The Colorado Avalanche find themselves taking a breather as they await the beginning of their second-round series against the Minnesota Wild. The Wild’s series against the Dallas Stars was a war of attrition, potentially leaving the Wild with a Pyrrhic victory.
That situation gives the Avalanche a unique advantage moving forward. A significantly weakened adversary provides a chance to end the next conflict early. That’s what Colorado has to be thinking as they head into Round 2 of the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs.
A weaker opponent, not in terms of talent, but in terms of health and fatigue, means that the Avalanche can just pile on the pain in the first two games of the series. It’s a practical matter. The Avs cannot afford to give their next opponent a chance to get into the series. By taking the first two games at home, Colorado can pretty much end the series before it even really begins.
That’s the sort of edge that teams get when they end their series early. Sure, some may point out that a long layoff can lead to a loss of momentum. While that’s true, it’s a gift few teams can enjoy in such a grueling tournament like the NHL playoffs.
Avalanche may not get another break for remainder of postseason
Let’s assume for a minute that the next series goes to six games for the Avalanche. That means they’ll have less time between round 2 and the Western Conference Final. As such, the rest accrued now will come in handy moving forward.
The Avalanche tend to be much more rested than their second and third round opponents. In fact, when looking at the Pacific Division side of the bracket, those clubs could encounter their own attrition. Veteran teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Vegas Golden Knights could be so banged up by the time they get to the Conference Final that the Avs could have a slightly easier time.
There’s no question that there are no easy opponents in the NHL playoffs. That’s why teams have to exploit whatever advantages they can get. And if that edge comes from having a couple of extra days in between series, so be it. The hockey gods helped the Avalanche recover from ongoing ailments and just overall fatigue.
So, the expectation would be to move in for the kill and end the next series before it even gets going.
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