The Colorado Avalanche are one of the best teams in the National Hockey League once again. The 2022 Stanley Cup champions are good enough to make it two Cups in three years if they enter the playoffs playing at their best.
They are one of the best comeback teams in the league which is a big reason for their success. They are never out of a game no matter how bleak things may seem.
The latest example of that came on Sunday when they took on the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Pens are a bubble team in the Eastern Conference but they have great players that can help them win at any time.
Of course, it all starts and ends with Sidney Crosby. He had one goal and three assists for four points to help Pittsburgh get out to a 4-0 lead. From there, it was all Colorado. By the end of the second period, the Avalanche had two goals to cut the deficit in half.
The Colorado Avalanche never gave up against the Pittsburgh Penguins
Once the third period started, Nathan MacKinnon and the best players on the Avalanche took over. MacKinnon and Devon Toews set up a goal by Jonathan Drouin to bring them within one.
Then, with less than five minutes left, MacKinnon scored a goal of his own to tie the game. They came back to get it tied up. Drouin and Toews assisted on that one.
In overtime, the Avalanche had MacKinnon and Drouin on the ice with Cale Makar. Before the OT clock could even reach one minute, Drouin scored the overtime game-winning goal. It was assisted by his two teammates on the ice. This ended as a 5-4 win.
Of all the great comebacks that Colorado has had this season, this win over the Penguins might be at the top of the list in terms of being the most impressive. They could have easily mailed it in when they were down 4-0 but they did everything they could to get it tied and eventually win.
Winning the Central Division is very important for them. It is their way of avoiding one of the Dallas Stars or Winnipeg Jets in the first round which could be a key to making a deep run again this year.
When you watch the Avalanche, you know that it doesn't matter what the score is. They have a chance to win any game they are involved in. This game was proof.