No opponent will be taken lightly and no series will be a breeze. But the Avalanche appears fully prepared to take its best shot at the Stanley Cup since winning it for the second time in 2001.
Goaltending and clutch scoring will be key, but keeping the Avs’ top-pair defensemen healthy and together will be equally as important.
Superstar defenseman Cale Makar needs to continue to feed off unsung partner Devon Toews. They form an ideal right shot/left shot pairing and Toews seems to get the best out of Makar, who becomes more involved in the offensive end with Toews in tow.