Mojo on Ice: The Avalanche Are Rolling Like It’s 2022 Again

For the Colorado Avalanche, the last couple of playoff campaigns haven’t gone the way they would’ve liked it too, and ever since that monumental Stanley Cup win in the spring of 2022, things haven’t really felt the same since. Some big players were lost, but some big ones have come in, and this year so far, the Avs look like the most dangerous team in the NHL, and a team who have nothing but success on their mind.

The 2022 Stanley Cup winning Colorado Avalanche team was one for the ages, and one that saw what will be some of the greatest ever players win their first Cup. The likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and legendary captain Gabriel Landeskog all were crowned with their first Stanley cup success, but the feeling hasn’t been the same ever since. In 2023, they failed to back up their cup success with a first round exit, in 2024 they looked promising but bowed out in the second round, and just last year, it was again the first round. Nevertheless, all of that is in the past for Colorado, and all that matters is that this year is different.

Through the first 15 games of the season, Colorado retained their status at the top of the standings, with nine wins, one loss, and five overtime losses, the best record in the NHL. Star player and future captain Nathan MacKinnon is tied for the most goals and points in the league, and isn’t far off being the top assister either. Cale Makar continues to be great, and continues to build his legendary legacy in Colorado, and despite being the NHL’s best defenseman over the last couple of years, this season he has that championship feel about him again. And players like Martin Necas, who joined the team at a very difficult period has become arguably one of their most important players, MacKinnon’s right hand man, and a guy who gives you everything you need to win a championship.

Their Stanley Cup winning roster has been fully dismantled, and after a storybook season, a new tale is being written in Colorado. New players arrive, and new chemistry is made. This year Colorado looks like a freight train on the ice, and it looks like they can outscore, or out defend any team in their path. It may only be early, but it seems they have once again found a winning formula, and this year, something feels very different about the Colorado Avalanche.