The Colorado Avalanche are unstoppable. Sure, they lose some games here and there, but recent results have proven that they are the league’s most-feared team.
On Thursday night, they handed their division rival Winnipeg Jets another loss. While it got a bit scary at the end of the game, they were able to pull off the win against a team with a goaltender who missed a bunch of time early in the season—a goaltender who is usually known as a Vezina trophy finalist.
Colorado has had one flaw for most of the season: its power play. They have been at the bottom of the league in power play percentage, and currently sit 27th at 16.9%. However, Nathan MacKinnon was able to add a power play tally in the third period against Winnipeg. They’ve been improving on the man-advantage as of late, specifically since coming back from the Olympic break.
That, and their recent stretch of games are huge indicators that the team is the team to beat in the Stanley Cup playoffs. They have won four-straight games, all of which have been on the road. It’s proof that they do not need home-ice advantage. The Avalanche are hot right now, almost hot enough to melt opposing teams’ home ice.
Colorado Avalanche can change history in the Stanley Cup playoffs
When it comes playoff time, there is at least one thing that is talked about among every fanbase: The dreaded Presidents’ trophy curse. The Presidents’ trophy is awarded to the team that finishes the regular season with the most wins in the NHL.
The dreaded curse that I am referring to is that the team that earns the Presidents’ trophy usually isn’t the winner of the Stanley Cup Final. The Presidents’ trophy was introduced in 1985-86. There have only been eight teams who won both trophies in the same year. That’s just 21.62%.
Head coach Jared Bednar has made it common practice to not look ahead of what is immediately in front of the team. The most important game is “the next one.” Sure, they will care about the results in the postseason, but there is literally nothing they can do at this current time about that. They still have 11 games to go and still have things to lock up for that run.
But, if there is one thing that they have learned recently, it is that you don’t have to play at home to play good or come home with a win. It might be easier statistically to play in your home arena, but to go on a 4-0 away stretch this late into the season is the ultimate indicator that they are ready for any away games they will be faced with.
The Avalanche lead the league in away wins with a 25-7-5 record, which is outstanding. To me, that shows that they are fearless. It doesn’t matter where they play. It matters that they play and stick together through it all. Even when they are down, they get right back up and continue fighting until the clock hits all zeroes. That’s the model that every team in every sport should follow. It’s the ultimate blueprint.
While the Avalanche are currently number one in wins, they have some competition from the Hurricanes, Lightning, and Sabres. Carolina has 45 wins while the Sabres and Lightning each have 44. Colorado has 48, with 11 games to play. Technically, the Wild and Stars are also mathematically in the conversation, though those odds aren’t all that great.