The Colorado Avalanche would meet the Edmonton Oilers in the first round of the playoffs if the season ended today.
According to the NHL playoff bracket, the first wildcard team, the Colorado Avalanche, would meet the Oilers as the Pacific Division leaders. However, the Oilers have the second seed as the Winnipeg Jets have a better record.
This first-round matchup would be one for the ages. The Avalanche have the firepower to knock out the mighty Oilers. Meanwhile, the Oilers have the wherewithal to bounce the Avalanche in the first round. Plus, the prospect of Team Canada teammates Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon makes for a fantastic must-see storyline.
This series would easily be the best one in the Western Conference. It’s too bad these two clubs would meet in the first round as it would be a much better Conference Final series. Alas, the Oilers and Avalanche are on a postseason collision course that seems tough to change.
Of course, things can change. The Avalanche are two points back of the Minnesota Wild for third place in the Central. If the Avs pass the Wild, that would put the Avs on track to play the Dallas Stars. Unless the Avalanche can make up the 13-point difference with the Winnipeg Jets, it seems second or third in the division is the best the Avs can hope for.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter who the Avalanche face in the playoffs. The Avs will have to beat all comers to get to the Stanley Cup Final.
Colorado Avalanche shouldn’t fear facing Edmonton Oilers in first round
There is so much natural trepidation about facing Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. But then again, the Avalanche shouldn’t fear this matchup. If anything, facing McDavid and the Oilers in the first round would likely be the best thing to happen to the Avalanche.
Allow me to expand on this line of reasoning.
The Oilers are a tough out. They have the firepower to knock anyone’s lights out. Their defense is certainly serviceable while they have decent goaltending. The two-headed monster that’s McDavid and Leon Draisaitl is arguably the toughest duo in the league.
With that in mind, it’s better to face the Oilers in the first round, while players are still relatively fresh, as opposed to facing the Oilers in the Conference Final when everyone’s gassed and banged up.
Think of how the Avalanche ran into a brick wall in the second round last season against the Dallas Stars. The Avs took out the Jets in the first round without breaking a sweat. However, the Stars outlasted the Avs with their grinding game.
Now, suppose the Avs had gotten past the Stars and met the Oilers in the Conference Final. The Avs, banged up and gassed, would have faced a juggernaut in the Oilers. As you can see, that matchup would not have favored the Avalanche at all.
In the long run, if the Oilers and Avalanche meet in the first round, the Avs could stand to benefit by getting the toughest team out of the way right off the bat.