The Colorado Avalanche came into this season with a cloud hanging over them. Last spring’s early playoff exit is something the club has been carrying around like an anchor around its neck.
But this season, the first 30 games or so have seen the Avalanche turn a corner. The club is no longer dwelling on past failures. Instead, the team is out to prove their number-one, with a bullet.
NHL.com caught up with Avalanche team president Joe Sakic on the sidelines of December’s Board of Governors meeting. Sakic was adamant about the Avalanche walking around with a chip on their shoulder.
He stated:
“The way we lost last year was so disappointing, and the guys came back really driven to… I won’t say make amends, but [they were] really irritated the way we lost.”
The seven-game loss to the Dallas Stars, as hard-fought and exciting as it was, led to a summer of soul-searching. While the Stars eventually ran out of steam in the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers, that was no consolation for the pain of coming so close, yet falling short.
Sakic credited the Stars for their win, but highlighted the difference:
“We all thought we played really well, and Dallas is a great team. [The Stars] capitalized when they needed to capitalize, and we didn’t, and that was the difference in the series. But you could tell there was a little extra coming into training camp, that these guys felt that there’s a lot to prove.”
That much was evident in the crucial throughout the series. The Stars cashed in, particularly in Game 2. Colin Blackwell’s OT winner evened the series in Game 2. Instead of going up 2-0 in the series, the Avalanche had to start over.
Ultimately, the Avalanche-Stars series was a game of inches. But those inches that didn’t come at crucial times have been the difference this season. In particular, Nathan MacKinnon has been one to take the disappointment to heart.
Avalanche superstar isn’t satisfied with being the best
Sakic praised MacKinnon’s work ethic this season. It’s not like it hasn’t been there in the past. It’s just that this season, MacKinnon has taken his game to the next level. Sakic declared:
“There’s no ‘relax’ in him,” Sakic said. “It’s just, he wants to get better every single day. Still. Even though in my mind he’s the best there is right now, he’s not satisfied.”
Entering Tuesday night’s action, MacKinnon has 49 points and is six ahead of the league’s second-leading scorer, Macklin Celebrini.
But as Sakic pointed out, points and scoring titles aren’t the focus right now. It’s the mission to continue pushing for the ultimate prize. Sakic continued:
“It’s not even about points for him. I think at the end of the day, when his career is over, he’ll appreciate what he accomplished. But in the meantime, he doesn’t care about that. It’s about getting ready for the next game, being the best he can be for that game, and that’s what drives him. He’s a driven, driven player.”
Sakic understands that no matter how well they do in the regular season, it’s the playoffs that separate the great teams from the mediocre ones. Sakic drove home the point by concluding:
“We know at the end of the year we’re going to be judged on the playoffs. But going into the playoffs, you want to be playing your best hockey, and we’re at the stage where you’re playing in the regular season for home-ice advantage.”
At this rate, the Avalanche have a shot at setting the record for most points in the season. The 2022-23 Boston Bruins set the mark with 135. The Avalanche are on pace for 136. While the record would be nice, a Stanley Cup would be even better.