Fresh off an exciting comeback win over the Chicago Blackhawks, the Colorado Avalanche entered Thursday night with a chance to clinch a playoff spot. It was all but academic coming in, a likely first round matchup with the Dallas Stars staring them in the face.
It looked as though the Avalanche would struggle again after giving up two goals in the first eight minutes of the second period, but the offense responded. It didn’t take long for the Avalanche to overcome, earning a 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Let’s get into the most important takeaways from the Avalanche’s latest win.
A Tale of Two Teams
This team has felt so inconsistent of late. The worst part of it is that they can look like two different teams over the course of a single game. This was one of those games where the first 30 minutes looked quite a bit different from the last 30 minutes. Nathan MacKinnon’s 31st goal of the season felt like it was going to set the tone the right way.
The first period was pretty good, seeing the Avalanche take a 2-1 lead into the locker room. But within the first eight minutes of the second, the Avalanche had allowed a pair of goals and now trailed. Net front defense really showed itself to be an issue, with Sean Monahan and Boone Jenner scoring amidst traffic in front.
Thankfully, it didn’t take long for them to get back on track. Starting with Charlie Coyle’s first goal since coming over in a trade, the Avalanche piled three in the back of the net before the end of the period. From there, it only got better. A win is a win, but some sort of consistency is needed before the playoffs begin.
All Hail Cale
Though the biggest news is the Avalanche clinching a playoff spot, the real talking point should be Cale Makar. He tallied a power play goal with 0:38 left, his 30th goal of the season. He became the ninth defenseman in NHL history to tally 30 goals in a season and is just one away from Mike Green’s post-lockout “record” of 31.
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Makar had a monster night (a goal and two assists) in the middle of a monster offensive night. The Avalanche have shown time and again that they can create a metaphorical avalanche of offense at any point. Within roughly 12 minutes, they went from down one to up three and never looked back.
Makar and MacKinnon are obviously driving forces behind the offense and will be vital when the playoffs roll around. It is nice to see the impact that Makar has (90 points, tied for seventh in the NHL) in the offensive zone paying off on the scoresheet.
Juggernaut Offensive Potential
It isn’t that the Avalanche fly under the radar offensively, but it really should be talked about just how dominant they can be in short stretches. Trailing 3-2 midway through the second period, it took them until the end of the period to gain a two-goal lead.
There is a reason this team is fifth in the NHL in goals per game. Makar and MacKinnon scored, but so too did Coyle, Parker Kelly, Brock Nelson, Devon Toews, and Miles Wood. That depth is what sets the Avalanche apart from the rest of the contenders out there.
It’s even more critical because MacKinnon and Makar aren’t going to produce at this level in the playoffs. As good as they are, they will see so much more attention and have their space limited that much more. Knowing that there are other guys there waiting to get on the scoresheet is huge.
An Epic War Coming in the Playoffs
It is a virtual guarantee that the Avalanche face the Stars in the first round. This has been “known” for some time, but we are starting to see just how much of a battle of the titans this is shaping up to be. The Avalanche have been hot lately – 7-2-1 in their last 10 games – but the Stars have somehow been hotter, winning seven in a row.
Both teams are built for the playoffs, with contributors from the top of the lineup to the bottom. The small things are going to make the difference, and both teams could easily walk out of the first round and go on a run to win the Cup. We are headed to an exciting matchup that you don’t see so early in the playoffs.
