The Colorado Avalanche have a chance — again — to make space for themselves for the final wild card playoff berth. The time to capitalize on that chance is now.
“The people in Denver cannot wait to see these guys bring this team to another level.” ~Patrick Roy
The Minnesota Wild lost horribly to the New Jersey Devils in their game #71, and they now have 75 points on the season. The Colorado Avalanche squeaked out a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in their 71st game for their 76th point.
That means we can finally gauge where we stand against the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference playoff berth. As of right now, it belongs to the Colorado Avalanche.
That means the Colorado Avalanche must own their destiny.
I’m deliberately deviating from the usual phrase of controlling your own destiny because of something head coach Patrick Roy said during his weekly interview with The Fan:
"“It’s time for [the core players]. They have to deliver, they have to prove to the people in Denver… it’s one of the reasons why the people in Denver have a hard time to move on from the past — because these guys are taking a little bit too much time. It’s time for them to bring this team into the playoffs. It’s time for them to show that they’re capable of great things.”"
Ever since listening to his words, all I could think was winning is the Colorado Avalanche’s destiny. While 15 years since the last Stanley Cup seems long for us fans, it’s an awful lot better than Toronto’s 50+ years and St. Louis/Minnesota’s infinity.
More from Mile High Sticking
- Could Colorado Avalanche move on from Pavel Francouz next offseason?
- 4 goalies to replace Pavel Francouz if he has to miss time
- Colorado Avalanche make sneaky signing with Tatar
- Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog could return in 2023-24 playoffs
- Colorado Avalanche rookie face-off tournament roster
I hate the Minnesota Wild with the fire of 1,000 suns — most people who know me even casually know that. I think a lot of Colorado Avalanche fans feel the same way.
Boy, don’t we all want the Colorado Avalanche to finally exorcise the demon that is the Wild? Wouldn’t beating out Minnesota for that final playoff berth be exactly that?
Beyond that, as coach Roy says, we Avs fans simply want to see our team be relevant again. And as Matt Duchene told the Denver Post, “You can’t just keep missing the playoffs. You’re just taking steps backwards.”
That starts tonight. No matter how the game against the Calgary Flames starts, no matter how the second period goes, no matter the score going into the third period, Colorado needs to put the boot on Minnesota’s throat by winning tonight’s game.
Coach Roy let The Fan’s listener’s in on his advice to the team for winning their games. It shouldn’t be too surprising:
- Play with conviction
- Trust what we’re doing
- Slow down the game
- Get back to basics
Each player must ensure he’s under control not matter what’s going on in the game. That’s true whether the team is playing with a lead or with a deficit.
So, the Colorado Avalanche got their toe in the playoff race again. Here’s what coach Roy has to say about that:
"“Big deal if we win tonight [vs Vancouver] — we have to win in Calgary. Big deal if we win in Calgary — we have to win in Edmonton. Big deal if we win in Edmonton — we have to win at home against Philly. Big deal if we win at home against Philly — we have to win against Minny at home in that afternoon game.”"
As coach Roy told The Fan, the team has to show consistency. They have to play with confidence and grit.
In other words, they cannot be fragile — that’s for other teams such as the Minnesota Wild.
Next: Soul of a Canadian Roadie
The Colorado Avalanche has it within their grasp to own the destiny bequeathed on them by the greats of the first decade. They must do it.