DENVER– The Colorado Avalanche have one last chance to clinch their third straight Central Division title with a win over the Nashville Predators at the Bridgestone Arena on Friday (8:00 p.m. ET; BSSO, ALT, ESPN+, SN NOW) in the final game of the 2022-23 NHL Regular Season.
“We have to win to win the division and that’s what we want to do,” said forward Mikko Rantanen Thursday after reigning Stanley Cup winners Avalanche drew within a point of first-place Dallas Stars 4-2 Victory against the Winnipeg Jets at the Ball Arena. “So it’s kind of a must for us.”
The Avalanche (50-24-7) need a win to overtake the Stars (47-21-14), who beat the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in their regular-season final on Thursday. Dallas holds first tiebreak over Colorado as they have more regular wins (39-35).
The Avalanche and Predators invent a game originally scheduled for November 26th that was postponed when a water main burst at Bridgestone Arena. Nashville (42-31-8) did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
If Colorado wins on Friday, they will face the Seattle Kraken (46-28-8), the first wild card in the Western Conference playoffs, in the first round of the Western Conference. If the Avalance lose on Friday, they remain in second place at the Central and face the Minnesota Wild (46-25-11), who finish third at the Central.
Games 1 and 2 of both series would be Tuesday and Thursday.
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“It’s huge,” center Evan Rodrigues said. “We’ve been through some adversity this year with injuries and no matter what our line-up, we’ve fought tooth and nail and fought our way into a position to win the division and that’s what our focus is now.”
Colorado, third in the NHL with 457 games lost through injury, was without captain Gabriel Landeskog for the entire season after knee surgery. Landeskog will not return for the playoffs.
“I thought I would be able to play in the second half of the season,” said Landeskog. “We tried our best, but it just didn’t work out. We continue to evaluate options going forward, but I felt like this was the decision I had to make at that point for everyone involved and my team-mates and myself.”
Colorado will also be without defensemen Cale Makar (lower body) and Josh Manson (lower body) on Friday, as well as forwards Andrew Cogliano (upper body), Darren Helm (lower body) and Denis Malgin (undisclosed). Cogliano and Malgin were both injured on Thursday; there is no timetable for the return of either.
“Anytime someone gets hurt there’s a concern that it might be serious or it might be longer than necessary,” said avalanche coach Jared Bednar, “but we just have to keep going, moving forward. Hopefully we’ll get good information over the next few days on both.”
Manson, who missed 21 games, is expected to be ready for the start of the playoffs.
“This is definitely the most challenging season I’ve ever had,” he said. “Obviously because of the lack of games, but only from a rehab perspective and wanting things to get better and then not better. And then when it gets better, it gets worse again, and then you start this process all over again. It was just tough, a little bit harder with the end of the season plan, but saying that, I think the timing is right for Game 1.
If the Avalanche win against Nashville, they will face the Seattle Kraken in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Seattle is the first wild card in the Western Conference Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the Predators win against the Avalanche, Colorado remains second in the Central Division and meets third-place Minnesota Wild.
Colorado will do its best to stay focused on the task at hand; A win would be the longest divisional title streak since Quebec Nordiques/Avalanche, who won nine consecutive divisional crowns from 1994 to 2003, including cup championships in 1996 and 2001.
“It’s a great opportunity and you have to take advantage of those opportunities when you get them [them]” said goalkeeper Alexandar Georgiev, who made 18 saves on Thursday. “So have a good rest and move on tomorrow.”