Colorado Avalanche’s Disappointing Season: What’s To Blame?

Colorado Avalanche goalie Semyon Varlamov (1) – Mandatory Credit: Jake Roth-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche aren’t throwing in the towel yet. Patrick Roy has gone on record as saying “when you wear the Avalanche logo, you battle.”

This is how it should be. Tanking is for that awkward guy at the carnival — you know? The guy who charges a dollar a ball, and lets you throw them at a small target while he sits on a ledge rigged to fail if said target is hit. He goes ker-splashing into the giant dunk tank when the kid juiced up on cotton candy and coke throws a strike.

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That’s tanking. It’s not admirable. It’s wet and if you’re wearing a white t-shirt… it could get ugly.

Let’s be frank. Connor McDavid is going to help ANY franchise he goes to. The whole “we need to learn how to win is more valuable than McDavid” mantra is a load of frog. You’re hopped up on something to honestly believe that.

These guys are professional athletes, and each season starts fresh. You’re either good enough to win, get that momentum, and win. Or you’re not good enough to win.

McDavid is a generational player, and his value is going to be >>> any lessons the Avalanche learn over these last 10 essentially meaningless games.

Unless a miracle happens, these games will be for not. Next season, the team will come back with a fresh slate, and start all over. How much did winning last season help the team this year? I thought they learned how…

I don’t think the Avs should tank for McDavid, and they should do their best to fight to the finish. In my mind, that’s respectable. But don’t kid yourselves. This learning how to win sentiment that is floating around is getting way overblown.

Especially when people say it’s more valuable than McDavid. We can be a successful franchise without the Erie Otter standout, but if we luck into him, we should consider ourselves very lucky.

Alright, now that I’ve gotten completely off the rails and gotten that off my chest, let’s get this train headed back to the original intent of this article. What’s to blame for the Avalanche missing the playoffs this season? (Hey, if they make it now you can thank me for writing them off. Perhaps now they’ll make it just to spite me.)

Next: Reason ONE