With Avs finally healthy, expectation should be quick dismissal of Predators

It never felt so good to be healthy.

The Colorado Avalanche will start their first-round playoff series with the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night with all their stars likely available to play.

Captain Gabriel Landeskog is back, nearly two months after undergoing knee surgery. “He’s good to go,” head coach Jared Bednar confirmed after Sunday’s practice. Landeskog was on fire in the 51 games he played before getting hurt, tallying 30 goals and 59 points.

Center Nazem Kadri is battling a non-COVID illness and didn’t practice Sunday or Monday, but there’s no indication it’s serious or a long-term thing. He’s got a shot to play in Game 1.

Other than that, only defenseman Ryan Murray is questionable for the series opener. And with all due respect to Murray, he won’t be the reason the Avs do or don’t win a Stanley Cup.

Yes, the Avs limped to the finish line to end the regular season, going 1-5-1 down the stretch. But that was a product of several key players missing (for either injury or rest) and will no longer be an issue. Nashville didn’t exactly have a stellar finish to end its year, going 4-5-3 in their final 12 games, and that was with a playoff spot on the line.

The Avalanche are simply better than the Predators in pretty much all facets of the game. They have more stars, a better starting goalie, stronger depth and home-ice advantage. The Predators have a very good defenseman in Roman Josi, but Cale Makar is even better. One of the two is going to win the Norris Trophy, with Makar a slight betting favorite.

Remember what Colorado did last season, sweeping the Blues in dominant fashion in the first-round? There’s no reason this year shouldn’t look similar. This is a No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup and the Avs are poised to make a deep playoff run. Nashville is feeling good about being in the dance and will feel even better if they can win a game or two against the gauntlet that is Colorado.

It’s funny, because four years ago, these roles were reversed. The Predators were the No. 1 seed and the Avs snuck in with the final playoff spot. It marked the start of a championship window for Colorado, but Nashville did what they were supposed to do, taking care of the Avalanche in six games.

Calgary coach Darryl Sutter said on March 15 that whoever ended up playing Colorado in round one would have no shot. “It’s going to be a waste of eight days,” Sutter said in a viral video. The Avs have much bigger dreams than winning a series — heck they’ve done that each of the last three seasons before flaming out in the second-round.

This showdown should be quick work by the Avalanche, and then the real fun (and redemption) can begin.
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