Mile High Sticking
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Colorado Avalanche Decade in Review: 20 Memorable Moments

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 30: Joonas Donskoi #72 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with his bench at the Pepsi Center on October 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 30: Joonas Donskoi #72 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with his bench at the Pepsi Center on October 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – OCTOBER 05: Alexander Kerfoot /

2017-18 Basics

GM: Joe Sakic
Coach: Jared Bednar
Captain: Gabriel Landeskog
Alternate Captains: Erik Johnson, Nathan MacKinnon
Record: 43–30–9

The Colorado Avalanche bounced back nicely from the 48-point season. In addition to future superstud Cale Makar, they drafted Conor Timmins, who was scouted to go in the first round but dropped to the second.

The 2017-18 season was a breath of fresh air. After that dreadful season, we knew we were in a rebuild. The Avs were one of the youngest teams in the NHL. On any given night, they were dressing up to four rookies.

And Nathan MacKinnon finally started to come into his own. I, for one, was beginning to think of him as a good but not great players. Well, this was his breakout season that saw him crush his rookie numbers — he earned 97 points (39 goals, 58 assists). Both Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog recorded career years, too.

And they made the playoffs. An injured team, they exited first round. But it was the first time in four years they’d made the postseason.

Team leaders

Goals: Nathan MacKinnon (39)
Assists: Nathan MacKinnon (58)
Points: Nathan MacKinnon (97)
Penalty minutes: Nikita Zadorov (103)
Plus/minus: Patrik Nemeth (+27)
Wins: Semyon Varlamov (24)

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