Third Round Bound - analyzing the Avalanche's 7 prior Western Conference Finals appearances

It's a rather well-known bit of bar trivia that Colorado Avalanche are the only team with a perfect Stanley Cup Finals record: they have made it to the Stanley Cup Finals three times (1996, 2001, and 2022), and each time, they've claimed Lord Stanley's Mug and sat atop the mountain after an arduous, grueling NHL season. They do not, however, have a perfect record in their seven Western Conference Finals appearances, which, admittedly, would be a much more impressive feat.

After sweeping the Los Angeles Kings in the first round and dispatching the rival Minnesota Wild in five games in Round Two, this President's Trophy-winning Avalanche squad - hoping to overcome the "President's Trophy Curse" - find themselves set to face off against the Vegas Golden Knights in a high-flying, hard-hitting best-of-seven series that will determine who will represent the Western Conference and vie for hockey immortality. For the Avs, the job is only half done; getting past the third round will not be easy. While the Avs await the commencement of Round Three, which is set on the evening of Wednesday, May 20, a look back at each of the times they've made it this far (which is the aim of this article) can help illustrate how much work the Avs still have ahead of them.

1996

Much has been written about the team's first year in Denver, which ended with the franchise's first Stanley Cup victory and how much of the Avs' initial success is courtesy of the work first done in Quebec. Upon relocating to Denver, however, the team was set to face off against unfamiliar playoff opponents (given that they had initially been in the Prince of Wales/Eastern Conference.

After defeating the Vancouver Canucks and Chicago Blackhawks, both in six games, the Avs faced off with the team that would quickly become their first true rival: the Detroit Red Wings. It was a back-and-forth affair - one of many these teams would share across the next decade or so, with the Avs coming out on top, once again in six games.

Breaking the six-game pattern they had established, the Avs ultimately claimed victory over the upstart Florida Panthers in four games. While the first three games weren't especially close, the fourth game remained tied at 0-0 for over 100 minutes before defenseman Uwe Krupp ended the deadlock, the game, the series, and the season - all with a single shot.

Teeing up from the point, the German-born rearguard unleashed a slapshot that passed through seven scattered players and one otherwise-stellar goaltender: Florida's John Vanbiesbrouck. With it, the league's newest team, the Colorado Avalanche, had claimed their first championship, and hopes were high in and around Denver that it wouldn't be the only Cup claimed by this talented core of players.

1997

To kick off the playoffs in 1997, the Avs made short work of the Blackhawks in the first round and the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. This set them on a collision course to once again face the Red Wings, who were as much of a threat this season as they were in the one previous.

In 1996, the Avs beat the Wings in six games and went on to win the Stanley Cup. In 1997, following that exact formula, Detroit was crowned the league's champions. That wasn't the only parallel, either: in '96, the Wings had the league's best record - an impressive 131 points (62-13-7) - but lost to the Avs. In '97, the Avs had the more points than any team in the league (107) but lost to the Wings.

It was a disappointing end to a season for the Avs, but their championship window was still very much open, and, the momentum from that first season hadn't eroded at all, especially not after putting together an even-stronger regular season campaign in year two.

1999

After failing to advance to the Western Conference Finals in 1998, which marked the first time since their relocation that they didn't reach the league's final four (because of a first-round exit at the hands of the Oilers), the Avs found themselves once again in serious contention for the Cup in 1999. Unfortunately for the Avs, however, their third-round dance card was punched by the Dallas Stars, the team that had the best regular season that year, the team that was destined to do what the Avs had done just three years prior: win the first Stanley Cup in franchise history, one that also included a relocation.

While things again didn't go as planned or as the team had hoped, there was, unbeknownst to the team at the time, a few important roster changes on the horizon: a number of players drafted by the Avs in their first few seasons in Colorado were ready to step into NHL roles. Dan Hinote (167th overall in 1996), Alex Tanguay (12th overall in 1997), and Martin Skoula (17th overall in 1997) would all break into the league in the 1999-00 season, and they would each help shape the team's near future.

2000

In 2000, the Avs' playoffs began with a 4-1 series win over the Phoenix Coyotes, and, for the second consecutive postseason, defeated the Red Wings in the Western Conference Semi-Finals. Heading into the third round, the Avs had only lost two combined games, one each in both of the first two series.

In the Western Conference Finals, the Avs once again squared off against the Dallas Stars. Unfortunately, just like the prior season, the Avs and Stars' series went the full seven games, and Dallas, despite themselves losing in the Finals (to the New Jersey Devils, who were a routine powerhouse in this era, much like the Avs and Wings). Despite the unfortunate end to the season, the Avs would ride the momentum of the 2000 season and head into 2001 as one of the league's best contenders.

2001

2001 was a wonderful year all around for the Avs. To begin with, the team tied its first two games and then won the next 11; the Avs didn't lose a game until game 12 of the regular season. Another highlight was the 2001 All-Star Game, which was held in Denver and featured five Avs players: Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque, and Milan Hejduk. In addition, Rob Blake (who would soon be added to the team before the Trade Deadline) and a handful of former and future Avs were all there. To cap off the regular season, the Avs claimed the President's Trophy after recording 118 points (52-16-10-4).

Heading into the playoffs, the Avs were easily favored to claim the Cup, and they did exactly that after first dispatching the Vancouver Canucks (4-0) and the Los Angeles Kings (4-3) before facing of against a tough St. Louis Blues team in the third round. In that series, the final three games all went to overtime (including a double-overtime win for the Blues in Game Three. Ultimately, the Avs were too tough an opponent for the Blues to overcome, and the Avs went on to face the defending league-champion New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Finals.

2002

Things were looking good for the Avs; they were humming right along, and they sat just one win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals for the second consecutive season. In both of their opportunities to clinch, however, they recorded a combined zero goals and allowed a combined nine (two in Game Six and seven in Game Seven). Resultingly, they were knocked out of the playoffs, and any hope of a repeat was halted.

It would be a long Western Conference Finals drought for this dynastic Avs squad; it would be 20 years until the team advanced to the NHL Playoff's third round. In addition, for an eight-year stretch (2010-11 through 2017-18) as the Avs transitioned from the age of its initial stars to its current all-world roster, the Avs missed the playoffs six times and failed to advance past the first round in the two playoff appearances they did have.

2022

For three consecutive post-seasons, from 2018-19 to 2021-22, the Avs - who had been one of the historically worst teams in league history in 2016-17 - lost in the second round of the NHL Playoffs, which was devastating for many of the players, as the Avs were an upstart team that was hungry to bring the Stanley Cup back to Denver. In 2022, courtesy of rival-turned-hero Darren Helm, the Avs were finally able to break through and into the Western Conference Finals once more.

In the Western Conference Finals against the Edmonton Oilers, the Avs truly flexed their muscles, sweeping the Cup-hopeful Edmonton Oilers, with the series-clinching Game Four going into overtime tied at five. It didn't take long for the Avs to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals, however, as just 1:19 into overtime, "Lucky" Artturi Lehkonen potted the game-winner, and the Avs would go on to win the third Stanley Cup victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games.

Regardless of what happens in this year's Western Conference Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights, it's certain to be a captivating series, as the Knights, who themselves won the Stanley Cup in 2023, are a worthy adversary and will likely test the mettle of this Avs team. Game One of the Western Conference Finals kicks off Wednesday, May 20 - will the Avs make short work of the Knights, as they did with both the Kings and the Wild? Will the much-loathed Knights advance to their third Stanley Cup Final in just their first nine seasons? Time will tell.

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