Avs In Do Or Die Mode
For the Colorado Avalanche, this roller-coaster season is quickly coming to its most critical phase.
The Avs began a five game stretch against Northwest Division foes Thursday evening with a wild 7-5 win over Calgary, who they will face two more times in those five games. The Canucks and Wild will provide the opposition in the other two games of the five, which will either vault the Avs right back into the thick of things, or act as the final dagger in a season wrought with inconsistency. This stretch will also determine whether the Avs become buyers or sellers with upcoming trade deadline looming.
The hope here is that the Avs are able to take at least eight of the possible ten points available in these games, while not allowing their opponents to gain points in overtime. With the win in regulation over the Flames on Thursday, the Avalanche gained two of the eight. Six more points in these games would likely cut the Avs deficit in the Western Conference playoff race in half, with a manageable 4-6 point hole to climb out of in the final six weeks of the season.
How can the Avalanche gain the necessary steam to take 3 of the next 4 games (or all 4)? They got off to a good start on Thursday, with the inconsistent Milan Hejduk singlehandedly keeping the Avs in the game, scoring critical goals to keep the Flames from getting too far ahead. Also, overlooked due to Hejduk’s explosion and Joe Sakic’s huge night, was the solid relief work provided by Jose Theodore. As I’ve stated in this space in the past, a solid Theodore is key to the Avalanche’s playoff hopes. Peter Budaj has been mostly stellar in keeping the Avs on the edge of the playoff race for most of the season, but fatigue could be rearing its ugly head with the young goalie. Theodore is going to be needed to step in and spell Budaj regularly, and with performances like the one against Calgary on Thursday, it appears that Theodore could be regaining some of his missing confidence.
Every game is game 7 for the Avs for the next week. As Apollo Creed exhorted in Rocky III, “THERE IS NO TOMORROW!” Calgary tonight. Go Avs go!
