Colorado Avalanche Road Trip: 5 Keys to Success

Feb 6, 2014; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene (9) screens ]Philadelphia Flyers goalie Steve Mason (35) during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche road trip needs to be a rousing success.

As center Matt Duchene pointed out recently, the Colorado Avalanche are fighting for their very lives. It’s the latest of Dutchyisms, and it reminded me of an old Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode. Just before going into battle, a soldier from a strange race of creatures made the following declaration:

“I am First Omet’iklan, and I am dead. As of this moment, we are all dead. We go into battle to reclaim our lives. This we do gladly, for we are Jem’Hadar. Remember: Victory is life.”

That is the state of the Colorado Avalanche season right now. It’s dead in the water. Every night from here on out the players need to go out onto the ice to reclaim their lives.

It starts with this Colorado Avalanche road trip. They have seven games in 14 days. It’s the most ambitious road trip in Avalanche history and matches a seven-game roadie in 2009.

Head coach Patrick Roy mentioned in a press conference that he generally wanted to see the team earn nine points in seven games. That might quiet some naysayers and allow the players to lift their heads up again.

However, Colorado is currently nine points out of a Wild Card spot for the playoffs. Coach Roy has also mentioned the need for the Avalanche to play perfectly in certain instances. That instance is now.

The Avalanche are dead. They need success on this roadie to reclaim their lives.

Next: Fire it Up

Fire it Up

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One of the greatest hallmarks of our Colorado Avalanche heroes was their will to win. We saw it especially in Patrick Roy and Peter Forsberg.

Roy is legendary for his love of winning and hatred of losing. Indeed, apparently that hatred is beginning to show:

Some people don’t suffer fools gladly — Patrick Roy doesn’t suffer losers gladly. That’s part of what separated him from players who had similar skill and talent.

Compete level is what separated Peter Forsberg from others as well. This is a man who could look at a 5-1 deficit in the third period and erase it with two goals and three assists:

Next: Peter Forsberg Dominates

This was a man whose will to win was so great he played through ankle pain so excruciating he had to wear a new set of skates every single game. The current inception of the team needs to find a single flame of those two heroes’ fire. The Colorado Avalanche road trip has to look like that third period looked to Forsberg — as a chance to excel.

Next: Get Special

Get Special

Nov 3, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (29) celebrates his goal in the third period against the Calgary Flames at Pepsi Center. The Avalanche defeated the Flames 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

It’s tough to win road games because the home coach has the final line change. That means he gets the match-ups he wants on the ice. Plus, the crowds can play a factor.

One equalizer for a road trip is special teams.

Currently the Colorado Avalanche ranks 13th in power plays with a respectable 18.6% conversion rate. Weirdly, the Avalanche are also rank 13th for penalty kill with an 81.6% success rate.

A big problem has been getting both specialty teams working within the same game, along with even-strength play. The Avalanche have 11 power play goals and a short-handed goal — they’ll need more of both.

Also, they need to just stay out of the penalty box. Colorado is ninth in the NHL for penalty minutes with 147, and, yes about half of those belong to Cody McLeod. (Ok, not quite, but you get the point.) Penalty killing is a whole lot easier when you don’t have to do it.

The Colorado Avalanche road trip depends on special teams getting special.

Next: Shooting Gallery

Shooting Gallery

Oct 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward (30) makes a last second stick save on a shot attempt by Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene (9) in the third period at Pepsi Center. The Hurricanes defeated the Avalanche in overtime 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Ok, please pick up the record player needle put it in the first groove and hear the same refrain over and over: Shoot the puck.

Currently the Colorado Avalanche rank 24th in shots per games played with 28.4. As Wayne Gretzky famously said, you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.

Combined with that is the need to crash the net — that’s coach Roy’s own personal broken record. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen rebounds go wasted because no Avalanche player was in the slot.

Some fans feel a rushing game doesn’t suit Colorado’s talent — they think the team needs to be based more on speed to exploit talent. However, only four players are really known for their speed — Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, of course, as well as Erik Johnson and Tyson Barrie. Two of those four (MacKinnon and, especially, Johnson) aren’t afraid to get physical.

Otherwise the team has some power forwards and hard-hitting defensemen. Plus Cody McLeod.

In short, Colorado Avalanche hockey is now about speed mixed with physicality, and that suits a rush style just fine.

Next: Brick Wall

Brick Wall

October 18, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Colorado Avalanchegoalie Reto Berra (20) defends the goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

No one, least of all coach Roy, wants to say the Colorado Avalanche is having a goalie controversy. However, there’s no questioning that Semyon Varlamov is far from performing at his peak level.

Well, that’s not true. Many people will blame the defense for allowing too many shots to get through or screening Varlamov by attempting to block shots. However, look at his numbers from this season — a 3.26 goals against average and .890 save percentage. He’s 3-6-1.

Compare that to Reto Berra, who’s 1-3-0 with a 1.85 goals against average and .943 save percentage. In case you’re wondering, Berra has faced 141 shots to Varlamov’s 281. In other words, Berra looks like the better goalie right now, and that’s a little scary.

Coach Roy has stated Berra at the very least is getting the start against the Philadelphia Flyers. For those keeping score at home, that’s his second back-to-back start this season.

He needs to be a brick wall against the Flyers. And Varlamov has to find his old magic back if the Colorado Avalanche road trip is to be successful.

On a side note, during a post-practice press conference, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic stated:

“[Calvin Pickard] is going to be here next year for sure.”

Sakic also said there were no plans to recall Pickard from his dominant play in the AHL barring an injury to one of the current goalies on the roster.

Think about that first part for a second — Sakic is confident Pickard will be in net for the Colorado Avalanche next year. Your immediate thought might be as a replacement for Berra as backup. But doesn’t it also seem possible as a replacement for Varlamov in the first position?

(Before lambasting me, read how Denver Post writer Mike Chambers suggests the exact same thing.)

Next: Where's the D?