White-Hot Avs Shaping Up To Be Playoff Powerhouse
The Colorado Avalanche have won six straight games, and they're 8-2-0 in their past 10 games. With the strides the Avs have taken since making numerous trade acquisitions, Colorado is shaping up to be one of the most dangerous teams in the Central Division and the NHL. And no team should want to take them on in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
As it stands, the Avalanche are in third place in the Central, just six standings points behind the Dallas Stars for second place in the division. The Stars do have a game in hand on Colorado, and the first-place Winnipeg Jets are 12 points ahead of the Avs, so home-ice advantage for the Avalanche may be a bridge too far for them the rest of the way this season.
But really, which teams should want to take on the Avs in Round One this spring? Colorado is 22-10-2 at home, and while their road record of 17-14-0 leaves something to be desired, the Avs are a different team after picking up centers Brock Nelson and Charlie Coyle and defensemen Ryan Lindgren and Erik Johnson. Combined with their early-season trade pickups, Colorado has a good chance to beat any team in the league on any given night, and even if they do have to take on the deep and talented Stars in the first round, there's no sense that the Avs would be a huge underdog in such a series.
The Avalanche's remaining schedule is not going to be easy on them. As per Tankathon.com, the Avs have the ninth-toughest schedule in the league in their final 17 games. But the way Colorado has dominated their recent games, the ceiling for the Avalanche is sky-high.
The road ahead for the Avs will be difficult, but that's true of just about every NHL playoff team. And the deep, skilled and gritty lineup Avalanche GM Chris MacFarland has built is the envy of many of his colleagues. Colorado has what it takes to enjoy a long and fruitful playoff run, and they're going to give fits to any opponent they run into.
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New York Times
an hour ago
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Stanley Cup Game 3 fines and fallout: Jake Walman docked the max, Panthers ready for Oilers response
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Edmonton Oilers defenseman Jake Walman received $10,000 in fines from the NHL on Tuesday after squirting water toward the Florida Panthers bench and punching Matthew Tkachuk in the head during an emotional Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Walman's fines were $5,000 apiece for unsportsmanlike conduct and roughing. They were the only supplemental discipline to come from Monday's 6-1 Panthers win, which featured 140 penalty minutes — the fourth-highest total in Cup Final history. Advertisement The unsportsmanlike conduct happened late in the second period with Florida already ahead 4-1. Panthers forward A.J. Greer and Walman got mixed up along the boards, and Greer ripped off Walman's right glove, tossing it onto the Florida bench. Walman responded by squirting water at his opponent, prompting TNT analyst Brian Boucher to tell him to cut it out. Unreal trash talking sequence by AJ Greer and Jake Walman 🍿 — All Sports Culture (@ASCSportsMedia) June 10, 2025 'I obviously did that for a reason,' Walman said after the game. 'I won't go into the details. It's just gamesmanship, I guess. I've just got to realize there's cameras everywhere and they see that stuff.' The roughing incident occurred at 14:44 of the third period. Walman was assessed two minor penalties for roughing and a minor for unsportsmanlike conduct after engaging Tkachuk in front of the Oilers net, first spearing him and then delivering a couple of gloved punches to the head while teammate John Klingberg held Tkachuk. Jake Walman just gave a couple rights to Matthew Tkachuk 😳👊 — Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) June 10, 2025 The NHL doesn't look fondly on unnecessary incidents coming from the bench, which is why Walman was fined for squirting the water. 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Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'I Think He's Got The Bubonic Plague' — Panthers Coach Explains Why Teams Should Steer Clear Of UFA Sam Bennett
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