Will the Colorado Avalanche make the playoffs?

Question

I'm really pulling for them, being a huge fan of course! Granted, its a longshot. But theyre hot, especially hejduk, budaj and stastny. your opinion please.

Answer 1

They've had a nice run, but it might have come too late. The 7th and 8th place teams are 8 and 6 points ahead AND have games in hand on the Avs.

They still have to play the Wild twice and the Flames three more times, which helps their chances. Overall, they probably need to pull 20+ points out of their remaining 14 games to bring it down to the wire.

Looking forward to seeing if they can pull it off. It would be one of the all-time turnaround stories if they do.

Answer 2

I'm a Sabres/Avalanche fan, but I can see Colorado slipping in the 8th seed, possibly 7th. They got some great players in Joe Sakic, Milan Hejduk, Paul Stastny, Wojtek Wolski, Peter Budaj, Andrew Brunette, John-Michael Liles, and a capable backup in Jose Theodore. Stastny is hot with a 17 game point streak as a rookie, which tied Teemu Selanne back when he was on the Winnipeg Jets which is amazing to start off. Liles has 11 goals and about 28 assists, which is good. If Marek Svatos comes out of his slump, they got even a better shot because Svatos is a 2nd year guy that is very good, but just in a bad slump, and just waiting to get out of it because he is very fast and very good still. Colorado is only 6 points behind Minnesota, which I don't see making the playoffs with Manny Fernandez and Nicklas Backstrom being hurt. People over estimate the odds of Colorado not making the playoffs. Colorado may be on a long road trip, but they are 3-0 on it, beating my favorite team, the Sabres, which I was at the game, as a Sabres fan.. but oh well. Colorado is just on fire right now, and 3 games out, really isn't that much, seeing as Friday, Minnesota plays the Sabres, which is a huge game for me, Sabres fans, and Avs fans. So, I believe Colorado should slip in #8 seed, MAYBE #7, and very capable of an upset, which I'd take Colorado to upset Detroit, Nashville, Calgary, Vancouver, or even Anaheim. But I can't see them taking down the Sabres if they manage to find their way to Cup like the Oilers last season. Too much depth, speed, and too good overall. But Colorado I believe will make the playoffs unexpectedly for some reason.

Answer 3

Well if you had asked me a few weeks ago I would have said heck no. However, a 5 game win streak, 4 on the road, is impressive. Hejduk, Stastny, Budaj and several others are playing like someone lit a fire under their butts. Plus, with any luck skrastins and svatos will be back any day now. Additionally, they still have several division games left, if they win they'll be in. Don't forget that the lasst game of the season for both the avs and the flames is April 8th in Denver, the makeup from the game that got snowed out, so anything can happen.

Answer 4

They are playing great right now. But it is a huge long shot. It is already out of their hands, they not only have to keep playing hot, they need help from Minnesota loosing. They play Minnesota twice and they need the result to be two wins in regulation time over them in order to - still have a long-shot chance.

That is next game. AND, they have too long a break before that game, sometimes too long a rest is a bad thing.

I would rather watch Colorado in playoffs than Minnesota - they are a boring team. So good luck.

Answer 5

I can't see them making it in the playoffs. Their team is getting old. In a game now dominated by young, fast players (thank you rule changes, blah) it's difficult for veterans to do anything but lead a team late in the season. Both Budaj and Theodore are shaky this season. Hejduk has had a bad year by his standards. The blue line is not as strong as the perennial teams that the Avalanche have had. The Flames, Canucks, and Wild are all playing well both at home and on the road. Plus, their goal differential is not something to brag about. I don't think they will get enough help from the top three teams in the Northwest to make it in. I think they would do themselves a favor by retooling in the offseason to put Stastney, Wolski, and Budaj as the center piece for a great team.

Answer 6

here's hopin, im a huge fan, which is hard living all the way in maryland, so i just listen to the games on nhl.com its great to see (or hear) the break out play of budaj, stastny, wolski, and hejduk, who is returning to his 50 goal form of a couple years ago. throw that in with the consistency of sakic, brunette, and jml, and we have a shot. as long as we keep winning and do some scoreboard watching, we should make it interesting.

Answer 7

I'm a tried and true Avs fan. lived in Denver for 39 years and followed hockey for most of that. they've won 5 straight. from a pure-hearted Avs fan i'd like to see them go. but honestly, it won't make any difference. they WILL lose in the first round and might get swept. they're not that good

And from a practical standpoint i'd don't want to see them go. not only will they get a better draft pick, but i DON'T want the new GM and the ownership to think that they're just a player away from being elite again. this team has major issues. Jose Theodore is a bust. our defense stinks. we lost too many good players on offense (Tanguay and Forsberg), too many elite defensemen (Blake and Foote) and really haven't gotten anyone to fill their shoes. Liles, Stastny and Wolski are all promising young kids, but they're kids. I think Budaj is turning into a solid goalie, but he's definitely getting "on the job training" cuz the defense is so bad. Hejduk? i love him as a player personally but in truth he really hasn't developed into the player i thought he would. his skills have plateaued. Sakic is not getting any younger. These are all things that really need attention, and there are no quick fixes for most of them. they are not going to get better by doing some "fine-tuning". i'm not saying they need a major overhaul, but they've lost too many players to free agency and haven't gotten many good players in return. it's not all doom and gloom, but it's certainly not a place that we Avs fans are used to. and the playoffs won't change that. in fact it could make it worse...

Answer 8

They might but it's way a longshot, because with so many games being 3-point games, in order to catch anybody, Colorado basically has to pretty much run the table from here on out, and also one of the teams above them has to really tank it. Both things have to happen for them to catch anyone.

They could keep it going - but if the teams above them play basically .500 hockey from here on out the Avs still will probably fall just short. That's what stinks with this giving 1 point for the overtime loss.

Answer 9

well it's not a simple yes, no, or I BELIEVE! You have to look at their record over the last 10 games vs other teams in the division. Than also look at who they played.

Than also see what the schedule is like for 8th thru 6th place, for the remainder of the year vs what colorado's is.

If colorado plays some weak teams and can take advantage, and if calgary or minnesota play some really tough teams from now on, they could make it in the next 4-8 games. But if they are 8 points backs with 10 games remaining, it would be a miracle

Answer 10

I'm a fan too, but it's tough. They are on fire right now, pretty crazy. I don't think this season really matters, with an eye toward the future I think they've got great things coming with Stastny, Wolski, and Budaj.