A remarkable task is complete as Avalanche win and claim division crown

The Colorado Avalanche did it.

Somehow, someway the Avs are Central Division champs after defeating the Nashville Predators 4-3 on Friday night. Colorado went 16-2-1 over its final 19 games to take the division over the Dallas Stars by just a single point, finishing with 109.

It’s a remarkable journey for a team that has battled injuries throughout the entire season, including losing captain Gabriel Landeskog for the playoffs. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and others have all missed significant time, but the Avalanche still prevailed. It’s the third straight season the Avs have taken the division crown.

On Friday in Nashville, Mackinnon was the hero. He scored three goals, including one of the most ridiculous you will ever see to lead his team to victory. The arena in Nashville was half-empty, as Colorado did its part to claim the win. Things got tight late, but the good guys prevailed in the third period.

ARE YOU KIDDING NATHAN MACKINNON?! 😱 pic.twitter.com/awozTbKHfk

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 15, 2023

Now, the Avalanche will turn their attention to the playoffs where they’ll face the first wild card, the Kraken. It’ll be Seattle’s postseason debut with our old friend Philipp Grubauer likely in goal. Grubauer and the Avs infamously collapsed against Vegas in Round 2 in 2021. But fortunately, that’s now a distant memory.

The series will start on Tuesday night at Ball Arena, followed by another tilt on Thursday. It will then shift to the Pacific Northwest over the weekend.

Colorado won the Stanley Cup in 2022, their first title in 21 years, and will look to go back-to-back. It’s a different team, no doubt, but the same result thus far. And that’s Central Division champions.

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