With the Avalanche’s disappointing loss, their playoff scenarios get messier

The Avalanche had a chance to move into first place of the Central Division on Wednesday night.

That didn’t happen.

Colorado suffered a tough 4-2 defeat to Minnesota, plagued by their own mistakes. After the game, head coach Jared Bednar didn’t name names, but he ripped some of his own players. It was a bad time for the Avs to play a stinker.

With the loss, Colorado’s playoff scenarios became significantly more convoluted, as their first-round matchup could be against six different teams. Some are significantly more appealing than others, as the regular season winds down.

The best case would be the Avs rip off another long winning streak in their final eight games, and earn something like 14 or 15 (of the possible 16) points. If the Wild stumble even a little, and the Avalanche can beat the Stars on Saturday night at Ball Arena, that still leaves open the possibility of winning the division.

That would mean a date with one of the two Wild Card teams in the Western Conference, likely Winnipeg or Seattle, but also a chance it could be Calgary or Nashville. You can take a look at the standings yourself, but the Flames and Predators just won’t go away.

Playing a team that barely sneaks in would be ideal, considering the Avs would have home-ice advantage and a plethora of experience against a squad that gave everything they had just to reach the postseason.

If the Avalanche finish second or third in the Central Division, which feels more likely after the missed opportunity against the Wild, they’re either playing Dallas or Minnesota. Whoever doesn’t win the division would be the opponent, with home-ice determined by who has more points.

The Wild have Marc-André Fleury as an option at goalie, someone Colorado has playoff history against. He infamously beat the four times in a row in their 2021 Round 2 collapse against Vegas. That might not be the opposing goaltender the Avs want to see.

And Dallas, well they can keep up with the Avalanche. They blitzed them 7-3 earlier this month and have actually scored more goals on the year. The Stars have ripped the twine 255 times, with the Avs at 247. That’d be a fun series to watch, but perhaps a stressful one with a ton of goals.

Regardless of how it shakes out, the Avs were road warriors last year, going 9-1 away from Denver in the playoffs. Having home-ice would be a luxury, but it’s not a dealbreaker. It’s almost like the team relishes their role as a villain in an opponents building.

Still, there’s no sugarcoating the loss to the Wild stung. Now Colorado’s got eight games to make it right then see where everything falls.

***