Yeah, this is a fairly significant week for the Avalanche.
Their chances of making the playoffs will pretty much hinge on what happens Tuesday in Minnesota and Thursday in Dallas. Win those games and hope springs eternal, or at least until next weekend’s back-to-back games against Chicago.
Not that any of this will matter much if Arizona keeps piling up points before the Avalanche and Coyotes meet for the final time March 29 at the Pepsi Center.
Philipp Grubauer made 20 saves Sunday in the Avalanche’s 3-0 win against New Jersey, his third shutout in his past five starts, to pull them within four points of Arizona for the second wild card playoff position in the Western Conference.
GRUBI’S SHUTOUT
Ten games remain in the regular season, none more important (for now) than Tuesday’s game against the Wild, who are three points ahead of the Avalanche and one behind Arizona; the Wild have played one more game.
Arizona is playing in Tampa on Monday, by the way, and Chicago is home against Vancouver. The Blackhawks are in this crowded race, too, one point behind Colorado.
“I have faith that we can pull this off, that we can do it,” Avalanche coach
Jared Bednar said. “We’re going to fight to the bitter end to try and get it done. Without playing these teams that we’re trying to catch, it’s probably a lost cause, but we can play them and we are playing them.
“Those games become must-win games. It’s not win 10 in a row. Win the game against Arizona and you’re right behind them, then you can make up the ground. Those games become huge and we’re going to have to play our best hockey.”
The Avalanche haven’t exactly been on a roll since putting together a 5-0-1 run Feb. 18-27. They’ve lost five of eight games since then (3-5-0), two of the losses coming against Anaheim, which has the second worst record in the West.
Bednar pointed out that the Avalanche didn’t run the table a year ago before defeating St. Louis in the season finale to clinch the West’s final playoff berth.
“We were 2-5-1 going down the stretch at the end of the year and we got in,” Bednar said. “I think that’s part of what’s given our team hope.”
(I checked the media guide; his figures are correct.)
“You don’t know how this is going to play out,” Bednar said. “We know we’re behind right now and we’re going to have to win hockey games. We don’t know what the number is (going to be to clinch), you still can’t tell. We just know there’s some important games coming up.”
Gabriel Landeskog skated Monday while wearing a non-contact jersey and holding a stick, but he didn’t shoot any pucks. Bednar said the captain is rehabbing off the ice and remains out 4-6 weeks with an upper-body injury.
Forward
A.J. Greer was recalled again from the Colorado Eagles. The Avalanche dressed seven defensemen Sunday and scratched forward
Andrew Agozzino.
Then there’s this guy:
Colorado Avalanche Blogger •Avalanche Insider • 
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