Colorado Avalanche Are Better Than Who We Thought They Were

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Colin Wilson
WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 12: Colin Wilson

The Colorado Avalanche are a team that knows they can play better than what they’ve shown. Here’s how they can get over the .500 mark before it’s too late.

With good teams such as the Chicago Blackhawks and Anaheim Ducks still not in a playoff position, it’s difficult for the Colorado Avalanche to assume they can get ahead. However, they need to believe they have the ability to turn this thing around.

A game such as the one against the Pittsburgh Penguins should prove to them that they have the ability to beat formidable teams. However, the throttling by the Washington Capitals might have set them back a bit.

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Early in the season, the Avalanche started out great. However, they came back down to Earth with a few losses. After that, the Avalanche balanced it out with a few wins and have remained rather even ever since.

Of course, their biggest story of the season was trading superstar Matt Duchene to the Ottawa Senators as part of a three-way deal with the Nashville Predators. Their team has definitely looked different after that trade. But it hasn’t necessarily made them worse, as some might have expected.

The Avalanche decided to make the future more important than the present. And of course, they are not exactly in dire pursuit of a Stanley Cup this season. However, that’s no excuse for a decent team to not have at least a good season. After all, tanking comes with the risk of creating a culture of losing. Just ask the Buffalo Sabres.

In order to get over the .500 mark, the Avalanche must remember just because they gave up some of their present for the future, they don’t need to give up entirely. This isn’t a team that’s bad enough to call in quits. Currently, the Avalanche sit only five points out of a playoff spot.

That should be enough for them to realize that by simply playing better defense and realizing they still have offensive talent (we’re looking at you, Gabriel Landeskog), they will be in a competitive position.

Next: 3 Bold Predictions For The Avalanche

Their problems aren’t as hard to solve as they might believe. All they have to do is play to their strengths and recognize what they already have. After that, only time will tell what the future holds for them.