Regular season matchups are going to get bigger for some teams. For the Colorado Avalanche, Sunday’s matinee with the Dallas Stars certainly fit the bill. In the wake of a 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames, the Avalanche trailed the Stars by three points for second in the Central Division.
Despite a late push from the Stars, the Avalanche managed to send their crowd home happy with the overtime victory. Let’s get right into it with the three most important takeaways from the Avalanche’s 4-3 win over the Stars.
The Avalanche Are Showing Their Depth
The Avalanche sought to make its depth better heading into the playoffs when the trade deadline rolled around. They achieved just that, though the cost may have been a bit high according to some. Regardless, the Avalanche appear ready to take a real run at the Cup because of how strong the lineup is from top to bottom.
Nathan MacKinnon might be the NHL leader in points, but he has slowed down over the last several games. Still, the Avalanche have continued to win because they are getting contributions from virtually everywhere else in the lineup.
The second line wound up being a difference-maker, particularly in the second period. Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin gave the Avalanche a 3-1 lead and control of the game heading into the third. That depth will need to be there if they hope to make it out of a very tough first-round matchup.
The Stars Are a Good Team
The Avalanche blew the 3-1 lead within 0:20 after Mavrik Bourque and Matt Duchene scored with under six minutes to go. Though it can be looked at from a point of frustration, there’s one thing to remember as Mikko Rantanen came back to town: the Stars are really good.
Related: NHL Rumours: Bennett, Panthers, Rantanen, Avalanche, Maple Leafs, Senators
There is a reason that they are ahead of the Avalanche in the standings. Like the Avalanche, the Stars get contributions from across the lineup. They might not have a league leader, but they have four guys with 50 or more points and Wyatt Johnston is on the cusp of giving them their fourth 25-goal scorer.
That isn’t necessarily an excuse for blowing a lead late, but mistakes will happen against a team like this. That the Avalanche stopped the momentum and won it in overtime says more about their resiliency than anything else.
We’re Headed for a First Round War
With the Avalanche now up six points on the struggling Minnesota Wild, it seems all but certain that the Avalanche and Stars will match up in the first round. That is going to be an absolute war featuring two of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup.
The Avalanche have an edge offensively and may also have it on the defensive end if Miro Heiskanen can’t return in time for the first round. Jake Oettinger gives the Stars an edge in net, but this is going to be the kind of series where finding space will feel impossible.
The Avalanche added the kind of players in Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle that know how to make a difference when room is limited. No matter how it shakes out, fans should be in for a treat featuring two of the very best teams in the league.
An Exciting Stretch Run
The remainder of the regular season is going to be tense. The Avalanche trail the Stars by just two points in the standings, but the Stars have a pair of games in hand. The Avalanche have some tough games ahead against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Los Angeles Kings, and Vegas Golden Knights, too.
What that means for all of us is that the stretch run will be an exciting time. A lot of premium matchups with crucial playoff positioning on the line will be happening multiple times per week. Let’s just sit back and enjoy the action before things get really intense.
