Would you believe me if I told you that if the NHL season ended today, the Colorado Avalanche would be in the playoffs? Yes, you read that right, the playoffs!! (insert Jim Mora joke here) Unfortunately for the Avs… the season doesn’t end today. The Avs are currently in the last wildcard spot in in the West and only 5 points behind the Wild for the 3rd playoff spot in the Central Division, with only 14 games left in the regular season. Everything is looking good, right? Well, it depends on how you view it. There are 8 teams fighting for 4 spots in the playoffs all within 7 points of each other, so yeah it’s a huge cluster-fuck and no one knows what is going to happen.

The Avs schedule coming up is a doozy too. They have 14 games left and of those, half are on the road and 7 are against teams all battling for those elusive playoff spots. To make things worse, they have to play the first place Vegas Golden Knights twice, Nashville once and the Hawks twice (yes I know the Hawks aren’t going to the playoffs but Kane and Toews on the ice together will make any opponents buttholes pucker). Fortunately the Avs do hold their own destiny, but they really need to find a way to win on the road down the stretch.  Their road record this year has been less than stellar at 12-16-6, but thanks to the altitude or other teams getting stoned, they have an impressive 24-8-2 record at the Pepsi Center.

The playoffs don’t technically start for another month, but for the West they are in full force.  Get ready for some bone bruising, fast paced, entertaining hockey. All the Avs need to do is get some mojo from the 1996 and 2001 Stanley Cup Teams…  Come on boys, give it all right here, I’m talking to you Joe, Peter, Ray and Patty. But really, if Nate the Great can stay hot and if Varly can put the team on his back, the Avs could actually be in the NHL Playoffs.  

Remember the first article I ever wrote? Here’s the link. I should have titled it: The Avalanche May Actually Make the Playoffs This Year, but then my credibility would have been questioned.  

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