Avs are one of the faster transitioning teams in the NHL. Their defence isn't all that great defensively, but they absolutely love to jump into the rush, and they are really great at moving the puck. They make them a much more dangerous team - ala Bob Hartley era Flames where they really only had one legitimate scoring line, but the defence really helped to create the offence.
They are a dangerous team, and they are on a roll. Flames should find ways to capitalize on their mistakes, however. They leave a lot open. I like watching the Avs actually - one of the more entertaining teams to watch with their uptempo play (they really do remind me of Hartley's Flames). I think they have the potential to be scary-good depending on how the draft lottery goes (can you imagine them getting the 1st overall pick?), plus their own pick this year as well, plus Makar getting into the lineup. I bet within 2-3 seasons, they will be the top Central team.
This is, however, not their year yet. I think their depth is being underrated (not just here, but league-wide - they have effective lines). They just match up really poorly against Calgary. They needed to play someone like San Jose - a team without a real ability to shut-down a line. With the 3M line and the Giordano-Brodie pairing - not to mention the Hanifin - Hamonic pairing that has been really effective for the vast majority of the season - their top line will be limited.
I imagine Colorado's top line is going to be split at some point this series (unless they find ways to breakthrough Calgary's defence). It is going to be much more challenging for them to contain Calgary's offence. This is the 2nd best offence in the league, and Calgary transitions really quickly now as well (thank goodness). What I notice about the Avs is that they don't do that great of a job in coverage when their defencemen breaks out. That's where Calgary takes advantage of them. Even under Hartley, the Flames were really good at covering for pinching defencemen. I see this as Colorado's biggest hole.
Their biggest strength isn't the top line. Their top line will always get their chances, even against Calgary's 3M and defence. They will be limited (hopefully). Where they can really shine is with Grubauer maintaining his play, or even Varlamov finding his game again. That's the my largest area of concern... but then again, Calgary has the NHL's 2nd best offence.
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