Kiz: Well, after Nathan MacKinnon and the Avs barnstormed through California, they not only control their destiny, but have every reason to believe that winning the Central Division is within their grasp. A month ago, I would’ve said it was iffy to project this edition of the Avalanche to win even a single round in the NHL playoffs. But now? The outlook is much sunnier. What’s a realistic definition of success for Colorado, with the postseason now just around the corner?
Durando: The team with the best record in the West since mid-January should define success as winning the West. The Avs clearly have the firepower to do it again, especially in a conference widely considered to be the weaker of the two. I’ll say this, though: For as much flak as the West has taken since the trade deadline, there are several teams that decided to heat up at the right time. I’m both more impressed by the Avalanche’s direction than I was a month ago and more convinced that the path to the Cup is sneaky-tough.
Kiz: It looks to me as if the Avs now are likely to open the playoffs against Seattle. And my guess is the Kraken will prove to be a significantly easier first-round opponent than either Dallas or Minnesota, two division rivals that appear destined to stage a knockdown, drag-out fight to open the playoffs. Am I reading this wrong? Could I be underestimating how much of a threat our old friend Philipp Grubauer and the Kraken might pose to the Avalanche?
Durando: The only thing you’re underestimating is Seattle’s depth, but then again Kiz, you also underestimated Colorado’s depth moves at the deadline. (Jack Johnson looks like a vital addition right now with half the blue line missing the end of the division race.) I’m not sure Colorado’s fourth line beats the Kraken’s, but there’s nothing terrifying about them up top. Now if Seattle passes L.A. in the standings this week, the Kings would be a lousy reward for first place. It’s fair to say everybody’s favorite expansion underdog is also everybody’s preferred playoff play toy.
Kiz: By my count, there are six teams in the West that have at least a 10% shot of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final. Edmonton, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, as well as Dallas, Minnesota and the Avs are all solid hockey teams. Maybe a hot goalie makes the difference, eh? But if I had to put money on it, I’d bet the Oilers as the toughest team to beat. After a bumpy ride through the regular season, is it too much to now hold the defending champs to a Final-or-bust standard? I think it’s a fair expectation for our Avs. What say you?
Durando: The Oilers are similar to the Avs in that they’ve been buzzing down the stretch, and their record now finally reflects the reputation of their best players. If the Avalanche lost to Edmonton or another worthy conqueror in the conference finals, I wouldn’t call that a failure of a season. But it would certainly be more disappointing than losing the Stanley Cup to a Bruins juggernaut that just broke the all-time wins record.
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