| 03 April 2010
Our Colorado Avalanche have 4 regulation losses in a row and are now tied for 8th place in the Western Conference with the Calgary Flames. Over the last 8 games, the Avs have only gathered 3 of an available 16 points - but hey, you knew all of that already.
So - how bad it is really when if the Avs don’t make the playoffs? It has taken quite a collapse in order for the Avs to find themselves in this position - less than a month ago, the Avs weren’t in a playoff race, they were in a race for the Northwest Division crown. I firmly believe now that they are not going to make the playoffs this season, but how can that be a good thing? Here is my argument:
First of all, they weren’t going to do anything in the playoffs anyway. Sure, I’d like to see the Avs in the playoffs - but we’re probably talking 4 or 5 more games. We’d be kidding ourselves if we actually thought the Avalanche would be able to win a playoffs series. Even during their best stretches, the Avs largely struggled against the NHL’s elite teams (San Jose, Washington, Pittsburgh, Vancouver) . These elite teams know how to exploit the Avs weak defensive corps and their youth in a single regular season game - let alone a playoff series.
But the bottom line is simply that the Avs were never really good enough to make the playoffs. The October start (where the Avs got 22 of an available 28 points) has proved be an anomaly and had always made this team to appear to be better than it actually was.
But, so what? Wouldn’t it better for the Avs to get some playoffs experience, even if the Sharks or Blackhawks kick the crap out of them over 4 games? I say no, because there is a good chance that making the playoffs could lead to complacency.
I submit to you the cases of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues. Both teams made the playoffs last year, both teams were swept in the first round, and both teams were widely expected to get better and get back into the playoffs this season. So what happened? Both teams played like they were entitled to the playoff spot - not like they had to earn it, both teams had to fire their head coaches and both teams are going to miss the playoffs.
Had Colorado made the playoffs - even with a quick exit, the team could look back proudly on this season, read all of the feel good articles about how the Avs have been “re-built” and “are back” and how the NHL “needs to take notice”, etc - and could have very well fallen into the same trap Columbus and St. Louis did.
Instead, they must now suffer through the offseason knowing that they weren’t good enough when it counted most and choked away a playoff spot.
This young team must turn that sick feeling into motivation to work harder, get better from top to bottom, - do all of the things they are going to need to do in order to truly become an elite NHL team.
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