Given the significant investments made by the Colorado Avalanche front office through trades and hefty contracts, their Round 1 series loss to the Dallas Stars is a disaster.
The Stars entered the series without their star defenseman, Miro Heiskanen, and leading goalscorer, Jason Robertson, yet they still managed to defeat the Avalanche in seven games. The two overtime losses suffered by the Avalanche in Games 2 and 3 were pivotal moments in the series. Colorado lost its lead late in both third periods, which could have resulted in a commanding 3-0 series lead heading into Game 4. Instead, they found themselves at a 2-1 deficit and had to fight to tie the series. The last couple of playoff runs have exposed their lack of depth and unreliable goaltending, along with their struggle to close out games while ahead.
Avalanche Need Tighter Defensive Play to Finish Out Games
In three of the Avalanche’s four losses in this series, the Stars tied the game with less than 11 minutes remaining in the third period and used that momentum to secure the victory. Despite outshooting the Stars 33-26 in those three third periods, the Avalanche could not convert their shot advantage into wins.
In Game 2, the Avalanche were leading 3-2 with just over nine minutes left in the third period when Evgenii Dadonov tied the game, and Colin Blackwell won it in overtime. In Game 3, Colorado led 1-0 in the third, but Jamie Benn tied the game with just over 10 minutes remaining, and Tyler Seguin scored the winner in overtime.
In Game 7, the Avalanche held a 2-0 lead with fewer than 13 minutes to go and were up 2-1 with seven minutes remaining. However, a series of unfortunate events—including broken sticks, undisciplined penalties, and ineffective special teams—resulted in a disappointing 4-2 final score in Dallas’ favor. Adding insult to injury, former Avalanche Mikko Rantanen completed his hat trick into an empty net, tallying five goals and 12 points in the series.
The Avalanche were always in a position to win every game they played in the series, outside of Game 6. They received scoring from various players throughout the lineup, and Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, aside from Games 1 and 4, played exceptionally well. MacKenzie Blackwood was solid outside of Game 6; he allowed a couple of questionable goals, but compared to Alexandar Georgiev’s performance last playoffs? He was phenomenal. The Avalanche outscored the Stars 24-19 in this series. However, when it came time to score a vital goal or maintain a late lead, they struggled.
Avalanche Special Teams Were a Disaster
The officiating in this series was wildly inconsistent, but one team took advantage of its opportunities while the other did not. When Dallas managed to set up in the zone on the power play, it seemed like the Avalanche could barely hang on. The Stars efficiently moved the puck around and hit the seam pass whenever they wanted, something Colorado’s power play could not do. A couple of standout efforts from Logan O’Connor on the penalty kill only provided limited relief for the team.
The Avalanche’s power play was largely ineffective throughout the series. The Avalanche boasted the top power play in the NHL, at 32.2% from Jan. 25 to April 17. The players learned to move around effectively in the second half of the campaign, however, that movement disappeared against the Stars, making the top unit easy to defend.
Colorado lost this series mainly because its power play failed to capitalize. In Game 2, it had a power play with under two minutes remaining in regulation and failed to score, resulting in a 3-4 loss. In Game 3, it had a four-minute power play that carried into overtime, but it couldn’t find the net and eventually lost,2-1.
In Game 7, with a 2-1 lead late in the third period, they again failed to score with the man advantage. Meanwhile, the Stars received a power play with four minutes left in Game 7 and the score tied. They needed less than 20 seconds to score. Special teams was the difference in this series, where the Avalanche were stronger at even strength.
Where the Avalanche Go From Here
The most frustrating part of this playoff loss is that management took steps to improve their goaltending, strengthen their center depth, and enhance their bottom-six this season. However, after another first-round exit, decisions will need to be made.
Their trade deadline acquisitions were just what they needed to improve on the things that hurt them in last year’s playoffs, but their additions didn’t help enough when they were needed. Two goals and eight assists seem nice, but for the cost they spent to acquire some of those pieces, it needed to be more (especially Brock Nelson). At the end of the day, the team just choked. They played a team with two of their best players out and couldn’t capitalize on the opportunities that were given to them early in the series, and paid for it as the series went on.
The Avalanche have around $86 million committed to 17 players for next season, giving them roughly $10 million to work with. Whether it’s a roster change or the coaching staff, the Avalanche will have to do something to replicate their 2022 Stanley Cup run.
