The empty net fills the heart. The reluctance with 55 points reveals the character.
It is one thing to insist the Avalanche and Nuggets should win another championship, and it is another thing for them to show us.
The connective tissue binding these two teams was on full display this week.
Thursday night, the Avs clobbered the Sabres. Gavin Brindley illustrated the depth without Valeri Nichushkin, and Mackenzie Blackwood hinted of the emergence of a two-headed goalie monster. But Gabe Landeskog’s goal at the 18:11 mark pulled the curtain back on the chemistry in the room.