The Colorado Avalanche just completed the most successful regular season in franchise history with 56 wins and 119 points and it will mean absolutely nothing if they do not win 16 more games.

Take it from a New Jersey Devils fan, regular-season success is all fine and dandy but legends are made in the postseason.

For players like Nathan Mackinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, and Cale Makar hosting at least one Stanely Cup in their careers will all but immortalize them and solidify their position in the lexicon of NHL lore. Sounds a bit over the top but it really does mean something in this sport.

It's been more than 20 years since the franchise last won the Stanley Cup. That's a very long wait. This will be their best chance to end that drought.

You can't win 16 games without winning that first one and the Nashville Predators will be a tough out. But, for the first time in what seems like an eternity, the 'Avs are 100% healthy.

The #Avs are all present and accounted for at morning skate. It looks Colorado will enter the playoffs fully healthy.

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 3, 2022

COLORADO AVALANCHE (#1 Seed) VS NASHVILLE PREDATORS (Wild Card 2)


Nashville is an interesting first-round matchup for Colorado because they are a team that had the 'Avs number this season - relatively speaking.

Colorado lost three of the four meetings (1-1-2) this season.

The one thing that stood out during the regular season is just how many goals were scored in each game. In the four games, each club scored a total of 16 goals. While scoring is much tougher in the playoffs I expect it to be a fast and fun series.

The key to success will be goaltending.

Nashville will be without Juuse Saros for at least games one and two of this series Per head coach John Hynes. Saros is out with a lower-body injury. David Rittich or Connor Ingram will start for the Preds in Game one.

Saros started 67 games for Nashville with a 38-25-3 record and 2.68 GAA and .918 save percentage. That's a tough blow to the Cats.

The 'Avs know all too well what an injured goalie means to playoff success.

Promising playoff runs have been cut short for Colorado because of injuries and deficiencies between the pipes. finger crossed - this should not be the case this year with Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz on board.

Kuemper had an outstanding season. He is top-5 among NHL leaders in wins (37), save percentage (.922), and shutouts (5). The 37 wins are a career-high for the 31-year-old. The 37 wins also rank fifth in club history. [Semyon Varlamov (41), Roy (40 and 38), and Craig Anderson (38)]

Folks scoffed when Colorado gave up a 2022 first-round draft pick, a conditional third-round pick in 2024, and defenseman Conor Timmins for Kuemper. He proved all the nay-sayers and Doubting Debbies wrong and made Joe Sakic look like the genius he is.

This is Kuemper's fifth crack at the playoff and he's never been past the first round. That all changes this season.

If Kuemper falters then Francouz is more than capable of backstopping the 'Avs.

It should be a heck of a first round. Enjoy it and trust the captain when he speaks.

Gabriel Landeskog: "You don't get that many cracks at the can, especially with a team like this. We're excited."

— Peter Baugh (@Peter_Baugh) May 2, 2022

Colorado will win this series in six games. Book it.

Thanks for reading,
Steve

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