It pains me to say it but:
- Dallas was the better team
- Avs didn’t get enough traffic in front of Ottinger like they did in game 5.
- Duchene scoring the winning goal stings, but if he’s going to win a cup, his best chance is this year with Dallas. A Stars/Panthers final would be a physical battle for sure.
- Avs won’t get the chance to beat Canucks or Oilers, which they could have probably besten
- Parise not winning a cup is a bummer
- Dallas impressed me with their energy in series after their 7 game series in round 1. Hats off to them.
Looking ahead:
- team still has 2–3 year cup window if managed well and able to stay healthy
- hopefully Landeskog can come back and be effective or great
- As an Avs fan, I wish Nichuskin well but I don’t want to see him in an Avs jersey ever again. Too much of a risk and he has torpedoed two playoff runs in a row. Team needs to find a way to move him and use money to sign Druin or keep a healthy Landeskog on team.
- Georgiev saved his career with solid play and earned the chance to stay in the number one role. Annunen looks primed for opportunity though if Georgiev falters.
- Avs 4th and 3rd lines can be better with a full year of Kovalenko. Cogliano may have to leave or retire to open a spot.
- I really like Middlestad in that 2C position moving forward.
- If Avs and Landeskog can rest up and maintain their hunger, I still like their chances to compete for cups over next 2–3 years.
Pete Deboer seems to have the Avs number completely, surprised to see MacK and the top line shut down so effectively, too many unforced mistakes against Dallas who always looked to be getting to pucks and rebounds first.
I really thought goalkeeping would be where rhe Avs would struggle at at least happy to be proven wrong so completely.
Excited by Mittelstat and Kovalenko for next season. But I think the key for next season will be decisions around Landy, he’s the absolute heart and soul of this team and think we would have done a lot better this series if he were healthy. Momentum seemed to swing after rhe Benn hit on Toews and Landy certainly would have stood up and had things to say to Benn and the team, this year there was nothing and they were willing to be rolled over.
Great points and spot on analysis. It’s too bad Avs didn’t get Tanev themselves. I agree that a healthy Landeskog would have made a huge difference.
