Colorado Avalanche: What the Young Players Should Take Away from the Playoffs

The Colorado Avalanche is a team filled with youngsters. Hopefully they got the good kind of playoff experience from their recent play.

The Colorado Avalanche earned “valuable playoff experience” this year. However, what did they really learn, and how valuable is it? After all, star center Nathan MacKinnon remarked that his experience with the playoffs four years ago didn’t seem all that helpful in approaching this year’s playoffs.

Of course, the two experiences were radically different. Colorado went into the 2014 playoffs with 112 points and a Central Division title. They squeaked into this year’s playoffs with 95 points, which was good for the final wild card spot.

That said, it certainly seems true that teams that make the playoffs regularly do so not because they’re all that much better than the other teams but because they know how to make the playoffs. And teams that win the playoffs — ie, the Stanley Cup champions — often just know how to work the playoffs.

The Avalanche are a young team, and we all hope the rookies and other youngsters are soaking in a lot of knowledge to become contenders in years to come. So, let’s see what they’ve hopefully learned from this year’s playoffs.

Exploitation of Weaknesses

Teams always watch a lot of film. Presumably, they know where a goalie is weak and who has an injury. While there may be honor in not exploiting weakness, there’s no winning that way.

If the Avalanche want to win big games, they have to exploit the other team’s weaknesses. A lot of that comes down to a killer mentality. p 5-0? Who cares — rip the helmet off the other team’s rookie anyway.

That’s what Nashville did. That’s the way the Predators played all along. And, they got to advance. That’s not the only reason, but it helped.

Close out Chances

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Every freaking game the Colorado Avalanche attempted a highlight reel one-timer. Two players would race to the net. Rather than shoot at the goalie and hope for a rebound, the player with the puck would pass to his partner for the one-timer.

It never worked.

Meanwhile, play after play, Pekka Rinne gave up rebounds, and there was never an Avalanche player in position to capitalize.

There needs to be an Avalanche player to capitalize on the rebounds. And Colorado players have to finish their chances. I don’t care how pretty the play was — if it didn’t go in the net, no goal.

What’s more, Colorado needs to play better with a lead. They had two wins in the series, and only one win was their playing with a lead the whole time situation. In two of their losses, they actually scored the first goal of the game.

Colorado has to learn how to close out those games. Boot on the throat, nail in the coffin, don’t let them off the ropes — whatever cliche you want, the Avs have to win when they get a lead in the playoffs.

Intensity in the Playoffs

Players like Gabriel Landeskog are built for the playoffs. Our wild captain has always like to play with an edge to his game — and on the edge of what’s purely, say, clean. He’s not a dirty player, but he’s definitely a warrior.

Guess what — successful playoff teams seem to be filled with players whose game has an edge. Plus, playoff hockey is intense. Players need to be able to deal with the stress and intensity represented in these big games.

Colorado faced three official elimination games (including the one against St. Louis to even make the playoffs). They handled themselves in two out of those three games — next, time, hopefully they can push themselves even farther.

How to Make the Playoffs

Nothing the Colorado Avalanche learned in this year’s playoffs will amount to a hill of beans if they don’t make the playoffs. Therefore, that’s the most important lesson.

For the Avalanche, it’s all about being opportunistic. The Avs didn’t make the playoffs this year because they were so much better than the Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues or Calgary Flames. They made it because they won at the right times — especially that final game.

Now, they also had some help from teams losing at the right time. They can’t rely on that dynamic. The Avs have to be dominant against Western Conference teams and win regularly within their own division. That’s a more surefire recipe for success than hoping other teams lose.

Next: Positive Takeaways from the Playoffs

The Colorado Avalanche have a long offseason — but not as long as in recent years. Hopefully htey ruminate on their lessons from this year’s playoffs and take that fire into next season.