3 reasons the Colorado Avalanche will upset the Jets in Round 1 of the NHL Playoffs
The Avalanche are better equipped for playoff hockey
You got a pair of teams ready to roll for what could be a classic battle, featuring a high-powered offense in Colorado vs. a high-powered defense in Winnipeg. But this series may come down to who is better equipped for playoff hockey, and the Avalanche are light years ahead of the Jets in that category.
Alexandar Georgiev may not have played well this season, but let’s remember something: He finished in the top 10 for the Vezina last year and seventh overall. He can get hot at any time and would rival Connor Helelbuyck should the Avs roll with him over Justus Annunen.
We already talked about the kind of damage Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen should cause, and the same goes for Colorado’s ability to provide depth scoring. But general manager Chris MacFarland displayed some serious forward-thinking ability when he brought in Yakov Trenin, Brandon Duhaime, and Sean Walker.
These are two forwards and a defenseman who teams should crave when playoff hockey rolls around. The trio immediately made the Avs a more physical team that could be miserable to play against when the stakes are high.
They aren’t the only ones who have made the Avs more playoff-worthy, but the trio are perfect complements to the high-scoring team. If Colorado figures out its goaltending, they are arguably one of the most complete teams in the 2024 NHL Playoffs.
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(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)