At one point earlier this season, the Colorado Avalanche looked completely unstoppable. Parade plans were starting to be made in ink, not pencil.
They skated out of the gate at a pace that was never going to be sustainable. They went eight games in before they lost in regulation, and after a 10-game winning streak was snapped back on January 3rd, their record was an unthinkable 31-2-7. That meant they’d lost just two times in regulation in their first 40 games – which is almost half the regular season – before the calendar turned to 2026.
Then something happened. They’d been dealing with a few injuries, yes. Captain Gabe Landeskog, Olympian Devon Toews and forward Logan O’Connor have been out, and that left them a bit vulnerable. Then standout winger Marty Necas got hurt. They started to look tired, and perhaps even a little bit bored; like it had been too easy to get so far out in front of the rest of the league. What followed that 10-game win streak was a 4-8 stretch that included a pair of games where the normally tight Colorado defense was pierced for seven goals in a single game. They looked two steps slow.
They looked good again in a shutout win in Detroit on Saturday, but less than 36 hours later – even with Toews returning to play – got shut out at home by the same Red Wings team they’ve dominated for the past five seasons. Now, with just one game left before the NHL breaks to send players to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years, they look like a tired team in need of a reason to push themselves.
The Avalanche are one of several NHL teams that should be welcoming the three-week Olympic break. Eight Avs players will represent five different nations in what promises to be a very spirited competition in Milan, Italy. Canada will be the favorite, and Team USA should be in the mix too. The gold medal game is on Sunday February 22nd, with the Avs scheduled to face the Mammoth in Utah three days later. It’s likely that a few of the Avs representatives, like Cale Makar and Nathan MacKinnon from Team Canada, won’t be getting all that much time off during this break.
Will they come back refreshed physically and mentally… or just worn out?
Back in 2023, we saw the Denver Nuggets seemingly lose interest and the same kind of thing after opening up a big lead in the Western Conference. They looked disinterested down the stretch, and there was reason for concern. But when the playoffs rolled around, the Nuggets didn’t just flip the switch, they punched it… hard. The end result was the team’s first-ever NBA title.
Avs faithful will most certainly take that outcome.
But there’s work ahead. The question is, when they return from the Olympic break in three weeks, will these Avs have collectively lost an edge, or will they – can they – return to being the most dominant team in the NHL for the last 28 games and into the postseason? They will go into the Olympic break with the most points in the league, and if everyone returns from Italy healthy, they’ll be the favorites to lift another Stanley Cup.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown. Let’s face it, the only successful season for this Avs team ends with another championship parade. Anything less, and it will be more than fair to ask if head coach Jared Bednar is still the right man to lead this talented group moving forward.
