Winning serves as motivation for the Avalanche — but the fun the team is experiencing along the way makes its success even sweeter.
“Winning is fun. We have a great strength coach in Alexi (Pianosi), and he makes a good program for everybody to do before the ice, after, whatever. Guys are doing a little lifting activation, guys like getting on the ice early. Everyone’s just kind of on the same page.
“We have such a deep team that we probably could win without playing our best or trying to get better. We need to stay focused and just try to play a great game. Right now, those are turning into wins,” Nathan MacKinnon said. “It’s not going to always be like this; there’s going to be some adversity. But for now, hopefully we get another one tomorrow, make it seven and keep this thing rolling.”
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Colorado is No. 1 in the NHL with 31 points and only one regulation loss. The abundance of highly-skilled players is the main reason, but there are other components to the team’s success.
“The drive right now is just for us to continue playing well. It’s given us a lot of confidence in all aspects of our game, something that we just didn’t have at the beginning of last year, and in terms of everything rolling at the same time,” Cale Makar said. “It’s enjoyable when it can be like that. We know we’re going to go through tough stretches, but we just try and build up these moments right now, and everybody just keep riding the high and keep continuing to work on what we can get better at.”
There has been a positive vibe throughout the team on and off the ice. Being at the top of the standings and getting two points most nights is a good reason to be upbeat and happy.
“It’s important, no question. At times over the last few years, we’ve been uptight, sometimes a little too serious all the time,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “I like the fact that we get serious when we hit the ice, but still can keep it sort of light and focused at the same time in our preparation.”
Bednar mentioned Gabriel Landeskog and Brent Burns as players who compete hard but keep it light around the room. As leaders on and off the ice, that attitude makes a huge difference for their teammates.
“You watch those guys prepare for games and practices and getting ready, whether it’s in the gym or just how they take care of themselves, how they interact with one another. It’s been contagious around our locker room,” Bednar said.
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The Avs work hard and play hard. Other teams possess those qualities as well, but there is something special that has elevated this team.
“Everybody works super hard here. So much skill in this locker room. That was like a staple in Carolina; everybody worked hard. But here it’s the same, maybe even more,” Martin Necas said. “The names you have in (the) locker room, it’s pretty special. We have a good feeling here in the locker room right now and we just want to keep it going.”
The banter between players — the laughs and the lightheartedness are infectious around the room, even for the media. There has not been a more enjoyable time covering this team than now.
