Opinion: Just making the playoffs is enough success for Avalanche this season

Had you asked me in September what would constitute a successful season for the Avalanche, I would have said, “Nothing short of a legitimate performance in the second round of playoffs.” Now, seven months later, that threshold has changed dramatically. I’ll consider this season a success if the Avalanche can secure the second Wild Card spot.

I suspect anyone reading this is having a fit right now. I mean, how in the world could anyone consider squeaking into the playoffs a success after the division-winning season the team had so recently and after so many years trudging through a rebuild. The answer isn’t so much in the overarching performance. It’s really just one specific area in which Colorado has struggled mightily the past few years, this season in particular.

Resiliency.

Despite the optimism coming into this season, the Avalanche crashed and burned so early and so significantly that, even by November, many people—fans and pundits alike—wrote the team off as a lottery picker. Few still believed this team would even have the playoffs in the dim reaches of its headlights, much less totally under its own control with only a handful of games left to play.

Yet somehow, this group pulled itself together, had a stellar mid-season, and now has sole command of the final playoff spot in the west. The ability to regroup and by sheer force of will pull themselves back into contention is a testament to the players’ resiliency.

People talk all the time about how bad Colorado is at holding a lead, and many attribute that to a lack of mental fortitude. I, myself, have said it’s a part of the team’s problem. I was wrong, however. The players have strength of character. They have mental fortitude. If they didn’t, they would be firmly down in the basement with Edmonton (again) and Winnipeg. But they aren’t.

The Avalanche players actually find themselves totally in control of their own destiny. No longer does the Minnesota Wild have games in hand—both teams have played 71 games—and the Avalanche is one lonely little point ahead of them in the standings. With wins, Colorado can ensure a playoff appearance. But can they consistently win?

There’s the rub and the reason I’d call this season a success if Colorado makes the playoffs. Earlier in the season, the team has shown that it can both get those much-needed wins and squander them away. If the team finds a way to maintain this hold on the playoffs, I would happily call the season a success as it would show they’ve become resilient enough to win those important games, which could quite possibly be the most vital skill needed to hoist the Stanley Cup.