Rest is essential for the Colorado Avalanche in the last handful of regular-season games as they prepare for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

“That’s what it’s all about. Leading down to the stretch, it’s going to be a grueling couple months coming up. Anytime you can mix in some rest is optimal for the group’s performance,” Nazem Kadri said. “For new guys coming in, it’s a little bit tough. I don’t think I’ve practiced once with these guys besides morning skate. Just kind of moving on the go. And I think we’ve done pretty well thus far.”

Downtime is crucial to prevent fatigue, especially during a challenging schedule to finish the regular season.

“It’s basically day off, morning skate and the game. So feel like rest is the weapon here these days. I think it’s been great, and we try to save up as much energy as we can,” Martin Necas said.

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There are advantages and disadvantages to having limited or no practice and full days off. The impact varies among players depending on their current performance level.

“There’s definitely times where you probably like to get a practice and just to work on some systematic things, or fine-tune some things if you need to. But on the flip side, we have a pretty veteran group that understands the game and what we need to do, especially come this time of year,” Brock Nelson said.

The most important factor is balance, which can vary from one player to another.

“It’s good when things are rolling, and then we’re getting rest and stuff. But I feel like there’s times where it’s hard when there’s stuff we want to work on … ,” Ross Colton said. “Just to find balance of when we do have time. If there’s an optional skate, getting out there and working on things if you want to. If not, we’re all pros. We’ve been in the league for a long time guys know what they need to do.”

With only 10 games remaining in a condensed schedule, most players appreciate off days and make the most of them.

What Avs took from loss to Jets ahead of facing Flames

The 4-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday was not devastating, but there were a few areas the team needed to improve moving forward.

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“You’re going to have games where you’re struggling to create offense, and things that a goalie is making it difficult on you, whatever the circumstances are,” head coach Jared Bednar said. “Where you’re going to have to be able to not just defend well and be happy with your defending for most of the game, but you got to find a way to keep a couple of those goals off the board. … Just the importance of every play, and hopefully we take a little bit of that mindset into our defending mentality today.”