As we entered the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time since 2011, all the hard work that had been put in during the season was about to pay off. Could we lift the Cup? Stay tuned!
PREVIEW
(Note: Jack Campbell was injured after the end of Game 7 versus Tampa Bay, but was set to return in time for Game 3. Andrei Vaslievsky would be in net in his absence).
The Colorado Avalanche finished the regular season with a record of 38-36-8, good for 84 points, and the last seed to enter the Western Conference Playoffs. Once they got into the playoffs, however, they went off, sweeping the Ducks, beating the Sharks in five games and outing the Blackhawks in six. Colorado is another forward-heavy team, led by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, who finished second in the NHL in points in the regular season. Their defense is not incredibly strong, but they do have elite goalie Semyon Varlamov in goal. Here are their lines.
Forwards
Landeskog(88)-MacKinnon(95)-O'Reilly(86)
McGinn(83)-Duchene(90)-Vincour(86)
Kunitz(80)-Sutter(83)-Everberg(80)
Barzal(80)-Cliche(78)-Nastasiuk(79)
Defense
Johnson(85)-Barrie(86)
Siemens(83)-Bigras(82)
Holden(81)-Schenn(82)
Goalies
Varlamov(89)
Pickard(86)
Other than the Campbell injury, both teams are completely healthy.
SERIES
For the final time, we opened Game 1 at home. The game remained silent through the first two periods, before Zach Nastasiuk opened for Colorado. We answere back, though, as Jakub Voracek, Fillip Forsberg and Bo Horvat all scored to give us a 3-1 win. Jack Campbell returned after missing Game 1, but the Avalanche spoiled his return, with Matt Duchene getting two goals early and Gabriel Landeskog getting one more late, as Semyon Varlamov got a shutout to even the series at 1 game apiece.
After Game 2, we learned that Jakub Voracek had sprained his wrist and would miss most of the series, meaning that Spencer Watson returned to the lineup.
After being shutout in Game 2, we were determined to prove our worth and did so in fashion. After Nathan MacKinnon gave the Avalanche the lead, the offense exploded, as Anthony Duclair, Andre Burakovsky, Bo Horvat and Brooks Laich all scored heading into the third period. Horvat, Duclair and Burakovsky all got their second of the game to give us a big 7-1 win. After being embarrassed the previous game, the Avs played well in Game 4, as Everberg, Vincour and Landeskog all scored before Spencer Watson got us one late, but it was not enough. The Avalanche tied up the series once again, at 2 games to 2.
Jack Campbell, who had been solid all playoffs long, collapsed in the first period of Game 5, allowing MacKinnon to score twice, and Everberg and Barzal scoring twice added on. Campbell was pulled, but the game was already over, as Landeskog, Bigras and Nastasiuk added on. Burakovsky scored for us, and Giroux added a pair, but we still lost a humbling Game 5, 8-3.
With our backs up against the wall once again, the season came crumbling down. O'Reilly scored early, Vincour added a second before O'Reilly scored again to put the game away. Burakovsky got us one back, but it was just a consolation goal. As the horn sounded, the worst playoff team in the West completed the Cinderella run, as Matt Duchene led the Avs onto to the ice to lift the Stanley Cup. Our season was over.
Stanley Cup Finals MVP: Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
Honorable Mention: Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche
ANALYSIS
We fought hard, but it wasn't enough. We missed Jakub Voracek at the end, and a lot of the young guys fell apart. Claude Giroux was virtually missing from the Eastern Conference Finals onward when we really needed him. Despite the result, I'm proud of the performance. We made it to the Stanley Cup Finals with a team that is still putting the final touches on it's rebuild, and we'll probably be back as soon as next year. It was a humbling result against a team that just looked better, but there were plenty of positives to take away. I was proud of performances from guys like Andre Burakovsky, Jack Campbell, Jakub Voracek and Anthony Duclair, and our defensive core played well for most of the playoffs despite being young.
We just have to put our heads down and work harder next year, so that our season doesn't end the way this one did. I'm confident the pieces are in place for a long run, and the playoffs only confirmed that. There are still a few more years to go in our rebuild, with top prospects like Logan Brown still not on the team. Next up is the offseason, which could be a big offseason now that I've seen how our team can play under pressure. I hope you've enjoyed the playoffs, and join me for many, many, more playoffs to come.
-Henry
PREVIEW
(Note: Jack Campbell was injured after the end of Game 7 versus Tampa Bay, but was set to return in time for Game 3. Andrei Vaslievsky would be in net in his absence).
The Colorado Avalanche finished the regular season with a record of 38-36-8, good for 84 points, and the last seed to enter the Western Conference Playoffs. Once they got into the playoffs, however, they went off, sweeping the Ducks, beating the Sharks in five games and outing the Blackhawks in six. Colorado is another forward-heavy team, led by Matt Duchene and Nathan MacKinnon, who finished second in the NHL in points in the regular season. Their defense is not incredibly strong, but they do have elite goalie Semyon Varlamov in goal. Here are their lines.
Forwards
Landeskog(88)-MacKinnon(95)-O'Reilly(86)
McGinn(83)-Duchene(90)-Vincour(86)
Kunitz(80)-Sutter(83)-Everberg(80)
Barzal(80)-Cliche(78)-Nastasiuk(79)
Defense
Johnson(85)-Barrie(86)
Siemens(83)-Bigras(82)
Holden(81)-Schenn(82)
Goalies
Varlamov(89)
Pickard(86)
Other than the Campbell injury, both teams are completely healthy.
SERIES
For the final time, we opened Game 1 at home. The game remained silent through the first two periods, before Zach Nastasiuk opened for Colorado. We answere back, though, as Jakub Voracek, Fillip Forsberg and Bo Horvat all scored to give us a 3-1 win. Jack Campbell returned after missing Game 1, but the Avalanche spoiled his return, with Matt Duchene getting two goals early and Gabriel Landeskog getting one more late, as Semyon Varlamov got a shutout to even the series at 1 game apiece.
After Game 2, we learned that Jakub Voracek had sprained his wrist and would miss most of the series, meaning that Spencer Watson returned to the lineup.
After being shutout in Game 2, we were determined to prove our worth and did so in fashion. After Nathan MacKinnon gave the Avalanche the lead, the offense exploded, as Anthony Duclair, Andre Burakovsky, Bo Horvat and Brooks Laich all scored heading into the third period. Horvat, Duclair and Burakovsky all got their second of the game to give us a big 7-1 win. After being embarrassed the previous game, the Avs played well in Game 4, as Everberg, Vincour and Landeskog all scored before Spencer Watson got us one late, but it was not enough. The Avalanche tied up the series once again, at 2 games to 2.
Jack Campbell, who had been solid all playoffs long, collapsed in the first period of Game 5, allowing MacKinnon to score twice, and Everberg and Barzal scoring twice added on. Campbell was pulled, but the game was already over, as Landeskog, Bigras and Nastasiuk added on. Burakovsky scored for us, and Giroux added a pair, but we still lost a humbling Game 5, 8-3.
With our backs up against the wall once again, the season came crumbling down. O'Reilly scored early, Vincour added a second before O'Reilly scored again to put the game away. Burakovsky got us one back, but it was just a consolation goal. As the horn sounded, the worst playoff team in the West completed the Cinderella run, as Matt Duchene led the Avs onto to the ice to lift the Stanley Cup. Our season was over.
Stanley Cup Finals MVP: Matt Duchene, Colorado Avalanche
Honorable Mention: Semyon Varlamov, Colorado Avalanche
ANALYSIS
We fought hard, but it wasn't enough. We missed Jakub Voracek at the end, and a lot of the young guys fell apart. Claude Giroux was virtually missing from the Eastern Conference Finals onward when we really needed him. Despite the result, I'm proud of the performance. We made it to the Stanley Cup Finals with a team that is still putting the final touches on it's rebuild, and we'll probably be back as soon as next year. It was a humbling result against a team that just looked better, but there were plenty of positives to take away. I was proud of performances from guys like Andre Burakovsky, Jack Campbell, Jakub Voracek and Anthony Duclair, and our defensive core played well for most of the playoffs despite being young.
We just have to put our heads down and work harder next year, so that our season doesn't end the way this one did. I'm confident the pieces are in place for a long run, and the playoffs only confirmed that. There are still a few more years to go in our rebuild, with top prospects like Logan Brown still not on the team. Next up is the offseason, which could be a big offseason now that I've seen how our team can play under pressure. I hope you've enjoyed the playoffs, and join me for many, many, more playoffs to come.
-Henry
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