The Colorado Avalanche Have Too Much Depth To Not Win The Cup This Year
It is no secret this season that the Colorado Avalanche are one of the best teams in the league, and I believe that this could finally be their year to win the Stanley Cup. The Avalanche are by far one of the deepest teams in the league from the net out and currently hold the best record in the league. The Avalanche have not performed well at all in the playoffs the last three years, losing in the conference semi final three years in a row, but I believe things are going to change this playoffs.
The Avalanche have a very similar roster compared to last year’s team, but they have upgraded in the net significantly. The Avalanches goaltending has unfortunately been a major issue for the team in the playoffs during the last three years and with newly acquired goaltender Darcy Kuemper, I do not see them having this problem this season. Kuemper has been solid in the net all season obtaining a phenomenal .924 save percentage and a very low 2.37 GAA and I truly believe that Kuemper is going to lead the Avalanche to a cup.
Colorado Avalanche Regular Season Dominance
Now I understand the Stanley Cup playoffs is a completely different beast compared to the regular season and many teams holding the best record coming out of the regular season have even lost in the first round, but this is the Avalanche’s year. The Avalanche currently hold an impressive (47,14,6) record while sitting on top of the very tight Central Division above the Minnesota Wild. The Central Division is absolutely loaded this year with five teams having over 70 points, which no other division in the league currently has, and every game leading up to the post season has had a playoff hockey intensity.
The Avalanche have one of the most explosive offenses in the league, currently sitting in second place in the league for goals scored this season with an absurd 252 goals in only 67 games played. The Avalanche are led up front by forwards Nazem Kadri, Mikko Rantanen, and Nathan Mackinnon. All three of these forwards have recorded over 70 points and over 12 players on the roster have recorded over 20 points this season.
The Defense has also been a huge contribution to the team’s success by only allowing 184 goals in 67 games played. The defense is led by Norris candidate Cale Makar who has been an absolute force this season and is by far a top five defenseman in the league. Makar is having a record breaking season and has recorded 74 points in 63 games this season while breaking the franchises record for goals scored by a defenseman in a single season.
Why The Avalanche Will Win The Cup
Let’s cut to the chase, there are several good teams that I can see being cup contenders, Carolina Hurricanes, Tampa Bay Lighting, Florida Panthers, or even the Minnesota Wild, but I do not believe any of these teams have the depth like the Avalanche currently have.
The Avalanche forward group and defenseman have had no problem finding the back of the net while also playing great defense, which is a quality every cup contender needs. Having 4 legit lines of offense, 6 defense, and a solid starting goaltender gives the Avalanche all the pieces they should need in order to win the cup this year. The key to success for the Avalanche in the playoffs is going to be keeping the penalties down to a minimum and Kuemper making the saves he should make.
