//Avalanche score 3 third-period goals to beat Coyotes 3-0

Avalanche score 3 third-period goals to beat Coyotes 3-0

EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) Colorado dominated well into the third period with nothing to show for it. All that firepower and the Avalanche could not solve Arizona goalie Darcy Kuemper.

Once they broke through, an avalanche of goals followed, giving Colorado a hard-earned win to open the Stanley Cup playoffs.

Nazem Kadri and J.T. Compher scored 10 seconds apart in the third period, Philipp Grubauer stopped 14 shots and Colorado opened the best-of-seven playoffs with a 3-0 victory over the Coyotes on Wednesday.

”It was an easy game for us to get frustrated in,” Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson said. ”We played well the majority of the game and they locked it down. We just stuck with it, knew it was going to come.”

Colorado dominated the Coyotes through the first two periods, outshooting them 29-7, yet couldn’t get anything past Kuemper.

Grubauer made the saves when he had to for his second career playoff