Colorado Avalanche achieving unseen levels of success

The Christmas break is upon us, and aside from the usual soliloquies of the holiday season, there is plenty else to be appreciative of during this time, like the success the Colorado Avalanche have had thus far this season.

The team currently has the most points accrued by the Christmas break in the history of the league with 61 points, but the numbers say this sustained success will continue, with some pundits likening them to the Monstars of Space Jam fame.

The 2022-23 Boston Bruins finished their season with 135 points, the current record for most points in a season, and the Avalanche are nearly halfway to that mark, with the halfway point of the season coming up.

That Bruins team primarily had one line operating at peak levels all season. Beyond that line, they didn’t get the support this Avalanche team has with contributions from every level.

The Avalanche have not lost a game at home in regulation yet this season. They are currently 15-0-2 at Ball Arena, and have won 13 straight games in the fortress. The team has won six games in a row overall, regardless of venue.

The team can win any way a team wants to play. Their penalty kill currently tops the league at 85% success rate. They will beat another team 1-0, like they recently did against Utah on December 23rd, or they can blow out an opponent, like they did to division rival Minnesota on December 21st, winning 5-1.

The Avalanche, led by NHL goals leader Nathan MacKinnon, lead the NHL in goal differential at a staggering plus-62, nearly double the second-place team (plus-35).

Speaking of MacKinnon, he’s continued his torrid pace over the last several seasons, as he leads in goals and is second in the NHL in points scored with 61.

Contributions spread far and wide for the burgundy and blue, as Cale Makar leads NHL defensemen in points with 43.

The usual suspects have shown up, but the Avalanche are getting contributions across the board. Josh Manson has had an offensive resurgence this season, with 12 points already. Sam Malinski has taken another step in his development and has chipped in 18 points this season.

Martin Necas has fit seamlessly next to Nathan MacKinnon, and he has 47 points, good for second on the team. Brock Nelson is third on the team in goals with 14, while Parker Kelly and Victor Olofsson both have seven goals on the season.

But wait, there’s more!

The goaltending has been superb. Scott Wedgewood, presumed backup prior to the season beginning, has been other worldly, pun intended Canadian Olympic team selectors, and leads the NHL with 2.07 goals against average.

Mackenzie Blackwood, injured to begin the season, has returned and immediately elevated his play to another level, with a .924 save percentage to match Wedgewood’s. Both goalies have two shutouts this season.

The team is better defensively than ever. Their offensive firepower has not dissipated. Now they’re taking comments personally, such as what Minnesota Wild goaltender Wallstedt stated recently, that the Wild are a better team, and using it as fuel to succeed.

The Avalanche have been compared to the big, bad Monstars of Space Jam fame. The scary part for the rest of the NHL is that the best player in the world isn’t there to save the league from the wrath of these dangerous and intimidating Monstars – in fact, he’s the Monstars team leader in this movie version.

If Nathan MacKinnon can continue to get the “Monstars” to take personally every perceived slight the team sees, and use them as fuel for success, then the sky is the limit for this year’s version of the Colorado Avalanche.