Sweet! Sixteen!

“Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character.”

– Heraclitus

Smart dude, that Heraclitus. Being exceptional in your character really is formed by moments, habits, and a dedication to trying to do things “right” in every moment. It’s a strong corollary to the hour upon hour, day upon day approach that goes into being a professional athlete. You build up the habits of a lifetime to put yourself in a good position in an important moment. And boy, have your Colorado Avalanche turned some very good habits into what is now an important moment in what’s left of the 2019-20 season.

With a scant 16 games left in this campaign, The Avs find themselves on the far side of an eight-game set in which they netted themselves 15 points along the way, placing them squarely in second place in the Central Division, and also well ahead of any of the teams leading the Pacific as well. How hot has their pace been? With those (sweet) sixteen games remaining, Colorado is currently only two points shy of the 90 points that carried them into last year’s playoffs. With that sort of possibility, the Avalanche are now well on their way to home ice in the first couple rounds of this year’s postseason, should they simply maintain their current pace.

So, what’s actually left for the Avs over the 30 days remaining? What kind of a hill can they still climb? Here’s a peek at the peak that may pique your interest:

Vancouver Canucks (twice): Colorado has only seen the Canucks once so far this season, and tallied an overtime win against them in Mid-November. Vancouver currently sits at 74 points, having split their last 10 games for a 4-5-1 record. They’ll be hot to keep themselves somewhere in the playoff race, as they’re currently at the top of the Wild Card standings. With one game left in Colorado and one in Vancouver, look for a couple of passionate games from the Canucks in this next month.

San Jose Sharks (twice): Similar to Vancouver, Colorado gets all of their time with San Jose in the second half of the season, having only seen them once thus far, a 4-0 win in January. Dissimilar to the Canucks, the Sharks have had a struggle throughout most of their 2019-20 season. While their last 10 games have wrought a similar record (5-5), San Jose finds themselves on the outside of the playoff picture looking in, with 62 points on the year. Barring any youthful letdowns, or the Sharks deciding spoiler is their favorite role, Colorado should be able to take care of business in both of these contests, one at home, and one away.

Nashville Predators (twice): Colorado has seen the Predators twice already this season, but has two more games against them, again a home and away, to squeeze into these last 16. The Avs won both games against Nashville thus far this year, but the Predators sit in fifth place in the Wild Card race, only two points behind the Canucks. Nashville won’t forget 9-4 or 3-2 losses to the Avs thus far, and will probably be bringing everything they have to these games to stay in the race.

Winnipeg Jets (twice): The last team that the Avs will see more than once in the regular season, Winnipeg and Colorado have split the series thus far this year. Tied-but-sitting-just-behind Vancouver in the Wild Card standings due to a tiebreaker, the Jets will be bringing pressure to bear if they can stay in the race. The only caveat in that will be if the Jets somehow fall further in the next couple weeks. Each of their last two contests against Colorado come in the last five games of the season, so they’ll be a squeeze if the heat is still on.

Los Angeles Kings: If Colorado has a game left against a team that ought to be a “gimme”, it’s their match against the Kings in L.A. on Monday. Los Angeles has only managed 56 points this year, the second-worst tally in the league. That said, L.A. is 6-3-1 in their last 10, will be skating on home ice, and would love to catch the Avs in a letdown game. Keep an eye on how hot Colorado comes out of the gates, hopefully squashing any hope the Kings may have early.

New York Rangers: New York is currently on the wrong side of a three-game slide that now has them in fourth place in the East’s Wild Card race. Their schedule should give them a bit of a lift by the time they come to Colorado, and hopefully the Avs will well remember the 5-3 loss they had to the Rangers in January.

Las Vegas Golden Knights: Colorado has already bested the Golden Knights twice this season, something the proud team will remember when they come to the Pepsi Center. Vegas is currently at the top of their division, notching 82 points after having won nine of their last 10. The Avalanche will need their A-game for this one, but can make a real difference in where they land by putting some of these tough matchups away this next month.

Montreal Canadiens: Colorado beat Montreal in early December in the only matchup the teams have had this year. Montreal finds itself on the outside looking in in today’s playoff race, and cannot seem to get much going over their last 10 games. Barring a big turnaround by the time they face each other, the Avs should be able to grab another win here if they play their best hockey.

Minnesota Wild: The Wild have given Colorado fits this year, given that they are currently in fourth place for a Wild card slot. Over the four games they’ve already played this year, the Avs have split the series with Minnesota, and have their last contest away on Minny ice. The Avs will want to put a stamp on this impressive season they’re having, and can make sure of it by winning this season series in a tough place to play.

Edmonton Oilers: Speaking of season splits, the Avs have also won one and lost one against Edmonton this season. With 80 points already under their belts, and a 6-2-2 split over their last 10, this will be a huge game for the Avs in Edmonton at the end of March.

Arizona Coyotes: Next verse, same as the first… The Avalanche have split the two games they’ve played against the Coyotes, and Arizona currently finds itself in a three-way tie for the first slot in the Wild Card standings. By the time the Avs see Arizona, they’ll be playing their second-to-last game with less than a week left in their season. Should both be vying for playoff positioning, expect a torrid game from the Coyotes.

St. Louis Blues: It sure doesn’t wrap up easily for the Avalanche, unless seeding is set enough by the last game of the season that both sides will be resting players for the playoffs. The Blues are currently the only team on the Western side of the NHL equation who are currently ahead of the Avalanche in the standings, and as torrid as the Avs last 10 games have been, St. Louis has done them one better by posting an 8-2 mark over the same. While the Avalanche don’t have to overtake the Blues for great playoff seeding, it would be the ultimate capper to a wonderful and well-done 2019-20 campaign.

That’s what’s left, Avalanche fans. Only a sweet 16 games and 30 days left before we see what this Avalanche squad can pour into a playoff run. With only one team on the docket who’s ahead of them in the standings, but not too many pushovers in the bunch, a strong push over the next 30 days could well land them in the driver’s seat to make a lot of noise and maybe even bring home that Stanley Cup hat trick. This weekend brings the beginning of that end, and here’s hoping it’s a great one.