Let’s be frank. The Colorado Avalanche have a less-than-stellar chance of making the playoffs this year. Currently sitting in the 11th spot in the Western Conference, the Avalanche are tied with the once left-for-dead Calgary Flames with 56 points (Colorado has two games in hand). According to the website sportsclubstats.com, the team stands a 44.3% chance of making the playoffs come spring.
That being said, the team is only two points back of the last playoff berth, with 1-3 games at hand on every team they could conceivably overtake in the standings—the Minnesota Wild being the sole exception. What are the key components that need to fall in place for the Avalanche to make the big dance?
Goaltending
Perhaps the most glaring problem with this team right now is the lack of consistent and quality goaltending. Philadelphia and Chicago proved in last year’s playoffs that teams can be successful with decent goaltending, provided that it is consistent. However, the Avalanche have gotten anything but that this year. Craig Anderson, coming off a year in which he received whispers of a possible Vezina nomination, is way off his mark. Ha ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Austin Snow
Colorado Avalanche: You Wanna Make The Playoffs? Here’s What Needs to Happen
February 3rd, 2011 by Austin Snow Leave a reply »
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