The Avs are going to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 13 years. 0:58 The Colorado Avs are going to the Stanley Cup Final after dominating their competition in the playoffs. The superstars of the Avs have delivered, as Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar are both making strong cases. Artturi Lehkonen's game-winning goal in the fourth game of the series against the Eskimos was one of the highlights. It took the Avs only 14 games to get through three opponents in the playoffs. The Avs are exciting to watch and difficult to defeat. Colorado is one step away from the Cup. In the last 20 seasons, only six teams have swept a conference final series. Colorado is in elite company, but not on the fast track to a Stanley Cup victory. Two of the five teams went on to win the Cup. Game 7 of the Cup Final was won by the Boston Bruins. The Bruins lost in the 6th game of the series. The Colorado team is unique. They have done it all. Without starting goalie Darcy Kuemper, the Avs swept their first-round series against the NashvillePredators. They did the same thing in the conference finals as they would Kuemper. Colorado rolled along regardless of whether Kuemper and Francouz were good or bad. The same thing happened on the offensive side. Colorado's second and third units scored timely goals when the Avs' top line wasn't firing, or it got a key contribution from an unlikely hero like the one who scored with 5.6 seconds left in the game against St. Louis to punch Colorado's ticket. That's not a good sign. The team is built to win. The players of the Avs are star quality. Colorado is where it is because of many other reasons. The many layers of excellence make the Avalanche so difficult to describe or defend. The physical effort put in by Burakovsky early in the game to get the puck out of Colorado's end is worth a look. Colorado wants to reach its goal. The Avs are happy to play boring and gross hockey that's defense-heavy as they are scoring eight goals. Colorado has one of the most impressive ways of pivoting. There are two areas of the team that come through when one area fails. The Colorado power-play struggled early in the series against the Eskimos. The Avs owned the seventh-best power play in the NHL in the regular season, but through the first three games of the playoffs, they were 2 for 14 on the power play. No problem. In the series, the Avs scored 14 even-strength goals and averaged over five goals per game. The power play scored on both opportunities in the fourth game. It's another example of how the Avs have not let obstacles slow them down. Colorado has a solution to problems. They don't get bogged down in overthinking or overplaying because they know what makes a good team. It shows the trust Colorado coach Bednar has in his group, and the confidence his players have in one another, that they don't show any signs of panic no matter how well or poorly a game goes. Coolheads prevail. Between their second-round sweep of the Florida Panther and the start of the Eastern Conference finals against the New York Rangers, the Lightning had more than a week off. The rust was there. The first game of the series was a loss for the Lightning. They lost the second game by a score of 3-2. The Rangers had all the energy in the world after their victory over the Hurricanes. Will those early losses decide the future of the city? Are the Avs headed for the same trouble? The Stanley Cup Final will be broadcasted on ABC, as well as the first and second round of games.
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Yes, Colorado is that good
The Avalanche can adapt to any situation
Leaning into a long layoff
It could take several days for Colorado to get ready for a game. It's not an ideal scenario, but it's also one in which the Avs have experienced.
Colorado eliminated Nashville in the 4th game of the series. It took the first game of the second-round series in overtime. Colorado doesn't get bogged down by adversity despite the effects of a layoff on the Avs.
Positives can be found in the waiting game. The players have a chance to recuperate. The closer, who is out with a broken thumb, could potentially appear in the Cup Final if the two teams continue to rage on. There is no need for hard practices or workouts at this time. They have proven their worth. The biggest challenge will be mental, and staying sharp ahead of what will be the most nerve-wracking, career- defining moment for a large swath of the Colorado roster.
Coaches and players won't admit to favoring one opponent over the other. We're able to do it for them.
One of the wins against the Lightning came in a shootout.
There's an argument to be made for avoiding the Lightning because of how resilient they've been in the playoffs -- overcoming a 2-0 deficit to start the Eastern Conference finals would add to that narrative.
The Rangers have been able to bounce back. The Rangers were injected with confidence after the Hurricanes closed out their second-round series. In the conference finals, the Blueshirts pushed the Lightning around, and have barely relented since.
Colorado will be a formidable opponent if that series goes their way. There are two world-class goaltenders waiting in the crease, one in New York's Shesterkin and the other in Florida's Vasilevskiy.
They are proficient in all categories. Colorado matches up well against either team because the Avs are flexible and can pull from different aspects of their game as needed.
Colorado could be pulling for the Rangers in order to avoid being seen as pulling for the Rangers in order to avoid being seen as pulling for the Rangers in order to avoid being seen as pulling for the Rangers in order to avoid being seen as pulling for theRangers in order to avoid being seen New York's strength is in its depth, its goaltending is excellent, and it is a physical group. The Avs-Rangers would be great. After two years of the Lightning being on top, a new Cup champion would be provided.
Kadri will benefit from the longer Colorado has before the next round. Kadri will be motivated to participate in the first Cup Final of his career after breaking his thumb when he was boarded by Evander Kane in the third game.
Colorado hopes to have Kadri back. The forward has six goals and 14 points in the playoffs so far, and was playing well with Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen against the Eskimos. With Kadri out, the second-line role has been taken by Andre Burakovsky, who could be a good replacement. Kadri's absence could be a bigger factor if Colorado faces a fully healthy team.
Kadri is a reliable contributor on the scoresheet. In the playoffs, he is good in the faceoff circle, has earned big minutes on the power play, and has a way of getting under someone's skin. The time of year when intangibles come to the forefront can be helpful for Colorado.
Kadri isn't likely to get any updates on his health from Bednar since he hasn't been forthcoming about his health in the playoffs. We know for certain that Colorado is better with Kadri.
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