After the Colorado Avalanche made an impressive comeback in their Game 6 win at home over the Dallas Stars, the stage was set for Game 7. Given the talent these two teams possess, it felt like an inevitability that this matchup would go the distance.
Ultimately, the two coaches’ Game 7 records came into play, with Jared Bednar failing to get the monkey off his back. The Avalanche collapsed when it mattered the most, ultimately losing Game 7 in Dallas to the tune of 4-2. These are the takeaways.
Avalanche’s Inability to Hold a Lead Did Them in (Again)
It has been an issue all season long and it came back to haunt the Avalanche once again. It was hard not to feel in control when Nathan MacKinnon scored to make it 2-0 Avalanche just 0:31 into the third period, but, as has been the case all playoffs, it wound up being the beginning of the end.
Mikko Rantanen (more on him later) became the star of the Stars, unleashing a third-period hat trick to ultimately give the Stars the game. The Avalanche have had a major problem all season long with holding onto leads late in the game, and this time it was their final undoing.
There is too much talent on this team across the board to continuously blow leads. Yes, the Stars are a good team, but they were missing arguably their two biggest pieces and the Avalanche still couldn’t find a way to put them away. It is something the team is going to have to do some soul-searching about in the offseason.
The Ultimate Payback
A good deal of focus coming into this series had to do with not only the Avalanche, but the long-awaited return of Gabriel Landeskog. If anything, it may have been a blessing for the Stars, especially the one guy returning to familiar ground in Rantanen.
Related: Avalanche Forward Gabriel Landeskog Named Bill Masterson Trophy Finalist
When things ultimately fell apart between the two sides, Rantanen was shipped off and it was assumed that the Avalanche would never see him again. Instead, they got him in their first-round matchup and he wound up being the single biggest difference-maker in the end.
Rantanen may have taken some time to find his place in Dallas, but he was the superstar the Avalanche traded away during the regular season once again. It just adds salt in the wounds of Avalanche fans and makes them wonder how things may have turned out if Rantanen had stayed.
Special Teams Cost Avalanche Everything
It has been a narrative all season long, but the power play struggled once again in this series. In Game 7, they could have gained a major advantage in the game any number of times, ultimately going 0-for-3 with the man advantage.
Sadly, it isn’t the only form of special teams that wound up hurting them. Say what you will about the validity of the penalties called late in the third period (especially the one on Jack Drury), but the Avalanche needed to kill those penalties. Instead, they gave up power-play goals to Rantanen and Wyatt Johnston, the latter proving to be the eventual game-winner.
The one Achilles’ heel for this team is what many thought would be a strength. It didn’t help that Mackenzie Blackwood was outplayed in this series by Jake Oettinger, but the special teams could have put the Avalanche in a much better position and failed.
Now What?
This was supposed to be one of a handful of teams to contend for the Cup this season. Instead, the Avalanche now find themselves with a litany of questions. The biggest being, “How does a lineup this loaded lose in the first round?”
Not everyone will be back next season, though the core largely remains the same. Some things will need to be figured out – including the special teams woes that plagued them throughout the second half of the season and the playoffs – but this should be a contending team again. For now, however, all the Avalanche can do is lick their wounds and prepare for the 2025 NHL Draft.
