#4: The Players are Psyched
I attended the Colorado Avalanche practice yesterday. What I saw was a pumped up team.
The players were relaxed and having a good time. At one point I watched Gabriel Landeskog take a shot on Semyon Varlamov, which he saved, so Landeskog skated around him and shot again. As the puck went in, the captain was just laughing. At another point I saw Erik Johnson take careful aim with the puck as Calvin Pickard was skating away from him — his shot knocked the stick right out of Pickard’s hand.
The point is, the team seems relaxed. These are players who get stuck in their own heads way too much. Indeed, I posited at the beginning of the season that they might choke sometimes. Well, how do you get over choking? By relaxing and playing the game you’ve played since you were a wee one.
It’s not that the players aren’t taking things seriously. Rather, they appear to be a team that has it’s sap up. Altitude TV host Kyle Keefe noticed the vibe:
At #Avs practice this morning.
— Kyle Keefe (@kylekeefetv) March 22, 2016
Incredible vibe. Everyone alert and alive. Energy on the ice. Boys are gonna rally. This feels right. 9 to go
During a game intermission, Erik Johnson remarked that as “super competitive guys,” these upcoming games are the type players live for. “It’s a lot of fun.” Well, that’s the attitude the Colorado Avalanche need to take into their upcoming games.
Next: Avs Need their Best Goalie Every Night
Being a fan of a team on the playoff bubble is nerve-racking — I’d feel a lot better if they were jockeying for position within the playoffs rather than just trying to make them. However, this is what we’ve been waiting for since the inglorious end of the Why Not Us season — not only another chance at the playoffs but redemption against the Minnesota Wild.
Let’s just be positive. #SuckItWild, and #GoAvsGo!