Found a Way: A Look at the 2021-22 Colorado Avalanche

There were three main reasons why I was looking forward to the 2021-22 season. One, the season was back to normal. I did enjoy the bubble playoffs from 2020, the Round Robin and Qualifying Rounds that were followed by four thrilling rounds played all in Canada. I also enjoyed the shortened 2020-21 season with localized divisions. But it was nice to see the first full season with the normal divisions since 2018-19. Two, it was a new day for NHL telecasts in the United States, as the greatest sport in the universe was returning to the ESPN networks for the first time since the 2003-04 season, and was also debuting on Turner Sports. Thirdly, and most importantly, it was because I had a good, strong feeling that it would be the Colorado Avalanche's year.

2021 saw the Avalanche suffer a heartbreaking loss in the Elite Eight to the Vegas Golden Knights, coming after starting the playoffs 6-0, followed by four straight losses. I took the previous three defeats in stride, because I felt that we were getting closer. That year? That should have been the year, and we didn't get it done. The angriest of the group. The top dog, of course: Nathan MacKinnon. We know the statement:

"I've been here almost nine years, and I haven't won shit."

That was all of us. We were all upset. What happens when a team that's so close gets pissed off? Let's find out.

The Avs' first few months were interesting. October and November were decent, but December was a bit troubling. The tail end of that month saw the league affected by a brief COVID pause, as games were postponed due to players testing positive. So the holiday break started early, and games returned on the second day of the new year. Even so, the Avs were reeling entering the mini-pause. So how to the Avs' respond? Simple. We just simply decided to never lose in regulation. That's all. I had never seen a month like that from any team. A long points streak that began on January 2, 2022 and (if I remember correctly) didn't end until right before the break.

But wait, it gets better.

The Avs built off that great month, but the team decided to really cash in on the deadline. The Avs traded for Nico Sturm, Andrew Cogliano, and Josh Manson, but the star player in that deadline was none other than Artturi Lehkonen. I jumped for absolute joy when I heard that the Avs got Lehkonen. A year prior, Lehkonen was part of the Montréal Canadiens' insane Cinderella run to the Stanley Cup Final; in fact, he scored the overtime goal that sent the Habs to the Final. Lehkonen scored six goals after being traded to the Avs, who had a record regular season. 56 wins, a new franchise record. 119 points, also a new franchise record. Both totals surpassed the numbers set during the 2000-01 season, which ended with a Stanley Cup. The Avs finished first in the Western Conference, and were also alive in the Presidents' Trophy race, but we decided to tank away the final week of the season and let Florida have that accursed thing.

The Avalanche's first victims, I mean opponents: the Nashville Predators. I looked forward to this, because it's always fun when the Avs and Preds get together. However, it was definitely not fun for the Predators. Darryl Sutter, then the head coach of the Calgary Flames, famously said that he pitied whoever would face the Avs in Round 1, adding that it would be "a waste of eight days." Well, Sutter was wrong there. It was actually a waste of seven days. A four game sweep that saw the Avs lead for the entire series, except for a 4:59 span in the third period of Game Four. In the immortal words of the legendary Ariana Grande, "Thank u, next."

The Central Division Final pitted the Avs against the St. Louis Blues, but that was a little bit tougher. After Josh Manson gave the Avs our second OT win of the playoffs (Cale Makar gave us our first--Game Two vs Nashville), we lost Game Two to even the series. The Avs took Games Three and Four in St. Louis, with the latter being centered by Nazem Kadri's hat trick after he was on the receiving end of racist death threats from Blues fans who falsely blamed him for injuring their goaltender, Jordan Binnington (Calle Rosen caused it all). Game Five was centered by Nathan MacKinnon's hat trick, but unfortunately, the Avs lost that game in overtime. Despite this, I was not nervous watching Game Six. Blues scored first, but J.T. Compher tied it. Blues regained the lead, but Compher tied it again. Josh Manson had a key save while Darcy Kuemper was out of his net, and then there was this:

I was actually quite calm in the final seconds of regulation. I was ready for overtime. Even after the Avs got the puck into the Blues zone, I was ready for overtime. Darren Helm got that puck, but when he shot it, I figured it was just to get a shot off on goal. Instead, it went in. With under six seconds left in regulation, Helm's shot went in. I literally screamed in emotional glee! Helm's first goal of that year's playoffs ended a 20-year drought. The Avalanche were in the Conference Finals for the first time since 2002, and I was here for it!

Even better, the Avs were facing the Edmonton Oilers, oh man! MacKinnon vs McDavid, an old Northwest Division rivalry coming home to roost, after 24 years. Boy, was this series crazy! Game One saw the Avs pelt goal after goal after goal at both Oilers goalies, while Game Two saw Pavel Francouz shut the door on the Oilers. Game Three was a big road win after McDavid scored within the first minute, and when Mikko Rantanen put that empty netter in, I nearly started crying. The Avs were one win away from the Cup Final, but Game Four was not easy. We scored first, but the Oilers put up three goals to go up 3-1, setting up an insane third period that saw Devon Toews score within the first minute. Zach Hyman put one in to make it 4-2, but it was followed by goals from Gabriel Landeskog (in a goal mouth scrumm), Nathan MacKinnon (after getting out of the penalty box), and Mikko Rantanen (on the power play). A 5-4 lead for the Avs, but Zack Kassian tied it up.

So we had overtime in Game Four, and again, I was all in. I was not nervous one bit--being up three games to none helped. One minute passed, and then the puck drops in Edmonton's zone. Erik Johnson gets it to Makar, who shoots it. Artturi Lehkonen bats it down, finds an opening, and...oops! He did it again! It had to be reviewed under suspicion that Lehkonen batted the puck down with a high stick, but the officials didn't feel he did, and that was that. For the first time in 21 years, the Avalanche were in the Stanley Cup Final, and for the second straight year, Artturi Lehkonen scores an overtime series clincher in the Final Four.

The Avalanche's opponents in the Cup Final were the Tampa Bay Lightning. The back-to-back defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. I wasn't sweating the Lightning. In fact, I was pulling for them. I wanted no doubts. I wanted no questions. Beating the NHL's head of the table would take care of that. Game One was a great start for the Avs; 3-1 after 20, but tied at 3 after 40 and after regulation. Overtime again. It was another short overtime won by the Avs, this time, it was Andre Burakovsky putting it in. Game Two was a 7-0 drubbing in favor of Colorado, but Game Three saw Tampa Bay fight back with a dominant win. Game Four would need overtime again, this time, tied at two. It was our longest OT of the postseason, and it ended with Kadri's shot being stuck in the top of the net. Nobody knew where it was, until Bowen Byram pointed it out. The Avalanche were one win away and I was over the moon!

Game Five had me excited, because this was our first chance. However, the Bolts had other ideas. They controlled the game for a good part and we couldn't get ahead, resulting in a 3-2 win for Tampa Bay. So Game Six would be needed. Steven Stamkos opened the scoring early, but despite this, I was not worried one bit. Period 2 saw MacKinnon tie it up, and later on, Manson and MacKinnon both get it to Lehkonen, who later gives the Avs the lead. It was 2-1 with one period left, and I forced myself not to look at the clock, because it would start to develop nerves in my system. To my surprise, the Avs controlled the period; Tampa Bay couldn't piece two shots together. It was all fine, then Andrei Vasilevskiy was pulled. I started screaming for the Avs to get the puck and shoot in into the empty net. We didn't get an empty netter. We iced it once, and then one attempt wasn't called for icing. Finally, I counted down the final seconds, and after that, a celebration 21 years in the making.

The Colorado Avalanche captured their third Stanley Cup on Sunday evening, June 26, 2022--one year ago today. Cale Makar captured the Conn Smythe Trophy, becoming the 12th defenseman to be named as the MVP of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Makar led all defensemen in goals during the regular season with 28, which earned him the Norris Trophy, and in the 2022 run, Makar had 29 points (8 G/21 A) in 20 games. Nathan MacKinnon scored 13 goals that year, tying him for the overall lead, including the game tying goal in Game Six. Nazem Kadri had seven goals, including the hat trick and the OT winner. Artturi Lehkonen scored eight goals in the 2022 playoffs, including his second straight Cup Semifinal OT clincher, and the Cup clinching goal in Game Six.

Hard to believe that today marks exactly one year since the Colorado Avalanche completed a magnificent Stanley Cup run. 16-4 in the 2022 playoffs. Swept two series, never had a series deficit, never needed a Game Seven, never faced elimination, clinched every series on the road. Went 5-1 in overtime, with two of the five wins taking place in the Final. And just like 2001, the Avalanche defeated a defending Stanley Cup Champion. For this Avs fan, I was so overjoyed. I had waited 21 years for this moment, and I did 21 years' worth of celebrating. This was an amazing run for the Avs. While the most recent season did not end well for the team, the window is still very wide open.