With sooner or later to go till the Colorado Avalanche kick off the 2024-25 NHL season in opposition to the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 9, the staff introduced its opening night time roster although sure gamers could have been quickly demoted for cap causes.
My colleague Ryan Womeldorf ran via three causes why the Avalanche may battle to begin the season and whereas I don’t essentially disagree together with his thought course of, I imagine {that a} gradual begin will not be a demise knell for the Stanley Cup hopefuls.
As anybody who’s aware of the adage of the tortoise and the hare is properly conscious of, gradual and regular normally wins the race. An 82-game season comprises loads of hills and valleys and a staff hitting its stride within the spring is preferable to 1 working out of steam after the flip of the brand new yr.
With that, let’s dive into how the Avalanche – and different groups – have began in latest seasons, and the way they ended up faring within the playoffs.
Avalanche Traditionally Sturdy Group Throughout First Month of Makar Period
For this train, let’s include the evaluation from the beginning of the 2019-20 season to the primary month of the 2023-24 season. This five-year vary encapsulates the time between the primary common season sport since Cale Makar joined the staff and rounded out the present core and the start of final season. It’s undoubtedly a small pattern all issues thought-about, nevertheless it’s all there may be to work with in terms of the extremely profitable Nathan MacKinnon-Makar period.
As you possibly can see within the desk under, the Avalanche have sometimes gotten off to pretty first rate begins over the previous 5 seasons, with one obvious exception.
| Season | NHL Rank After First Month (PTS%) | Playoff Consequence |
|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | tenth | Second Spherical |
| 2020-21 | eighth | Second Spherical |
| 2021-22 | twenty second | Received Stanley Cup |
| 2022-23 | fifth | First Spherical |
| 2023-24 | eighth | Second Spherical |
The Avalanche sat tenth or higher within the general league standings after the primary month of play in 4 of the final 5 common seasons. The one time they fared worse was in 2021-22 when a 6-5-1 begin gave method to a 50-14-6 end and one in every of probably the most dominant playoff showings of the cap period.
The Avalanche’s triumphant effort was not a one-off show. As a glimpse at the latest Stanley Cup champions would let you know, a robust begin will not be a requirement for any title chasers.
| Group and Season | NHL Rank After First Month (PTS%) |
|---|---|
| Lightning (19-20) | nineteenth |
| Lightning (20-21) | 1st |
| Avalanche (21-22) | twenty second |
| Golden Knights (22-23) | 1st |
| Panthers (23-24) | seventh |
Three of the final 5 Stanley Cup-winning groups sat within the high 10 of the league standings after a month of play, however two have been firmly within the backside half. Although two of the eventual champions did actually lead the league after the primary month, three out of the 5 have been clearly not the very best staff on the one-month mark. It’s no secret that hockey is an unpredictable sport, and it’s a declare that’s borne out within the knowledge.
Whereas they didn’t find yourself profitable the championship, the 2023-24 Edmonton Oilers clawed their method to an look within the 2024 Stanley Cup Remaining after beginning the marketing campaign with a document of 2-9-1 via their first 12 video games. They have been forward of solely the hapless San Jose Sharks who suffered via one of many worst seasons of the trendy period. They have been the victims of an extremely merciless run of puck luck, however their expertise degree received out by the postseason.
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The 2018-19 St. Louis Blues simply missed the five-year cutoff, however they famously received the Stanley Cup after being useless final within the league standings at first of the 2019 calendar yr. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime turnaround that can possible by no means be replicated once more, nevertheless it highlights simply how deceptive the primary month of the season will be within the grand scheme of issues.
Avalanche Hoping for Fast Return to Full Energy
Even when the Avalanche get off to a robust begin to the 2024-25 season, uncertainty stays. Captain Gabriel Landeskog nonetheless lacks a agency timeline for his return from a very documented journey of rehabilitation and there’s no assure he ever will get again to his earlier degree of efficiency. Artturi Lehkonen is out via October and has struggled to remain wholesome in latest seasons. Valeri Nichushkin is in the midst of serving a six-month suspension that’s set to run out in mid-November, however he nonetheless requires league approval earlier than returning to play.
The Avalanche have demonstrated the flexibility to dig themselves out of a gap within the standings however stacking up a number of early wins to construct up a cushion is useful in direction of the tip of the season when the grind for a greater playoff seed kicks into increased gear.
If there’s any staff that might hit full energy on the proper time after a irritating opening month, it’s the one who has performed it as soon as earlier than and lived to inform the story.
