Well, here we are, ready to roll for the 2024 NHL Playoffs in a quest to see whether the Colorado Avalanche can regain its groove and win their second Stanley Cup in three seasons. No, they haven’t given us much motivation lately, ending the season with a 4-4-2 record while teams like their opponent, the Winnipeg Jets, ended the year 8-2-0 and with one of the best defensive units in hockey, if not the best.
Just how good is Winnipeg defensively? They got arguably the world’s best goaltender in Connor Hellebuyck and the best goaltender insurance in the NHL among backups - in other words, the best goaltender insurance that is not a 1B, but a pure backup.
But that doesn’t mean the Avalanche, despite their struggles against the Jets this season, can’t or won’t beat them. Let’s look at three reasons why Colorado will end up winning this series.
Colorado proved they can score on anyone
While they only put up four goals against Winnipeg during their three-game regular season series, it shouldn’t define the Avs, a team that scored 304 goals this season and just edged out the Toronto Maple Leafs (303 goals) for the league lead.
When you look at some of the best scoring duos in hockey, names like Auston Matthews and William Nylander come to mind, along with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, or J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, to name a few. Another outstanding duo is right here in Denver, with Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen both putting up 100-plus points (140 for MacKinnon).
Overall, these two can and will be nightmares to play against, and they also have a 90-point player in Cale Makar. Four goals against the Jets this season or not, it shouldn’t matter. The Avs can get hot at any time, and it will happen when the stakes are at their highest.