Things have been somewhat tenuous for the Colorado Avalanche. Well, about as tenuous as things can be when you are the best team in the NHL. Going into a major showdown with the Dallas Stars on Wednesday night, the Avalanche seem to have a litany of questions rather than having all the answers as they did previously.
Reinforcements arrived at the trade deadline, but criticisms from superstar center Nathan MacKinnon certainly carry a substantial weight. Though things no doubt feel frustrating within the dressing walls of Ball Arena, the Avalanche have the potential to do something truly special and historic in the playoffs.
The Curse of the Presidents Trophy
One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough each season is how difficult it is to not only win the Stanley Cup, but to do so as the best regular season team as well. Winning the Presidents Trophy is something that the top teams strive for, but it has come with a unique challenge.
The last team to win the Presidents Trophy and Stanley Cup in the same season is the 2012-13 Chicago Blackhawks, part of their three-Cup dynasty run. Since being awarded for the first time during the 1985-86 season, just seven teams that won the Presidents Trophy managed to win the Stanley Cup as well. Ironically enough, the Avalanche are one of those teams, having gone wire to wire in 2000-01.
Maintaining the level of excellence required to be the best team in both seasons is extremely difficult. A lot of teams get to the playoffs and simply don’t have that level of intensity left in them to take it up another notch. In the playoffs, where minor edges make a world of difference, it can be a gamechanger.
Nathan MacKinnon Can Join Limited Company
One of the biggest advantages that the Avalanche have is that they have one of the most dynamic scorers in the league in the aforementioned MacKinnon. He is in the middle of an epic three-way scoring race with Connor McDavid of the Edmonton Oilers and Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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If MacKinnon could capture the MVP – his second – it would put him in rarified air. Only two of the aforementioned seven teams also had the league MVP that season: Joe Sakic won the Hart Trophy for the Avalanche while Wayne Gretzky also won for the 1986-97 Stanley Cup champion (and Presidents Trophy winner) Oilers.
While the Cup is no doubt his most important goal, MacKinnon is a psychotic competitor who hates to lose. He will push down the stretch to win the scoring title and put himself in position for an MVP nomination. If he manages to capture the MVP and win his second Cup, he would accomplish something for his legacy that few have.
The West is Setting Up Nicely for the Avalanche
Make no mistake about it: the Central Division is absolutely stacked. The Avalanche, Stars, and Minnesota Wild (the latter being tied with the Buffalo Sabres and Carolina Hurricanes) have the most points in the NHL. Unfortunately for two of them, the playoff seeding will do them dirty.
As it stands, the Avalanche will likely face one of three very flawed teams: the Seattle Kraken, Los Angeles Kings, or San Jose Sharks. Heck, even the Nashville Predators (two points back) and Winnipeg Jets (four points) could take the second Wild Card spot.
The Avalanche would be an overwhelming favorite to win their first-round matchup, leaving a showdown with the Stars or Wild in Round 2. While that would be a huge test, they would no doubt be massive favorites again in the Western Conference and Stanley Cup Finals.
No More Excuses
The Avalanche also have the motivation of recent playoff failures against the Stars motivating them. This team is loaded at every position and, barring major health issues, should be a favorite in every game this postseason.
The time is now for the Avalanche to capture their fourth Stanley Cup and their first since 2022. The path before them is perhaps as open as it has ever been, and we have the chance to see yet another dominant run from the Avalanche.
