The Colorado Avalanche finished before the All-Star break with a 32-8-4 which amounts to 68 points. This has allowed them to be at the top of the Central Division and 2nd place in the entire league, just behind the Florida Panthers who’ve played 3 games more. The Avs have had themselves an extremely memorable season despite only being just over half way through the season. They’ve had multiple streaks including an 18 game home win streak and are currently riding a 17 game points streak. Not one regulation loss has been given to the Avs in the year of 2022. Contributions have been nothing short of incredible throughout the year and it was represented greatly in the All-Star game, as they had 3 All-Stars selected. Head coach Jared Bednar was also the head coach for the Central Division team. Cale Makar, Nazem Kadri, and Nathan MacKinnon were all picked to play, but unfortunately to an injury prior to the All-Star weekend, Nathan MacKinnon was unable to play due to a broken nose and concussion. He was also chosen as the captain for the game, but had to step down and allow a replacement, which was the Star’s Joe Pavelski. Many hockey fans believed that Mikko Rantanen should’ve been named the replacement since he leads the team in goals with 24.
Now that the All-Star festivities are over, the Avalanche look to resume play as they face-off against a juggernaut of a team, the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday at Ball Arena. This is a make-up game that was going to be played in December, but due to the pause it has been moved. The Avs will likely be short-handed once again since Nathan Mackinnon is still recovering. It’s speculated that he will make his return Sunday against the Stars in Dallas. This is a great preview for what’s to potentially come as these two teams are some of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Statistically, it is unlikely the Lightning will 3-peat, but with the way the team has been playing, it is certainly possible. The current rankings for the Lightning are that they are 3rd in the NHL and 2nd in the Atlantic with 66 points. This is going to be a great test for the Avs to see where they are against elite opponents.
For what’s to come for the Avalanche, in February, is a total of 6 games on the road and 3 home games. 7 of these games are the make-ups from the missed time in december. It’s all being done during the once originally scheduled Olympic break. This will be a great opportunity to assess how they play on the road. A lengthy 4-game road trip is in the forecast this month, which will likely help strengthen their mental game in electric environments such as Dallas, Boston, and Vegas.
Not only are the Avs trying to continue where they left off, they’re in the market for assets that will help put them over the edge in the race for the cup. The trade-deadline is slowly approaching, but eyes have potentially been placed on All-Star Forward Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers. His contract is expiring after this season so he is an ideal candidate for the Flyers to get some value in return. He has already proven to be an elite player for many years in the NHL, but has been stuck on a mediocre Flyers squad for years. During this year, Giroux has posted 36 points which includes 15 goals and 21 assists. The issue with this potential trade candidate is that the asking price could be too much, since the Avs have been currently successful with the team they are currently playing with. But, he is an elite player that could contribute greatly as he had plenty of experience in the playoffs throughout the years. Another issue is that the Avalanche would need to clear out cap space or have the Flyers retain part of his salary to even make this possible. With all these issues, it may not be feasible, but it wouldn’t be the worst to look into it. Luckily, there is some time for the front office to think about this.
The second half I feel will continue to be exciting for the Avalanche because of how star powered they are. We know that they are hungrier than ever for a cup, so the effort will be there night in and night out on the ice. This is a scary team to go up against especially at home. Hopefully this break makes them come back even stronger than the last one. It will all start Thursday.
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