The Colorado Avalanche have had about as easy of an opening week as an NHL team could ask for.
The Avalanche played just two games across their first seven days. That gave Jared Bednar's group plenty of time to recover, practice and get comfortable without having to deal with the grind of a regular-season schedule.
That luxury is about to disappear.
Colorado now faces a three-games-in-four-nights set against Winnipeg, Calgary and Toronto.
Suddenly, the Avalanche are going from one of the lightest schedules imaginable to one heck of a gauntlet early in the season.
And these three games could have a major impact on the Central Division race.
If Colorado sweeps the set this week, the Avs would emerge with a perfect 5-0 record and 10 points to begin the season.
That may not sound like much in October.
It could be a big deal in April.
The Central Division is likely going to be tight all season. That’s why the Avalanche need to build as big of a lead atop the division as possible. That separation can buy some much-needed breathing room throughout the rest of the season.
The Avalanche evidently cannot assume they will win all three.
But this is an opportunity they should take seriously.
L’Heureux and O’Connor could be crucial during the grind
This is where getting Zachary L'Heureux and Logan O'Connor back becomes particularly important.
The Avalanche have been able to manage their lineup during the lighter opening week, but three games in four nights is a completely different challenge.
Having two additional healthy forwards gives Bednar options.
Instead of leaning heavily on the same group every night, Colorado can distribute minutes and keep players fresher throughout the stretch. That could become particularly important against Toronto, which will be the third game in four nights.
The Avalanche should also have Noah Juulsen available as a healthy scratch, which provides another useful layer of flexibility.
If one of Colorado's defensemen needs a night off, Juulsen gives Bednar the option of rotating someone out rather than forcing a tired player through another game.
That may seem like a small advantage.
Managing workloads over a tight turnarounds can prevent the issue with fatigue that we saw last season, especially in the playoffs.
Goaltending will be another area to watch.
Fans should expect Scott Wedgewood to get his first start of the season, likely Thursday against Calgary. Giving MacKenzie Blackwood a night off during the three-game stretch would allow Colorado to manage its crease while still having a veteran option capable of handling the Flames.
That is exactly what Bednar needs from his roster right now.
Beyond winning the games themselves, the whole point is to establish the sort of battle rhythm that allows the team to intelligently manage its goalies’ workloads.
But that’s the case, the reward could be significant.
The upcoming three-game stretch represents the first real test of Colorado's depth, conditioning and ability to manage a demanding schedule.
Sweep the three games, and the Avalanche are sitting at 5-0 with 10 points.
At that point, Colorado would have done more than simply enjoy a good start.
It may have given itself an early Central Division lead that other teams spend the rest of the season trying to chase down.
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