Colorado Avalanche: It’s Now or Never

The Colorado Avalanche’s game Thursday Night against the Dallas Stars is an absolute must-win.

The Colorado Avalanche visit the American Airlines Center on Thursday night to face the Dallas Stars.

They have to win.

A loss coupled with a possible Arizona Coyotes win over the Florida Panthers could mean an end to a roller coaster season for the Avalanche.

Obviously, mathematically they’d still be in contention, but I just have a feeling that they are going to need this win in Dallas.

You’d have to assume that the Avalanche will split the weekend home and home with the all of a sudden surging Chicago Blackhawks, meaning that this game Thursday night is vital to having a 2-1 record the next three games.

The Avalanche can come up with all of the excuses in the world, but hey, nobody cares.

Every team deals with injuries.

Losing Gabriel Landeskog for the last 15 games hurts, but it is a team sport.

Everything the Avalanche have been through this season will be for nothing if they don’t make the playoffs. The Avalanche have earned the playoffs or bust scenario with the season they had last year.

Adversity.

These are the types of games where a team can handle adversity and thrive, and one where a team will crumble under the immense pressure of a road divisional game late in the season.

It’s not pretty that the Avalanche have to go into Dallas, after being absolutely dominated by the Stars 4-0 in the same arena just two short weeks ago.

If the Colorado Avalanche are a team destined to make the playoffs, this will have to be the turning point in the season.

Not a lot of people expect us to go into Dallas Thursday night and pick up two points.

But it must be done.

How can it be done?

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Continue our nice little streak we have going.

After shutting out New Jersey and dominating the Minnesota Wild Tuesday night, we know the Avalanche have what it takes to compete and earn that last wild card spot.

At this point in the season, we need everything from every body.

We need Nathan Mackinnon to take over a game for us and bring us to the playoffs.

We need Tyson Barrie to be the Tyson of late whom everybody loves.

We need the resurgence of the young Tyson Jost to continue and hopefully have him blossom into a superstar.

Most importantly we need the combination of Phillipp Grubauer and Semyon Varlamov to keep making those game changing saves.

I could mention everyone but you get the point, We need everybody, every shift, every second, in order for the Colorado Avalanche to make the playoffs for a second consecutive year.