Is this the year for the Avs? Have they finally turned things back around in Colorado? Well, so far, it seems pretty promising. The Avs have lagged behind in the Western Conference for quite some time due to their extremely young and inexperienced team.
However, this year has kicked off with a bang in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche are currently leading (as of 10/27/2013), and have lead, the Central Division. They hold a record of 10-1-0 and with 20 points; they sit in first with a 5-point gap between them and the second place defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Chicago Blackhawks.
So, what’s making the Avs thrive like this? How have they gone from dead last in the NHL last year to starting an eighth of the season just one point behind the League leading San Jose Sharks? I think I have a few ideas…
Coaching
I think a huge factor in the Avalanche success early on this season is due to the new coaching of four-time Stanley Cup Champion and Hockey Hall of Famer, Patrick Roy. Patrick Roy was an incredible goaltender back in his day. He has earned an astounding amount of awards for his Hall of Fame level of play including: the Conn Smythe Trophy (1986, 1993, 2001), Vezina Trophy (1989, 1990, 1992), the William M. Jennings Trophy (1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 2002), his #33 jersey was retired in both Montreal and Colorado, and many, many more.
This is the kind of guy the Avs needed, an Avalanche player from the Stanley Cup years with a tremendous amount of experience and the knowledge of the game. Oh, and did I mention that Patrick Roy is kind of an intense guy?
On the night of his Avalanche coaching debut, after beating Anaheim 6-1, Coach Roy engaged in a shouting match with Ducks’ forward Corey Perry. His lips were pretty readable and what was saying upset Ducks’ coach Bruce Boudreau, which sparked a confrontation between the two coaches. Roy then proceeded to almost break the glass barrier separating the two benches.
This just goes to show you the intensity of this guy. This is the kind of attitude, I believe, that is driving this team to success, especially the goaltending unit, which leads me to my next point…
Goaltending
Every team needs a solid goaltender no matter how many goals the team can generate. Take, for example, the 2012-13 Tampa Bay Lightning. They scored more total goals than the teams above them in the standings, however, their goaltending lacked significantly.
For the Avs so far this season, goaltending is no issue. With a dynamic-duo like Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere, opposing teams are finding it tough to get pucks to the back of the net.
Semyon Varlamov has been an okay goalie in the past for Colorado, but for whatever reason, this year he has come back with the poise of an elite goalie. Now I am not calling him an elite goalie, but his numbers this season are very impressive.
Varlamov has a GAA of 1.76 and a SV% of .945 (as of 10/27/2013). He has 7 wins and 1 loss in his 8 games played. Surprisingly, Varlamov also has an assist so far this season, a treat for a goalie, no doubt. He has played on a whole new level so far this season and I hope he keeps it up. Avs fans across the world are excited for this new level of performance coming from Varlamov.
On another note, Jean-Sebastien Giguere is not too far behind Semyon. Although Semyon Varlamov has earned the majority of the starts this season, Giguere’s numbers in his few games played are outstanding. His GAA is a league leading 0.67 and his .981 SV% also tops the leader boards for NHL goaltenders.
With this in mind, I expect the goaltender position in Denver to become more competitive as the season progresses. These two tenders have turned heads in the league with their level of play as of late. Whether their success is due to the goaltender expectations of legendary Coach Patrick Roy or the time in their careers is just right for both men, I believe that as long as the two guys in net stay hot, the As will continue their dominance.
Depth
Aside from great coaching and outstanding goaltending, the Avs also have their offensive depth to thank for their point production. For several years, as mentioned before, the Avalanche remained a very young and inexperienced team. However, in this 2013-14 season, the youth has developed and the inexperienced has almost diminished.
The Colorado forwards have been producing goals in opportune times to put them ahead of opponents. This offensive effort is lead by 22 year-old forward Matt Duchene. Duchene, a personal favorite player of mine, has the third-most goals in the NHL with 9 goals total, including 3 game-winning goals. He also has 4 assists and a +4 rating.
Veteran Alex Tanguay, Paul Stasny, captain Gabriel Landeskog, Erik Johnson, Jamie McGinn, Ryan O’Reilly, and PA Parenteau, joins Duchene when it comes to producing offense. Although Duchene leads the team in goals scored with 9, the majority of the team has at least 1 goal and as many as 3.To me, this means that the offense is being spread out among the entire team. Perhaps this, too, is a key to the Avs’ success.
Although first-round draft-pick Nathan MacKinnon has only produced 1 goal, he also has contributed 6 assists. I, along with many other Avs’ fans, believe that MacKinnon will produce more goals or at least we hope he will. In the meantime, I think Matt Duchene will make up for MacKinnon’s pending goals of the future.
What’s Next?
If the Avalanche want to keep hold of the top spot in the Central Division they better keep doing what they are doing, keep winning games, and keep scoring goals. It is inevitable that they will cool off at some point in the long 82-game season, but it is in their best interest to stay as hot as they can for as long as they can in a tight division like the Central Division.
They just better look out for those Blackhawks!
Frank Markasovic
Sports Editor
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