Obviously, with all of the obstacles that we faced, yeah, it just (stinks).” “Whether it was returning guys or new guys, everybody came in and showed what they could bring and I feel like everybody got stronger as the year went on, in terms of mentality and bringing it to the rink every day. “We felt like we built so much as a group this year,” said Makar, who drew a one-game suspension in the postseason for a hit on Seattle’s Jared McCann. They lost in the second round three straight times before breaking through last season and winning the third Stanley Cup title in franchise history. In the end, though, another early exit for a talented core. It’s nothing, right? But if you’re looking for positives, I feel like this team never quit.” “We came together and found a way to get it done. “A lot of people wrote us off in January or February when we were really struggling,” said veteran defenseman Erik Johnson, who is a free agent this offseason. They regrouped, went 31-7-4 down the stretch and captured the division crown. In mid-January, they were a full 14 points out of the Central Division lead as they dealt with injury after injury. The Avalanche were out of the postseason picture on New Year’s Day. Questions like: Can captain Gabriel Landeskog make it back after missing the season following knee surgery? What about the situation involving Valeri Nichushkin, the bruising forward who missed the last five games of the postseason for undisclosed personal reasons? And can they surround Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen with more scoring power? Especially after a series where the bottom lines couldn’t get on track.įlorida visits Carolina with 1-0 series lead Their summer, for as short as it was last year, figures to be a long one and brimming with hard-to-answer questions. The harsh reality was only beginning to settle in: Their Stanley Cup defense was over after losing in seven games in the first round to the second-year Seattle Kraken. The standout defenseman just wasn’t ready to move on from a tumultuous season filled with a rash of injuries and other quirky occurrences. DENVER (AP) - Cale Makar remained at his locker in full uniform - skates still laced - for quite a while after the Colorado Avalanche were eliminated from the playoffs.
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