Part of this postseason’s narrative has been the seemingly collision course between the Colorado Avalanche and the Carolina Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Final. Both the Avalanche and Hurricanes have been dominant, knocking off strong teams on their path to their respective conference finals.
And while the odds-on Cup Final matchup is Colorado-Carolina, Avalanche fans should keep an eye on the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs punched their ticket to the Eastern Conference Final last night, with former Av Alex Newhook getting the dramatic overtime winner in Game 7 against the Buffalo Sabres on Monday night.
The Canadiens are the youngest team in the playoff field this year. They have a young goalie who plays with the attitude of a Pitbull, and a solid cast of characters.
Now, it will be an uphill challenge for Montreal against Carolina. But bear in mind that this is a team that beat the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres. Many pundits had picked the Sabres as a team of destiny.
The Canadiens, however, were equal to the task. That’s the concerning part. If they can get past the Hurricanes, you would think they could be a formidable challenge for Colorado.
Canadiens may run out of gas by the time they reach Cup Final against Avalanche
So, let’s assume for a minute that the Canadiens can get past the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final. Under that assumption, there’s a very good chance they might run out of gas by the time they face the Avalanche.
Let’s think about it. The Habs have played two seven-game series. Plus, they will have a quick turnaround for their next series. That situation could be enough to leave the Canadiens gassed, should they make it all the way to the final round.
That’s why dispatching the Vegas Golden Knights as soon as possible will be crucial for Colorado. Getting sufficient rest in between series will be essential for the Avalanche to hold back a team like the Canadiens, or the Hurricanes, for that matter.
In fact, Avalanche fans had better hope the Canes-Habs series goes to seven games, too. Whoever emerges from that bloodbath could be severely weakened. A seven-game series at this point in the postseason might cause enough attrition to give Colorado another edge in the Cup Final showdown.
The Avalanche will kick off their series against the Golden Knights on Wednesday night. Meanwhile, the Canadiens and Hurricanes will play Game 1 of this conference final tilt on Thursday night.
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