The Colorado Avalanche have a chance to make a playoff push — but it needs to start tonight against the Anaheim Ducks.
I already wrote off the Colorado Avalanche’s playoff hopes, and I caught flak for it. Hey, I’m not the one suiting up to play, and I just want to see the youngsters get their chance for rebuild purposes. But, it ain’t over until they’re mathematically eliminated. At the time of writing, they were five points out with a game in hand over the Coyotes.
I’m not a math wiz. I don’t know how many of their remaining 12 games they need to win except to say “Probably most of them.” And that winning needs to start tonight.
So, without further adieu, let’s look at some of the keys to tonight’s game.
How to Enjoy the Game
Game time: Mar 15, 7:00 pm MT
TV Networks: ALT, FS-W (Ducks’ Feed)
Radio: Altitude Radio (FM 92.5)
Beat Inferior Opponents
No NHL game is easy because you’re still playing against NHL-caliber players. However, a team like the Anaheim Ducks doesn’t have the inspiration of playing for the playoffs in front of them. They haven’t been a good team all year.
If you want to make the playoffs, you can’t play down to the opponent. Indeed, a team like the Colorado Avalanche, especially since they’re playing at home, should be merciless. Needless to say, they need to come out with fire in their bellies because they are playing for playoff contention — or they should be anyway.
Mastery of Best Players
The Colorado Avalanche are without their captain, and that sucks. However, we still have two of the most exciting players in the NHL in Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. They don’t always skate on the same line anymore, but that shouldn’t matter.
Your best players have to be your best players. Remember when Peter Forsberg scored three goals and assisted on three more all in the last 22 minutes to take the Avs from losing 5-0 to a 7-5 win? Hey, just for funsies, let’s watch that:
Anyway, we need superhuman efforts from MacKinnon and Rantanen tonight for the full 60. Go on, boys. Let’s see each of you earn six points in the game. You know you want to.
Goal Tending
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The Colorado Avalanche need their goalie to be stellar tonight, too. At the time of writing, the starting goalie hadn’t been announced. I’m guessing Semyon Varlamov because Philipp Grubauer got the last two starts, but, hey, I usually guess wrong.
Anyway, it doesn’t matter who starts in net tonight. That man also has to be the best player for the Colorado Avalanche. He cannot for the love of hockey and all other things holy allow the first goal. That would be deflating.
Happy Birthday, Tyson Jost
Just a quick side note. Tyson Jost turned 21 yesterday, and I would like to wish him the warmest of birthday wishes. Oh, and a certain Condor will be turning 31 pretty soon.
After tonight, the Colorado Avalanche have one more game at home, against the New Jersey Devils, before heading on the road to face two of their Central Division foes.