However, things did not go as planned for the Avalanche. After sweeping the St. Louis Blues in the first round, they ran into a formidable opponent in the Vegas Golden Knights, who matched them in skill, speed, and physicality. The Avalanche won the first two games at home, but then lost four straight, including three on the road, where they struggled to generate offense and contain the Golden Knights' top line. The Avalanche were eliminated in six games, falling short of their expectations and leaving their fans disappointed and frustrated.
So what went wrong for the Avalanche? And what can they do to bounce back next season? Here are some of the key issues that they need to address:
1. Secondary scoring: The Avalanche's top line of MacKinnon, Rantanen, and Landeskog was dominant in the regular season and the first round, combining for 30 points in eight games. However, they were shut down by the Golden Knights' defense and goaltending, scoring only four goals in six games. The Avalanche's depth players failed to pick up the slack, as they were outscored 17-6 by the Golden Knights' bottom six forwards. The Avalanche need more consistent production from their second and third lines, especially from players like Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky, Brandon Saad, and Joonas Donskoi.
2. Defensive breakdowns: The Avalanche's defense was one of their strengths in the regular season, as they allowed the fewest goals per game (2.36) and had the best penalty kill (83.1%). However, they were exposed by the Golden Knights' relentless forecheck and pressure, as they made costly turnovers and gave up odd-man rushes. The Avalanche's defensemen also had trouble clearing the front of their net and preventing rebounds and deflections. The Avalanche need to tighten up their defensive zone coverage and be more disciplined with the puck.
3. Goaltending uncertainty: Grubauer had a career year for the Avalanche, posting a 30-9-1 record with a 1.95 goals-against average, a .922 save percentage, and seven shutouts. He was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the league. However, he was outplayed by his counterpart Marc-Andre Fleury in the second round, as he allowed 18 goals on 164 shots for a .890 save percentage. Grubauer is an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his future with the Avalanche is unclear. The Avalanche also have to decide whether to re-sign their backup Pavel Francouz, who missed the entire season with an injury, or look for another option.
The Avalanche have a lot of work to do this offseason to improve their roster and address their weaknesses. They also have several pending free agents to deal with, including Landeskog, Saad, Toews, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Matt Calvert, Patrik Nemeth, and Ryan Graves. They have about $22 million in cap space available, but they will have to be smart with their spending and make some tough decisions.
The Avalanche are still a young and talented team with a bright future ahead of them. They have a core of elite players who are hungry for success and motivated to learn from their mistakes. They have a proven coach in Jared Bednar who has guided them to four consecutive playoff appearances. They have a loyal fan base that supports them through thick and thin.
The Avalanche are not far away from reaching their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup. They just need to make some adjustments and overcome some challenges along the way.
Sources:
[1] Colorado Avalanche Hockey - Avalanche News... - ESPN.com
[2] Colorado Avalanche: Breaking News... - Yardbarker.com
[3] Official Colorado Avalanche Website | NHL.com
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