Colorado Avalanche: 5 Keys for the Four-Game Home Stand

DENVER, CO - APRIL 16: Members of the Colorado Avalanche congratulate Colorado Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) following a win after a first round playoff game between the Colorado Avalanche and the visiting Nashville Predators on April 16, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 16: Members of the Colorado Avalanche congratulate Colorado Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) following a win after a first round playoff game between the Colorado Avalanche and the visiting Nashville Predators on April 16, 2018 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, CO. (Photo by Russell Lansford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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DENVER, CO – MARCH 30: Gabriel Landeskog #92 of the Colorado Avalanche skates against the Chicago Blackhawks at the Pepsi Center on March 30, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Blackhawks 5-0. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)

Beat the Chicago Blackhawks

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Not just the Chicago Blackhawks either. The Hawks are the worst team in the NHL. (Or second-worst — they keep flip-flopping with the LA Kings.) Unfortunately, the Colorado Avalanche have a tendency to let these teams keep hanging around instead of going in for the kill. And hanging around, sometimes these bad teams pull out a win.

During the home stand, the Avs finish with Chicago on the first leg of a back-to-back series. After playing Chicago at home, they fly to Arizona to face the Coyotes before a four-day break for Christmas.

Boy do we all want diamonds instead of coal in our stockings. The Hawks are a disaster of a team, and the Coyotes are barely climbing out of the basement. (Side note: doesn’t the ‘Yotes logo look like a dog whose tail just got stepped on? Maybe that’s their problem…) Beating the Hawks would be a nice diamond.

There are two games the Colorado Avalanche simply must win during this home stand — Dallas Stars and Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars are a division rival who are trying to climb into a playoff berth. The Blackhawks are a division rival who suck. The Avs need to collect those important points.

The Colorado Avalanche home stand looks like this:

  • Dec. 15: Dallas Stars
  • Dec. 17: New York Islanders
  • Dec. 19: Montreal Canadiens
  • Dec. 21: Chicago Blackhawks

As I mentioned above, the Avs travel to Arizona after facing the Hawks. After that back-to-back series, the team is off four days for the holidays before traveling again, this time to Vegas.