Colorado Avalanche: 5 Lessons from the Road Trip

Nov 23, 2015; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets defenseman Tobias Enstrom (39) hits Colorado Avalanche left wing Cody McLeod (55) in the face during the second period at MTS Centre. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche completed their season-high, seven-game road trip with a 4-3-0 record.

At the time of writing, the Colorado Avalanche players are literally en route back home after a monster two-week road trip that encompassed seven games. Counting the trip home, they crossed the Canadian border four times.

The results of the road trip, 4-3-0 or eight points, weren’t as good as we all hoped but maybe a bit better than we expected. (Personally, I was hoping for at least nine points, as head coach Patrick Roy recently remarked he looks for in any seven-game stretch.)

This roadie was an eventful one, and I feel we learned a lot about the team and even about ourselves as a fan base. So, let’s see what lessons we can take from a roadie that matched the longest in franchise history.

Next: Matt Duchene 1

Oct 30, 2015; Raleigh, NC, USA; Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene (9) before the game against the Carolina Hurricanes at PNC Arena. The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Matt Duchene is the Most Popular Avalanche

About the time the road trip began, rumors began circulating that Matt Duchene was on the trade block. At one point it was even reported that Avalanche GM Joe Sakic had called Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray about moving Duchene.

Avalanche fans lost their minds. The public outcry was immediate, it was prolonged, and it was heated.

Some people, myself included, tried to look at the trade possibility objectively. Truthfully, though, Duchene is just too popular.

Popular enough that even Joe Sakic and Patrick Roy were receiving blowback.

ICYMI: Duchene Controls his own Fate

There are a lot of popular players on the team, and some that seem too sacred to trade. (Ok, only Nathan MacKinnon is in that second group.) No one wants to see Gabriel Landeskog go, and you’d be hard-pressed to find Avalanche fans who would be willing to part with Tyson Barrie or Erik Johnson.

But Matt Duchene carries a special place in our hearts. He was our highest draft pick at the time. He’s supposed to be our franchise player. He bleeds burgundy and blue, and has since before he even got picked.

The Duchene trade may still happen somewhere down the road, but the front offices have to realize how wildly unpopular it will be with Avs Nation. The return would have to be astronomical to not be labeled a failure.

Next: Gabriel Landeskog

Nov 10, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92) takes a shot against Philadelphia Flyers goalie Michal Neuvirth (30) during the first period at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Gabriel Landeskog is a Streaky Scorer

By now we all know Matt Duchene is a streaky goal scorer. Well, turns out our captain, left wing Gabriel Landeskog, is streaky, too.

Last season he had 41 attempts in 14 games — all of December, as it turns out — before a goal finally went in against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

This season — this November — he’s had 33 shot attempts in 11 games, and no goal. He got an assist in every game save one on the road trip (well, plus the two he was suspended, of course), and he’s been a shooting fiend (three against the Winnipeg Jets, four against the Philadelphia Flyers and a beastly six against the Pittsburgh Penguins.) Landeskog just can’t find the back of the net.

As he observed last season, though, goals tend to come in bunches for him. After his drought ended last season, he went on a tear about as hot as Duchene’s streak is now.

That’s just the way the puck bounces, apparently.

Next: Mental Focus

Nov 19, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Penguins left wing David Perron (57) scores a goal against Colorado Avalanche goalie Reto Berra (20) during the second period at the CONSOL Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Colorado Avalanche Lack Focus

I used to be a teacher, and the most infuriating students were the ones who would get behind, do a bunch of work to get back on track, and then fall behind again. At a certain point, it seemed as if the hole they had dug for themselves was too insurmountable.

Sound familiar?

How many times after a loss have we heard coach Roy and/or the players talk about how they played well for 54, 55, 56 minutes? There was just that small stretch of time that they lost focus and let two, three, four goals in. We’ve heard it enough times that we can put the record needle into that worn out groove in our sleep.

A while back I mused about whether the players might be choking at key moments during the game:

ICYMI: The Avalanche Need a Mental Heimlich Maneuver

That may still be the case. However, I think they’re becoming victims of a loser mentality. They don’t have the Stanley Cup attitude that coach Roy wants them to have. They don’t even have the fierce pride that means they’ll try at all costs.

Instead, it’s too easy to lose focus, let in all those goals, and then just shrug and say, “We played well for 54 minutes. We thought we deserved better than that.”

This is the highest, most elite level of the sport. You’re not going to win giving just 90%. You might not even win giving it 100% — but at least you played at the appropriate level.

Unfortunately, that losing mentality is fast becoming part of the Colorado Avalanche culture. A few weeks ago I celebrated Nathan MacKinnon’s disgust in saying “I’m sick of losing.” Unfortunately, after the Pittsburgh Penguins game, he was spouting the party line from above.

Hopefully that gets burned out of him and soon.

Next: Equals

Nov 14, 2015; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Colorado Avalanche center John Mitchell (7) celebrates his goal against Montreal Canadiens goalie Dustin Tokarski (35) with teammates during the third period at Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Jean-Yves Ahern-USA TODAY Sports

The Colorado Avalanche are the Equal of Any Team

When the Colorado Avalanche play their game, and play it for the full 60 minutes, they are the equal of any team in the NHL. They have the skill, the talent and the work ethic.

They beat the red-hot Montreal Canadiens, one of the toughest teams to beat, especially at home. Yes, Montreal was without their starting goalie, Carey Price. But the Avalanche were without their starting goalie, Semyon Varlamov.

Colorado also beat the Boston Bruins in a tight, one-goal game. In fact, they had to come from behind to do it! The Avalanche also came from behind to beat the Winnipeg Jets — a division rival. The Colorado Avalanche can come in and beat a team.

That’s what we’re going to have to see more of. Making the playoffs may be a pipe dream already. However, a streak begins with one win. A well-timed hot streak can lead to a Wild Card playoff spot.

It could happen. That’s why we keep watching, right?

What did you take away from the seven-game roadie?