The Colorado Avalanche wait to see who they will face to begin their quest for Lord Stanley’s cup. Entering Tuesday, the possible first-round matchup for the Avalanche could be the Los Angels Kings, Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, or the Utah Mammoth. Having the top seed overall and home ice throughout
the playoffs, Colorado would face the lowest seeded wild card in the first round.
As of Tuesday, Los Angels and Utah sit int the two wild card spots. Colorado has a dominant record against both teams.
Against Los Angels, Colorado has gone 3-0 this season, averaging just over 4 goals per game and outscoring the Kings 13-5 in those games. The last time these two teams faced each other was on March 2 in Los Angeles. Colorado won 4-2. The Kings will be on the road to finish the season with games against the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames.
For the Avalanche to face the Kings in the first round:
- The Kings would have to lose one of final two games in regulation
- Anaheim would have to get a point in one of their final two games
- Utah would have to get a point in one of their last two games
Against Utah, Colorado has managed a 3-0-1 record and outscored the Mammoth 10-7. The Mammoth were the first team Colorado played after the Olympic break. The Avs came away with a 4-2 victory in Salt Lake City on Feb. 25. Utah’s final two games will be at home against the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues.
For the Avalanche to face the Mammoth in the first round:
- The Mammoth would have to only get one point in their last two games
- The Ducks would need to win one of their last two games
- The Kings would need to win one game and lose one game in overtime
In their games played against Anaheim, Colorado is 2-0-1 and have outscored the Ducks 10-4 this season. The two teams last saw each other on March 3 in Anaheim. Colorado came away with a 5-1 win. The Ducks close out the season on the road with games against the Minnesota Wild and Nashville Predators.
For the Avalanche to host the Ducks in the first round:
- The Ducks would have to manage just one point in their final two games
- The Kings would have to win one game in regulation and lose one game in overtime
- The Mammoth would have to lose one game in regulation and one in overtime
The only team in this group to give Colorado a regulation loss is Edmonton. In the three games against Edmonton, Colorado outscored the Oilers 14-6. Their most recent game on Monday night, went to a shootout with Nathan MacKinnon scoring the game winner. The Oilers have one game left against the Canucks.
For the Avalanche to host the Oilers in the first round:
- The Oilers would have to lose final game
- The Mammoth and Ducks would have to win one game
- The Kings would have to win one game in regulation and lose one in overtime
A lot can change moving into the last couple of games of the season. Anaheim and Los Angeles have two games remaining and Edmonton has one. Utah has two games as well but cannot do better than the first wild card.
