The Colorado Avalanche are off on Sunday, looking to regroup after Saturday’s 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets.
Meanwhile, a potential playoff opponent of the Avalanche has made a shocking move. The Vegas Golden Knights fired their head coach, Bruce Cassidy, The Athletic reported. The club also replaced Cassidy with the fiery John Tortorella.
The move is certainly surprising, considering that the Golden Knights are a playoff team. However, it seems that things weren’t really clicking in Vegas. As such, the organization made a bold decision.
For their sake, let’s hope it works out.
As for the Avalanche, the move could have repercussions in the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. The Golden Knights are on pace to meet the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the Pacific Division bracket. A win by Vegas would set up a meeting with the winner of the Anaheim Ducks-Utah Mammoth series.
Of course, those are all suppositions at this point as the final playoff seedings have not yet been determined.
That said, assuming the Avalanche make it to the Western Conference Final, the club could meet Vegas. That’s where this coaching change could become a factor. If Vegas suddenly gets hot, the team could be a tough out for the Avs in the third round.
Again, that all depends on both Colorado and Vegas getting that far. There’s no reason to think that both clubs can’t make it. So, it could be an interesting matchup if things get that far for Vegas.
Avalanche to face Vegas’ new coach before season ends
The Colorado Avalanche will have a chance to face the Golden Knights and Tortorella on April 11. The game will be the Avalanche’s fourth-last game of the regular season. It will also give fans an indication of what the Avs might be up against in the postseason.
Once again, that depends on the Golden Knights making the postseason. There’s always the possibility that Vegas fades down the stretch, and a club like the LA Kings does just enough to overtake them in the standings.
That’s all speculation at this point. By the time April 11 rolls around, we’ll all have a good sense of where things are heading.
In the meantime, Avalanche fans should keep an eye on the Pacific Division-side of the equation. As Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid described the playoff race, “it’s a pillow fight.” While that doesn’t mean that the Avalanche shouldn’t take Pacific Division opponents lightly, a healthy and focused Avalanche team could very well steamroll whoever makes it out of that division.