Playoff Flurries: Hammond time and a Capitals win

The Colorado Avalanche, if (and, if we’re being honest, likely when) they lose their first-round series to the Nashville Predators, will be able to take some solace in how their year played out.

The playoffs, in and of themselves, were already a huge step forward. The Avalanche managed to snag the final playoff spot over the St. Louis Blues to boot, and they did it all despite dealing with both regular season injuries and the trade of a top offensive player early on in the year.

Beyond that, though, they’ve managed to earn a win so far, which is more than two teams can say already; with sweeps of both the southern California teams, the Avalanche will at the very least have their resurgent…