maple Leafs.
Colorado Avalanche 4, Dallas Stars 0
Series tied 2-2 | Game 5 Monday
A strange coincidence thus far in this series: Each Stars win has been by one goal, while each Avs win has been by four goals. Logan O’Connor and Nathan MacKinnon kicked things off for Colorado with first-period goals. In the second, Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in nearly three years, and Samuel Girard capped off the festivities with his first goal of the playoffs. Recap.
0:49
Avs go up 4-0 on Samuel Girard’s 3rd period goal
Samuel Girard lights the lamp to give the Avalanche a 4-0 lead.
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Ryan S. Clark
Perhaps the only detail more emphatic than the goals in the Colorado Avalanche‘s 4-0 win over the Dallas Stars Saturday night, was the impact provided by their captain, Gabriel Landeskog.
Landeskog, who returned in Game 3 of this Western Conference first-round series after missing nearly three seasons while recovering from a knee injury, scored his first goal since June 20, 2022, in a multi-point performance that saw the Avalanche tie the series at 2-2 in Game 4 at Ball Arena. Game 5 is Monday in Dallas.
“It means a lot,” Landeskog told reporters after the win. “Obviously, I’ve envisioned scoring again for a long time. There obviously days when I didn’t know if I was ever going to score again. It obviously feels good. It’s a tight playoff series in a big game here at home. To get to do it here at home in front of our fans obviously means a means a lot. Super exciting. Hopefully more to come.”
A short-handed goal from Logan O’Connor midway through the first period followed by a late power-play goal from Nathan MacKinnon staked the Avalanche to a 2-0 lead entering the second period.
That set the stage for Landeskog, who was in the slot when Brock Nelson fed a pass that the 32-year-old winger launched for a one-timer that beat Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger for a 3-0 lead.
Landeskog, who was playing on the second line, was instantly mobbed by his teammates on the nice such as Samuel Girard, Valeri Nichushkin, Devon Toews and Nelson, who joined the Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline.
As Landeskog returned to the bench, he was congratulated by the entire team which also included a hug from a smiling MacKinnon, who along with Landeskog, have been with the franchise for more than a decade.
“I was just proud of him again,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar told reporters after the game. “I was proud of him regardless of if he scores or not because I know what he’s gone through, and I know how difficult that was. I think that takes it to another level. You know he wants to come back and contribute like he did in the past and he’s off to a great start.”
Landeskog’s goal was the latest milestone in what’s been a lengthy recovery from a chronically injured right knee. He missed what amounted to 1,032 days since his last NHL game.
In that time, the Avalanche have remained in a championship window but have dramatically altered their roster. The Avs have nine players from that championship team who have remained with the franchise and have since reshuffled a roster that led to them re-acquiring defenseman Erik Johnson, one of Landeskog’s closest friends, in their bid for the fourth title in franchise history.
Even with all the changes, there were still questions about when they could see Landeskog return to the lineup. And if Landeskog did return, what he could look like?
His first professional game in three years came April 11 with the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate where he logged 15 minutes. Landeskog would then score a goal and get an assist in his second and final game.
And much like his AHL stint, all it took was two games for Landeskog to score and have another two-point performance.
While Landeskog’s goal became the most celebrated moment of the evening, what he did to help create the Avalanche’s fourth goal was an example of why he’s so crucial to their title aspirations.
Landeskog played a pass to Nelson who then found a Girard for a shot from the point that gave the Avs a 4-0 lead in the fourth. In the time Landeskog passed the puck, he anchored himself at the net front to gain position on 6-foot-7 Stars defensemen Lian Bichsel to screen goaltender Casey DeSmith, who replaced Oettinger for the third period.
Jockeying with Bichsel, who is six inches taller and 16 pounds heavier, allowed Landeskog to test both his strength and that right knee to gain leverage.
The result? Girard’s shot found space in traffic with Landeskog making it hard for DeSmith to see the puck.
“He’s a big boy,” Landeskog said with a smile. “He’s a big strong guy, a physical player and hard to play against. I was trying to get in front of their goal, and he was trying to get me out of there. It was a good battle.”
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