Sunday marked the finale of the regular season for the Colorado Avalanche. Coming off a tight loss to the Los Angeles Kings, everyone has been anxiously waiting for the regular season to end so that we can get to the juggernaut first round playoff matchup with the Dallas Stars.
Though the game itself was largely inconsequential, it was nice to see the Avalanche stage a comeback and end the regular season with a win. Here are the three biggest takeaways from the Avalanche’s final win of the regular season, a 4-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks.
The Biggest News Isn’t What the Avalanche Are Doing
The biggest news of the weekend, as a whole, had nothing to do with what the Avalanche had going on. Instead, Gabriel Landeskog suited up in his first professional game in nearly three years, something many fans felt was never coming.
Related: What Avalanche Fans Can Expect from Gabriel Landeskog if He Returns This Season
Landeskog played in a conditioning stint on both Friday and Saturday for the Colorado Eagles of the American Hockey League (AHL). He had been skating and practicing with the team in prior weeks, and many feel that this is the last step before he joins the team for the playoffs.
While there is no timetable or guarantee that he could be there for the playoffs, it is a highly encouraging sign. Fans will need to keep expectations in check because it is highly doubtful that he is going to be the Landeskog that we saw in 2022.
Fantastic Team Effort
You hear about team efforts all the time, but this was truly a team effort. The Avalanche lineup was depleted as everyone attempts to get healthy. Losing to the Ducks would have been understandable given the lineup omissions and the lack of impact this game has on the standings.
For two periods, it looked like the Avalanche were on the same page in terms of effort. They hadn’t totally phoned it in, but with just 14 shots and a 2-0 deficit, it felt like the game was all but over. Instead, they went the other way with it.
Charlie Coyle had himself a game, contributing a goal and two assists in the final frame. The Avalanche charged back to take the game 4-2 after Erik Johnson sealed the deal. It was nice to see the team respond and grab one more win heading into the playoffs.
Wedgewood Continues to Play Well
It can’t be talked about enough how well the Avalanche did in acquiring Scott Wedgewood earlier in the season. Since the swap for Justus Annunen, Wedgewood has been exceptional. The win on Sunday pushes him to 13-4-1 since joining the Avalanche, and it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that he’s outplayed Mackenzie Blackwood over the last month.
Wedgewood was great again on Sunday against the Ducks. He is a big reason that the game was within reach heading into the third period, ending the night with 18 stops on 20 shots. His efforts helped the Avalanche sweep the season series with the Ducks 3-0.
It has to be in the back of the collective mind of Colorado management how well he’s been playing. Blackwood will no doubt get the Game 1 start against Dallas, but Wedgwood’s play definitely eases their mind should Blackwood struggle in the playoffs.
A Great Season All Things Considered
The fact that the Avalanche finished with 102 points in arguably the toughest division in the league should be commended. The Winnipeg Jets won the Presidents’ Trophy. Dallas finished with 50 wins and 106 points. That Colorado was even within screaming distance of either of them after the way the season began is incredible.
The team deserves commendation for rising to the challenge, rebounding from a rough start, and finding a way to finish with a strong record. Management deserves credit for understanding the issues and retooling so quickly. This should be a fun playoff series.
