Colorado Avalanche: 5 Keys for the 1st Road Trip 2019-2020

5. Play the Game According to the Opponent

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You never want to get away from playing your style of hockey. The Colorado Avalanche are a speedy team that likes to go on the rush. They play as five-man units across all three zones.

The Avs definitely shouldn’t try and change their identity on the road. That way lies madness — and losses. They were built to be the team described above.

However, as they learned against the Arizona Coyotes, you have to win every type of hockey game. You have to adapt to how the opponent plays. In that way, you might be able to win control of the game back.

The Colorado Avalanche are facing some solid opposition. They’re facing teams who have solidified their identities, who have won numerous trophies both as a team and personally. But Colorado has its own strengths, and they can force other teams to face them as long as they’re willing to adapt their game.

The fun starts tomorrow, an early game time in honor of the Columbus Day holiday — Colorado almost always seems to have one of these games. The Avs have 12 points on the line — I’m hoping for at least six.