Ex-Avalanche goalie gives Colorado fans someone to root for in Stanley Cup Finals

Rooting for a Western Conference rival feels extremely strange as a Colorado Avalanche fanatic. Frankly, I am shocked to be saying it publicly. But It is the Cup Finals, and I love hockey, so I had to pick someone.

When faced with such a dilemma, my instincts are still wrapped up in my Colorado fandom. I looked at the list of former Avalanche players still around after the Avalanche were eliminated and initially settled on the Carolina Hurricanes. They had a few old friends on their playoff roster including Sean Walker and Spencer Martin. But the ex-Avs' player I had the most affection for is Tyson Jost.

Jost was often scratched in Carolina, and he never lived up to his high draft number for the Avalanche. Still, he was a hard worker who I think functioned okay in the bottom six near the end of his Avalanche tenure. For one thing, I never doubted his guts. Jost played some of his last games in burgundy and blue wearing a bubble helmet to protect his broken jaw. That is a hockey player!

When the Hurricanes made quick work of the Washington Capitals I remained optimistic about my secondary choice. Unfortunately for Carolina, like the Avalanche, they were eliminated by a familiar and dreaded foe. The Florida Panthers skated to their third straight Cup Final, and for a second time at the Canes' expense.

In the West, it came down to Edmonton and Dallas, again. I assumed that just like last season I would end up pulling for the Eastern Champions however it played out. I am decidedly not one of those fans who can root for the team who just sent my club home. Dallas, of course, was a non-starter for me. I don't mind admitting I occasionally snack on sour grapes.

The Stars falling to Edmonton once again was quite entertaining for me. I've fully embraced my identity as a Dallas Stars hater. I will always be thankful to Mikko Rantanen for helping the Avalanche lift the Cup in 2022, that should be said. But with the dramatic way my once beloved Moose just broke my heart, I won't be toasting his success anytime soon.

Speaking of toasts, I did raise the proverbial glass in celebration at the news of the Stars coaching change. Did I mention I'm a Dallas Stars hater? I really don't like their former head coach Pete DeBoer. Being honest, I hate his success against the Avalanche. But I also dislike his tendency to blame others, be it refs or his franchise goaltender.

With the prospect of a repeat Finals matchup, it would seem to be logical that my rooting interest would remain the same. Last season, I picked Florida, and was genuinely happy for them to win. In that specific instance I was rooting mostly for another one-time Avalanche player in Evan Rodrigues.

Rodrigues is still with the Panthers, and I do still like him as a player. I'll remember his shootout moves with some fondness for a long time. However, Florida already got their glory. They kissed the Stanley Cup last season and so any reason to root for them was going to feel muted at best. Those were my tentative thoughts heading into the Finals.

Enter Calvin Pickard

I began the Stanley Cup Finals watching the games with little interest. I was hoping for good hockey above anything else, and we certainly got that. Back-to-back double OT finishes? I love that for the sport as a fan who wants to see the game flourish. Yet, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't just hoping someone would light the lamp so I could go to bed during Games One and Two.

Game Three was a snooze in itself, and Game Four seemed to be headed the same direction after one period. However the change in net to start the middle frame woke me up. Calvin Pickard is a name I know and care about.

Pickard was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche in the 2nd round of 2010, 49th overall. He played parts of three seasons for the Avalanche from 2014-2017. Pickard was a backup until 2016-17, when he played 50 games. In case you don't remember, or if your brain blocks painful memories, that was when the Avalanche were terrible! It was head coach Jared Bednar's first season, and the club posted an unsightly record of 22-56-4.

Already this postseason, an Oilers netminder has drawn comparison to an Avalanche champion. That comment compared Stuart Skinner to Darcy Kuemper. But perhaps the parallel runs deeper and Pickard is now Edmonton's Pavel Francouz, or something like it. Avalanche fans know not to discount just how important Frankie was to the 2022 Cup win.

It was injury and not shaky play that forced Colorado's hand, but it all speaks to how ultimate team success is a collective achievement. Pickard was brilliant in the Game Four comeback win. He entered with the Oilers down 3-0, and wasn't beaten until the tides had shifted almost completely. Florida scored with under a minute left to send it to OT for a third time in the series. Where some career backups would fold, Pickard did not. He was every bit up to the task for the Oilers to steal Game Four after looking dead in the water.

Edmonton gave the start to Pickard for Game Five, and while the result was bad, I would stop short of blaming it on the goaltending. The Oilers only mustered 3 shots on goal in the opening period and struggled to look engaged offensively until very late in the game.

A decision on who will be in net for a do-or-die Game Six for Edmonton remains uncertain. I will be rooting for Pickard to make the most of this opportunity. If Edmonton goes back to Stuart Skinner on Tuesday night, I'll still be pulling for Pickard to save all of Canada's hammy bacon.

Who among us does not love an unlikely hero's journey? At this point, either Edmonton goalie will be doubted. They will be up against tremendous odds and a defending Champion who smells a second straight Stanley Cup.

First, I'm hoping for the drama of another Game Seven. Second, I'm hoping for an opposite result this time around. In the movies, sequels usually mean diminishing returns. In real life, however, it could mean honest to goodness redemption. I would love for the goaltender from the Colorado Avalanche's worst season ever to be at the center of it all.