The Colorado Avalanche have long since clinched everything they could need to clinch. With a handful of games remaining in the regular season, there is nothing left to but fight off rust and try to get a few important pieces healthy.
Teams in this position often battle complacency and it looked like both teams were going through the motions at times in this one. In the end, the Avalanche found a way to get the job done, earning a 2-1 shootout win against the Edmonton Oilers.
Wedgewood is the X-Factor
In what was otherwise a blasé effort, one man stood out: Scott Wedgewood. He was excellent against an Oilers team that definitely could have used the win, turning aside 30 of the 31 shots he faced on the night.
His incredible run continues with his 30th win in just 42 starts. His .920 save percentage is by far the best of his career and he feels like a slam dunk Vezina Trophy finalist. Goaltending has always been something of a question mark to varying degrees until Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood arrived.
While the latter struggled at times this season, Wedgewood never faltered. He continued to put together fantastic start after fantastic start, the beacon of reliability for the Avalanche. If they are going to run the table and reach the Stanley Cup Finals, Wedgewood is going to need to be strong.
Sam Malinski Has Done an Admirable Job
Though Cale Makar returned to practice, he likely isn’t returning until the playoffs begin. Sam Malinski has been filling in, playing next to Makar’s regular partner Devon Toews. He hasn’t been Makar – who could be? – but he has acquitted himself well.
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Malinski racked up nearly 24 minutes of ice time while recording a goal and a +1 plus-minus rating. What he lacks in terms of dynamic ability he makes up for with sound decision-making and fast processing.
The 27-year-old has been a steal in every sense of the word. When Makar returns, Malinski will slide back to the second pairing, where he has been very reliable while taking a huge step forward offensively.
The Power Play is the Achilles Heel
Superman has his kryptonite and right now that is the power play for the Avalanche. They had been gaining some steam before Makar went out with an injury, but they have hardly been the picture of consistency this season.
The Avalanche are deep across four lines and three defensive pairings, but the playoffs often come down to small differences. Not being able to capitalize on a power play or two could wind up being the difference between a win and a loss.
The hope is that Makar will return and the power play will go back to clicking at the top 10 rate it was working at over the prior month. The Avalanche have the fewest flaws of any playoff team but all it takes is one vulnerability and a team eager to exploit it.
Rooting for Utah
The Avalanche will say publicly that they don’t care who they play and that is somewhat true. But the reality is that they would much prefer the Los Angeles Kings to the Utah Mammoth in the first round.
The Kings feel one-dimensional; someone the Avalanche can dominate even if they don’t come flying out of the gates. The Mammoth, meanwhile, are an exciting, hungry, young team that could catch one of the higher seeds off guard. The Avalanche need to be prepared regardless but the Kings would be the easier opponent.
