Colorado Avalanche Can’t Coast on First Playoff Win Since ’14

A lovely feature of Denver is that a crazed fan base is always just a few wins away.

It’s true.  Because the Broncos take up so much air, it can feel like there’s a finite amount of devotion/attention that can be paid to the other three major professional franchises. Denver is the smallest metropolitan area in the United States with all four major professional sports franchises.  We are spread thin so when a local team falls on hard times they quickly lose the attention of the locals.

Did I mention the sun shines 300 days a year?

It took about half the season for fans to re-engage with the Avalanche.  We’ve been burned before.  The Avalanche notoriously underacheived surrounding those Cup years.  The 2014 playoff team was an illusion.  Patrick Roy and last season remain fresh.

The Nuggets, currently a rung above the Avs in the Denver hierarchy were also in an intense playoff push. What this Colorado Avalanche team has done to re-capture the fans is pretty remarkable.  The fans in Denver are truly never that far away but the Avalanche had fallen so far that it felt a return would be years in the making.

Credit Sakic with jettisoning poison-pill Duchene.  Credit MacKinnon and Landeskog for staying diligent and giving us the focal point the Franchise has needed since those lofty days.

There’s an excitement to this team that reminds me of the old Avalanche.  There’s a lot to unpack, from one of those returning fans, it should be a fun journey learning the personality of this team.

Oh yeah, they’re also in the middle of a playoff series.