The status of St. Louis leading scorer David Perron is unclear for Game 2 after he missed Monday’s 4-1 loss due to the league’s COVID-19 protocols.
Regardless, the Blues need to slow Colorado’s speedy top line.
The combination of captain Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen accounted for three goals, five assists, 16 shots and a fighting major, which was courtesy of Landeskog after he stood up for Rantanen following a big first-period hit.
The Avalanche finished with a 50-23 edge in shots, breaking through for three third-period goals.
“It’s not going to start going in because you start over-passing or looking for the perfect play,” Landeskog said. “You’ve got to keep throwing pucks there.”