Bednar’s wry smile may have revealed Avalanche’s goalie for Game 3

Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz was brilliant in Colorado’s 4-0 win over Edmonton in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals.

The 24-save shutout he earned was a refreshing change of pace for a team that has had goaltending issues recently in these playoffs.

With the health of starter Darcy Kuemper up in the air, Francouz could start Game 3 against the Oilers on Saturday night. But even if Kuemper is cleared to play, didn’t “Frankie” earn another shot between the pipes after his brilliant play in Game 2?

Avs head coach Jared Bednar was asked as much during his postgame press conference on Thursday night, and his wry smile may have given away who will be the team’s starter in Game 3.

Check it out:

ICYMI: Here was Jared Bednar's full response when asked if Pavel Francouz did enough to earn the start in game three. The body language and smile say it all:#GoAvsGo #FindAWay @CBSDenver pic.twitter.com/5pzNsFfsU0

— Michael Spencer (@MichaelCBS4) June 3, 2022

I mean, look at that grin! That’s a man who knows he’s suddenly found a hot goalie and needs to ride that wave as long as he can. And let’s be honest, this isn’t like quarterback in the NFL where it’s hard to switch back and forth, a coach can make a change on a game-to-game basis.

The Avs will likely need both Kuemper and Francouz to win the Stanley Cup, but with just six wins to go on “Mission16W,” it looks like a smile gave away who will start Game 3. And that would be Game 2 hero Pavel Francouz.
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