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The Wild Wild West: Let’s Get Used to the Colorado Avalanche’s New Division

By King Dawit

EDMONTON, ALBERTA - SEPTEMBER 02: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on September 02, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
EDMONTON, ALBERTA - SEPTEMBER 02: Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche is congratulated by his teammates after scoring a goal against the Dallas Stars during the third period in Game Six of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Rogers Place on September 02, 2020 in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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St. Louis Blues

DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 02: Matt Nieto #83 and nikita Zadorov #16 of the Colorado Avalanche fight for the puck against Robert Thomas #18 and Tyler Bozak #21 of the St Louis Blues in the first period at the Pepsi Center on January 02, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 02: Matt Nieto #83 and nikita Zadorov #16 of the Colorado Avalanche fight for the puck against Robert Thomas #18 and Tyler Bozak #21 of the St Louis Blues in the first period at the Pepsi Center on January 02, 2020 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images) /

2019-20 Record: 42-19-10, 1st in the West (2-2-0 against Colorado)

Losing Alex Pietrangelo is a blessing in disguise when Colorado meets St. Louis in less than two weeks.

The Blues topped the West, just barely hopping over the Avs in both their division and conference. The defending champs finished with 94 points, facing Colorado four times, their first meeting throwing off the Avs’ eight-point streak. A David Perron hat trick on December 16th would see the Avs still unable to notch a triumph, until their third game with Andrei Burakovsky leading the charge.

Of course, the crowning Blues/Avs moment would come months later, at a more important, less-than-a-second-depending stage.

While the Blues were largely (not in the writer’s opinion) upset by the 7th place Vancouver Canucks in 6 games, former Avs scorer Ryan O’Reilly led the team again with 61 points, while Perron, Brayden Schenn, and Jayden Schwartz all followed with 20-goal seasons. That was the upside. Key winger Vladimir Tarasenko would leave the season early after a shoulder injury, while Jordan Binnington — hailed as the missing piece in the Blues’ road to victory — put up a very good season, only to viciously slump against the Canucks.

With Tarasenko still out, longtime Blue Alex Steen retired, and Binnington uncertain to regain his 2019 form, losing Pietrangelo meant bringing in Torey Krug from Boston. Krug, certain to play with Colton Parayko, is an undersized, but still beyond lethal addition to the Blues. There’s also Mike Hoffman, who is sure to make the team, currently signed to a PTO. Happy is Ryan O’Reilly, who after reportedly being refused captain in Colorado, wears the C this season.

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