Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said he wasn’t going to speculate on a possible goalie change for Game 2 of the team’s opening-round playoff series against the Winnipeg Jets after a shaky start.
Starting netminder Alexandar Georgiev made just 16 saves during Sunday’s 7-6 loss in Game 1 as the Winnipeg faithful at Canada Life Centre chanted “pull the goalie” in the third period.
Georgiev gave up all seven goals and remained in net for the entire game with backup Justus Annunen ill and Arvid Holm, who has yet to make his NHL debut, on the bench.
“It probably needs to be better … we’re going to need a couple more saves than that to win,” Bednar told reporters post-game, according to CBS Sports’ Romi Bean. “But it is what it is. We’ll regroup”
Bednar didn’t know if Annunen would be healthy enough for Game 2 and said he’d see in the morning.
Game 2 between the Avalanche and Jets goes down Tuesday night in Winnipeg.
Asked about a possible goalie change, Bednar said: “I’m not going to speculate.”
Georgiev posted a 38-15-5 record, 3.02 goals-against average and .897 save percentage in 63 games during the regular season.
Colorado captured the Stanley Cup in 2022 with Darcy Kuemper between the pipes. Kuemper departed as an unrestricted free agent just weeks later and the Avalanche acquired Georgiev from the New York Rangers.
The Avalanche’s title defence last year ended in the first round as they fell to the Seattle Kraken in seven games.
