from Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post,

One lousy game into the NHL playoffs, being the defending champion means zilch, and Avalanche coach Jared Bednar has a tough decision to make.

Does Bednar break up his top line, splitting Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen before frustration has a chance to set in against a Seattle team that didn’t give a Kraken about the Avs’ championship pedigree during a 3-1 victory in Game 1 of this best-of-seven-series?

Or would asking Rantanen to invigorate a No. 2 line that has been suspect since the Avs let Nazem Kadri walk as a free agent be pushing the panic button?

Your move, Mr. Bednar.

Proactive or patient? How should the leader of a champ that looks very vulnerable react?

Will Bednar consider breaking up the MacK and Mikko show?

“Yes, for sure,” Bednar said Tuesday, after the home-ice advantage his Avs worked diligently for all the way through the final minutes on the final night of the regular season was effectively erased by the Kraken.

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