Ek’s Note: Rumor Chart Update This Afternoon with Rumor Blog..
This is the second installment of the Hockeybuzz series reviewing the playoff chances of the NHL’s top 10 teams. We will start with the Central Division-leading Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
First in the NHL (36-10-4, .760)
DraftKings Odds to win Cup: +400, the favorite
Five reasons why the Avalanche can win the Stanley Cup
1. Avs near invincible since November: Colorado was 4-5-1 on Nov. 6. Since then, the Avs are 32-5-3. They have been the odds favorite since the summer. The Avs have not lost two games in a row since November.
2. Cale Makar enjoying a Norris Trophy season: The Avalanche defenseman leads all NHL defensemen with 18 goals and 1.11 points per game. He leads Western Conference blueliners in plus-minus (+30). Every time he’s on the ice it’s like the opponent is playing a man short. He is an offensive fire starter. Makar should end up with 25 + goals this season as a defenseman.
3. Goaltending and defensive play have improved: Goalie Darcy Kuemper has only recorded a game save percentage under .906 once in his past 12 starts. In seven of those sstarts, his game save percentage was above .947. He only lost once in regulation in those 12 starts.
4. Avs have a Showtime Offense: The Avalanche rank No. 2 overall in goal scoring at 3.92 goals per game. Their power play clicks along at 23.8%. The Avalanche have scored five or more goals 15 times this season. Nazem Kadri (21),Gabriel Landeskog (23) and Mikko Rantanen (26) have all scored 20 or more goals already. Plus, Nathan MacKinnon has 48 points in 36 games. Defensemen have contributed a whopping 44 goals. This offense is magic.
5. Good depth, quality coaching: Andre Burakovsky has 14 goals and Valeri Nichushkin has 12. Alex Newhook shows 11. They are talking to the Flyers about Claude Giroux. This will be a very deep team when general manage Joe Sakic is finished. And coach Jared Bednar knows what to do with this roster. He is an underrated coach.
Three reasons why the Avalanche can't win the Cup
1 The Avalanche have bad luck with goaltending injuries: That's been going on for a couple of years. Plus, starting goalie Darcy Kuemper has a history of injuries.
2. With Bowen Byram out, Avs could use another proven defenseman: Sakic is looking to add a player or two who is hard to play against. It has been reported that he looked at Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck.
3. The Avalanche still rank 13th in goals-against average: They are giving up 2.84 goals per game. Their penalty killing also ranks 21st at 77.1%. You can’t expect to score four goals per game in the playoffs. Defensive play is too tight. Nobody says "Offense wins in the playoffs." To make matters worse, the Avalanche are second-to-last on faceoffs. They win only 46.7% of their draws.
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