Avalanche Undefeated Record Put To Test After Easy Start Of Season
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In the first seven days of the regular season, the Colorado Avalanche have played only two games. Granted, coming out of both games with a 2-0 record and a goal differential of +9 is surely one way to start the season, but it’s given the team time to rest up and get some practice in before a tough stretch of games begins.
Starting Wednesday, Colorado now faces three games in four nights, with a back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets and the Calgary Flames, followed by a game against the Toronto Maple Leafs to top it off.
It's zero to 100 real quick, but the impact it could already have on the Central Division would be massive if the team can at least win the two back-to-back games. Beating your division rivals to start the season 4-0-1 with eight points would put you at the top of the division.
While it might not sound like much now, consider it heading into the later parts of the season, when points might be tight and teams either know if they're hoping to compete or selling at the trade deadline. It should be no surprise, but the Central Division is once again going to be a gauntlet and could even poach a playoff team from the Pacific Division, depending on how many teams actually make the next step.
Obviously, teams like the Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Dallas Stars will headline the division, but there are a lot of what-if teams this season that could affect the outcome.
While yes, you could assume teams like the Chicago Blackhawks, St. Louis Blues, and Nashville Predators are most likely to miss the playoffs and sell at the deadline, what if they play spoiler or even hover around .500 for most of the season?
What do the Winnipeg Jets look like this season? While the offense and defense look good, what's the long-term impact of Connor Hellebuyck holding out and seeking a trade? Can Stuart Skinner win games against them like Hellebuyck has, or will they need to perform even better against him?
Is this the season the Utah Mammoth make a deep playoff push? The core is getting better; goaltending has been resolved with Karel Vejmelka; the veteran additions of Vincent Trocheck, Anders Lee, and a full season of Mackenzie Weegar could be the impact they need in the locker room when times might get tough to push them over the edge.
Then there's the Dallas Stars; even with the forward and defensive depth taking an impact this offseason, they still have the high-end talent to push them into the playoffs and show the Avalanche problems.
Stars Waiting Right Around The Corner Of The Three-Game Stretch
Even after the tough first stretch, the Avalanche face an even tougher challenge than the last with a back-to-back against the Stars.
It will be their first time facing them this season, and with a back-to-back, no less, it's two of the four times they will face off against each other so quickly in the season that, depending on the results, could play a factor in the rest of the season if a tiebreaker situation is needed if they finish with the same number of points.
The next time they face off will be in January of the new year to finish their four-game regular-season series, so leaving with a win in this early matchup should be a priority for the Avalanche. They took care of business last season, going 3-1 against the Stars and outscoring them 18-12.
Thankfully, the Avalanche will be getting help with both Logan O’Connor and Zachary L’Heureux returning to the lineup. For the past two games, the Avalanche have managed to run 11 forwards and 7 defensemen, but with so many games in such a short time, getting these two healthy options will be a major bonus.
These next stretches of games will be an early test of the Avalanche's offseason additions and of how their depth can hold up this season. It was a key highlight last season, with their scoring and defense.
Could we see a repeat of it and capitalize on taking another lead in the Central Division?
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Stefano Rubino is a sports journalist based outside Toronto, Canada, and a hockey writer covering multiple teams for The Hockey News, as well as the Colorado Avalanche and Detroit Red Wings for Sports Illustrated. When he is not watching last night's highlights or minor league games, or writing game notes, you can find him listening to music while he works out or playing video games.