The National Hockey League is set to resume to business as usual this week and the Colorado Avalanche are looking to continue right were they left off at the end of January. Closing out the month, the Avs won five of their last six games, and managed to do so in high-scoring fashion. The result has them in the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference Wild Card race.
On Monday evening, the voice of the Avalanche, Mike Haynes, joined The Nosebleed Section on Mile High Sports AM 1340 to talk all things Avalanche and a potential playoff spot.
To ensure a playoff berth, the Avs have to “Just keep the winning pace that they have going,” Haynes said. “It seems really quite simple,” Haynes went on to say, but it’s hardly as such. There are still 30 games left in the regular season and Minnesota and Nashville, division opponents, are right on their heels.
Coming off the All-Star break, the majority of the Avs players should be fully-rested, other than perhaps Matt Duchene who was the lone representative for Colorado during the weekend. With a big week about to start, Tuesday night, there is no doubt the benefit of having the guys be able to rest and spend a few days away from the rink will hopefully pay off.
The Avalanche have their work cut out for them Haynes seems think. “Their first three games back are all against Central Division teams,” he said. “They’ve got Chicago, the defending Stanley Cup Champions tomorrow night, Dallas on Thursday, and then Winnipeg coming up on Saturday.”
While rest is important, in order for the Avs to keep winning, their goalie, Semyon Varlamov will need to keep doing what he’s been doing. “The number one thing; you’ve got 52 games played, 20 left. If Varlamov can play like he has in his last four starts, where he has only given up one goal in each start, the Avs will get into the playoffs,” according to Haynes.
With Varlamov missing two games last week due to legal issues, there was a question about whether or not he would be ready to go [tonight] against the Blackhawks. Haynes reported that “he will play.”
Listen to the full discussion between Haynes and The Nosebleed Section, as well as some more insider information on the Colorado Avalanche, in the podcast below…
Catch The Nosebleed Section every weekday from 10p-12a on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the largest local lineup covering what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
