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Colorado Avalanche: Can the Team Make the Playoffs?

By Tony Cimato

DENVER, CO - MARCH 9: Goaltender Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Colorado Avalanche looks on prior to the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Pepsi Center on March 9, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - MARCH 9: Goaltender Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Colorado Avalanche looks on prior to the game against the Buffalo Sabres at the Pepsi Center on March 9, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The Colorado Avalanche are currently on the outside looking in to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. What do they have to do in order to make another run at Lord Stanley?

The Colorado Avalanche currently sit 3 points behind the Arizona Coyotes -yes, the Coyotes- in the Western Conference standings. In between the Coyotes and the Avalanche are the disgusting Minnesota Wild. Do the Avalanche have what it takes to make it back to the playoffs?

Yes, but it won’t be easy.

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The Avalanche are currently idle until Friday night when they play the Anaheim Ducks. The Coyotes   play Thursday night, and the Wild play the Dallas Stars-yikes-.

Now, originally when I saw the Wild vs. Stars matchup, I immediately thought, we need a Stars victory. However, after I pondered the situation a little longer, my rooting interest may have changed. If the Wild do beat the Stars and the Coyotes lose, then the Avs only sit 5 points behind Dallas and only 4 points behind the Wild with a game in hand.

Now I’m no mathematician, but I believe a battle between 4 teams and 2 playoff spots, is more hopeful than 3 teams and 1 playoff spot. If this theoretical scenario happens tomorrow night, Dallas will have 77 points in 70 games, Minnesota will have 76 points in 71 games, Arizona will have 75 points in 71 games and Colorado will have 72 points in 70 games.

On the contrary,If Dallas beats Minnesota, in regulation of course, then Dallas will be at 79 and frankly, out of Colorado’s reach. However, if Minnesota and Arizona both lose tomorrow night the Avalanche will only be a maximum of three points out of a playoff spot. Regardless of which scenario you prefer, The Colorado Avalanche need to worry about winning their own games.

The special number the Avalanche need to get to is 91 points. That’s the magic number that I believe will get a Western Conference team into the playoffs this season. In order for the Avalanche to do that, they will need 19 points in their last 12 games. That would consist of a 9-2-1 or 8-0-3 record to finish out the regular season.

Hey, I did mention that this wasn’t going to be easy.

Colorado’s Schedule is as following: Vs. ANA, Vs. NJD, @ MIN, @ DAL, Vs. CHI, @ CHI, Vs. VGK, Vs. ARI, @ STL, Vs, EDM, Vs. WPG, @SJS.

There are 9 wins in there.

Anaheim, New Jersey, Chi x2, and Edmonton are 5 must win games for the Avalanche. We can’t let games against teams out of the playoff picture get away from us. The Avalanche need to find at least 4 more wins against the likes of MIN, DAL, VGK, ARI, STL, WPG, SJS. The Avalanche can easily go 5-2 or 4-2-1 against this group of teams.

It will be much more difficult without our Captain, Gabriel Landeskog, however the Avalanche have finally been getting the goaltending they have long yearned for.

When it comes down to it, The Avalanche must concentrate one shift at a time, in ultimately achieving their yearlong goal of making the playoffs to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke.

Next. Do These Players Deserve to be Scratched?. dark

I know it wasn’t.

I can’t wait for these last few weeks, as this is what playoff hockey is all about.

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