(Brace Hemmelgarn, USA TODAY Sports)
Wednesday night’s disappointing 5-4 loss to the Wild in Game 7 that eliminated the Avalanche in the Western Conference quarterfinals should not ruin what is the big picture. The Avalanche built a winning program that could last for years.
That’s important after watching this franchise creating a culture of losing the last few years. This team was often unwatchable despite the young talent they had. They learned how to lose, and guys became comfortable with losing. There were times guys were waiting for this season to be over. It was a culture that previous Avalanche head coach Joe Sacco couldn’t extinguish.
Avalanche president Josh Korenke decided to make changes in getting the Avalanche back to prominence. He hired Joe Sakic, Adam Foote and Patrick Roy. He did not hire the trio for sentimental reasons or a publicity stunt. He hired them since they knew how to make the young players into winners. They certainly did this year by making the playoffs and almost advancing to the Western Conference semifinals.
If nothing else, this is a start of something. It would have been nice if the Avalanche would have won the Cup this year, but that’s unrealistic. There’s something to be said about the process. The Avs dominated in the regular season, but playoff hockey is different than others. They learned it the hard way against the Wild.
What the Avs have to learn is how to play better defense and not blow leads in a Game 7. They also need to know how to finish off a team after taking a 3-2 series lead as they did with the Wild. These things take time. This is a young group that features many guys in their 20s, They also have a kid who plays like a man in Nathan MacKinnon. This is a young team that needs to know how to win playoff games, and it’s something Roy referred to after Game 4.
These things take time. That’s why coaches and players talk about the dreaded process word.
It’s easy to say the Avs have to learn from it, but it’s hard to learn and apply from one series to next year’s series. It’s about them growing in the job. They can only do that by winning.
It’s encouraging to know these guys are upset. This is what the franchise higher-ups want to hear from their core players after a disappointing series. They shouldn’t be content to make the playoffs. They shouldn’t be talking about we will get them until next year. They need to translate this bitter experience by doing the little things better such as clearing the puck and not letting the team get second chance. The players can take notes about playing well defensively by watching the Bruins this postseason.
The Avs have the core players that can win the Cup. Matt Duchene, Ryan O’Reilly, Nathan MacKinnon and Gabriel Landeskog are going to get better as players. They are still yet to be in the prime of their careers.
Semyon Varlamov is a question mark when it comes to big games, and he validated those questions by playing awful in Game 7. He has to prove he can be the guy in Game 7s when the Avs needs him the most. The Avs are committed to him, and they should stay the course. There are not many good goaltenders out there.
These guys have to continue to improve. They can be better than they showed.
Avalanche fans did not express anger or disappointment about their team being eliminated in the playoffs. They were appreciative about the journey their team went through all year. It was a right tact to take. This is a young team that is learning what it takes to win in the playoffs. To expect them to make a huge jump from being a non-playoff team to a championship is unrealistic.
With success, come expectations. Winning in the first round should be the bare minimum next year for this talented team. It’s about how far they can go. Getting to the Western Conference Finals would be the type of step the Avalanche must make next year.
The fans are going to want more, and understandably so. It took a long time for the state of Colorado to embrace the Avs again. Now, the team has to keep the fans interested by winning in the playoffs.
Everything is in place for the Avalanche.
It’s about living up to expectations. It’s about having a focused, burning desire of not having the same playoff outcome next season.
The players don’t need to be reminded about expectations from Roy, Sakic, Foote and the media.
Losing in the first round this season will give them a good motivation for next year.
Contact or follow Leslie Monteiro at @LightRodWriter
Leslie Monteiro
Leslie is a contributor for Lightning Rod Sports. He covered high school sports in Bergen County out in North Jersey, and has written op-ed columns on sports such as Bleacher Report and NY Sports Digest.
