The 2021-22 season is one that will go down in history for the Colorado Avalanche. After years of promise and hope, the Avalanche finally made it over the mountain top to claim the franchise’s third Stanley Cup title.
More than that, the Avalanche dominated from bell to bell in their pursuit of a championship. This year has not been seemingly as easy as it was a year ago. What has gone wrong for the Avalanche, and can they possibly hope to repeat as champions?
2021-22
The 2021-22 season was a year of dominance for the Colorado Avalanche. Before the season began, expectations were clear: Stanley Cup or bust. From opening night onward, that goal became clear and obvious.
The Avalanche dominated the regular season. With 119 points, they comfortably won the Presidents Trophy as the top team in the regular season. They also had one of the deepest, most balanced attacks in the game to show for it.
Unsung winger Mikko Rantanen led the team in goals with 36 and points with 92. Franchise center Nathan MacKinnon followed closely with 88 points in just 65 games, center Nazem Kadri third with 87 points, and franchise defenseman Cale Makar right behind with 86 points.
After a season of dominance, the Avalanche allowed little doubt as to whether they would continue to control their destiny. The Avalanche steamrolled the Western Conference competition, sweeping both the quarterfinal and conference final, going 12-2 en route to the Stanley Cup Final. There, they would defeat back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay 4-2 to capture the third Stanley Cup in franchise history.
YOUR 2022 STANLEY CUP CHAMPS#GOAVSGO pic.twitter.com/F9Y06SubCT
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 27, 2022
The problem with this season
Coming into this season, expectations may have been slightly lowered but not by much. Kadri was gone, signing a big free agent deal with the Calgary Flames. Andre Burakovsky, fresh off of a breakout season, turned his performance into a free agent payday with the Seattle Kraken.
Even still, the big guns remained. MacKinnon, Rantanen, Makar, and Gabriel Landeskog remained. A division championship and more were all still expected. But things have not quite gone as planned for the Avalanche.
As it stands, the Avalanche are second in the Central Division and within striking distance of the crown. Given where they were a year ago, it can certainly feel like a disappointment. But looking at the injury woes the team has dealt with, it makes sense.
MacKinnon has been limited to 47 games. Makar has dealt with concussion issues. Valeri Nichushkin has seen just 30 games of action. Landeskog, Erik Johnson, Darren Helm, Pavel Francouz, and more have all seen time on the injured list. When they are a healthy group, they are as good as anyone in the game. But the big question is as to whether or not they can all remain on the ice where they belong.
The Avalanche already acquired Jack Johnson to cover for some injuries suffered.
Throw your hands in the air and wave them like you just don’t care.#BudLightCelly #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/4zRPwhxHkk
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 6, 2023
The wide-open west
While many eyes have been on the Avalanche, perhaps the focus should be on the rest of the conference. With the Avalanche wounded and clearly not at the top of their game, another team has had the chance to step in and fill that role.
Fortunately for the Avalanche, the Western Conference is an open competition. In the Central, the Avalanche are just two points behind the division-leading Dallas Stars. The Winnipeg Jets and Minnesota Wild are right there in the hunt. In the Pacific, the Golden Knights, Kings, Oilers, and Kraken are all within six points of one another.
More importantly, every team has shown that it has serious flaws to overcome. Every team in the Pacific is currently in a slump and there does not look like a complete team that is capable of going on a sustained deep, dominant run in the playoffs.
The Stars and Jets may be the biggest threats to the Avalanche in the West. That is, of course, provided that injuries aren’t going to continue to be the biggest threat to a repeat run.
Chris MacFarland on our squad going into these last few months of the season. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/DYxp29g2pg
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) February 28, 2023
Can the Avs repeat?
With the state of the Western Conference and a club that is slowly getting healthier, the Avalanche is looking formidable again. As they get healthier, they begin to resemble the championship outfit more closely from a year ago.
The million-dollar question is “can they stay healthy?” Without guys like MacKinnon or Makar, a repeat seems highly unlikely. But if they can keep everyone on the ice, the Western Conference is flawed enough that the Avalanche could make another run to the final.
If anything, the biggest threat to a Colorado repeat may be on the other side of the bracket. The Eastern Conference is the real test as the Boston Bruins (97 points), Carolina Hurricanes (86), New Jersey Devils (83), Toronto Maple Leafs (82), and Tampa Bay Lightning (78) are all threats to make it to the end.
For now, the Avalanche need to focus on the division and playoff seeding. If they can keep everyone in the lineup, there is no telling how far the repeat effort can go.
Send all your good juju Avs Faithful 😤
We are in the zone.#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/1rVtKQvAiM
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) March 6, 2023
