Breaking Down the Colorado Avalanche Season at the Halfway Mark

The Colorado Avalanche has had an up-and-down six months. After winning the Stanley Cup in 2022, the Avalanche has seemed to struggle during the 2022-23 season. Struggle as in not as dominant as last year, yet still having a good season.

The Colorado Avalanche is down but not out

The reason for the struggles of the Colorado Avalanche has been injuries. At one point, the Avalanche had half of the team on the injured list. This caused Colorado to bring up some players from the AHL Colorado Eagles that may have not yet been ready for this role. Some players were forced to play a top-six role. Coach Jared Bednar was put in a pressure situation, putting players on a line who have never played together to fill out the lines.

The Colorado Avalanche are currently 25-16-3, good for 53 points, and sit in fourth place in the Central Division. Colorado has scored 141 goals, which ranks 22nd. On the flip side, the Avalanche have only given up 124 goals, fifth in the league.

General manager Joe Sakic was also under pressure to make a move and fill out the roster with NHL talent and make trades. However, Sakic sat out and trusted his younger talent called up from the AHL. Yes, the team struggled. However, the Colorado Avalanche stayed the course and are headed back to the way they played last season en route to a Stanley Cup.

Colorado had suffered through a list of injuries since early in the season. Forward Nathan MacKinnon (12 games), forward Evan Rodriguez (12 games), defenseman Samuel Girard (7 games), defenseman Josh Manson (24 games), and forward Gabriel Landeskog (yet to play in the 2022-23 season). This was a big chunk of the Avalanche offense and defense to replace and keep their heads above water. Yet, Sakic, Bednar, and Colorado did it and are still in contention for a playoff spot.

The injury list is not clean just yet, as defenseman Bowen Byram, forward Darren Helm, Landeskog, defenseman Cale Makar, forward Denis Malgin, and Manson are on the injured list as of Monday. MacKinnon, amongst others, has returned to give the Avalanche some of their offensive firepower back. Colorado is turning the corner and is getting back to full strength, gaining steam at the right time. The Avalanche have won five straight, outscoring their opponents 23-6, including a 7-0 shutout of the Ottawa Senators.

While the core of the Colorado Avalanche is returning, it has been newcomer Alex Georgiev that has made a difference. He has taken over the number one goaltending spot, sporting an 18-11-3 record with a .917 save percentage and a 2.64 GAA. He is not elite, but Georgiev has simplified his game to keep the Colorado Avalanche in the running for a playoff spot. At full strength, the Avalanche grab a playoff spot easily.

Forward Mikko Rantanen has also been a blessing offensively, filling some of the offensive production missing due to injuries. He is having a career year, scoring 32 goals and 26 assists for 58 points in 45 games while recording a +9.

The Avalanche power play has been a success, operating at a 24.5% clip, which is ninth in the league. Colorado is also getting scoring opportunities, taking an average of 32.8 shots per game, eighth in the league.

The second half of the 2022-23 Colorado Avalanche season is looking promising. The win streak, along with Georgiev’s play and the return of the players on the injured list, gives Colorado a serious push toward the playoffs. Getting back to full strength is the number one priority while remaining competitive in the Central Division.

While some teams ahead of Colorado may fall off, the Avalanche could take full advantage and gain steam in the final stretch before the playoffs. They have work to do to get back to what they did last season, but this team is one of the few that can overcome the adversity they have dealt with to make a playoff push.