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New York Rangers rivals: Colorado Avalanche season preview

By Andrew Steele-Davis

DENVER, CO - JANUARY 4: Ian Cole #28 of the Colorado Avalanche fights for position against Jesper Fast #17 of the New York Rangers at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Rangers 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - JANUARY 4: Ian Cole #28 of the Colorado Avalanche fights for position against Jesper Fast #17 of the New York Rangers at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Rangers 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO – JANUARY 04: Pavel Buchnevich #89 of the New York Rangers skates against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Rangers 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 04: Pavel Buchnevich #89 of the New York Rangers skates against the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Avalanche defeated the Rangers 6-1. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

The Colorado Avalanche have been through what the New York Rangers are currently experiencing, and they are now considered a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

In the final phase of the rebuild, the New York Rangers could do worse than look towards the Avalanche for inspiration.

Engulfed in the hockey wilderness for years, Colorado have quietly gone about their business when it comes to stockpiling draft picks and turning them into high-end talent.

That has culminated in a roster that looks primed to be a Stanley Cup contender for years, spearheaded by stars such as Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Samuel Girard.

Rookie phenom Cale Makar looks to be the future of the blueline while the Avs bolstered their farm system significantly after enjoying a hugely productive 2019 NHL Entry Draft.

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All in all, the Avalanche look primed to compete for multiple championships and they could be the team to watch in 2019-20.

Things started to click for this franchise last year when they reached the Second Round of the Western Conference Playoffs after finishing 5th in the Central Division and 8th in the Western Conference.

They did lose in seven games to the San Jose Sharks in the postseason, but it was a good experience for this young team and that should stand them in good stead going forward.

Led by MacKinnon who recorded 99 points, Rantanen who had 31 goals and 56 assists for 87 points and Gabriel Landeskog who put up 75 points (34 goals, 41 assists), the Avs had a 38-30-14 record in 2018-19.

They were 21-14-16 at home and 17-16-8 on the road, ranking 10th in the NHL in Goals For Per Game (3.15), 16th in Goals Against Per Game (2.98), 7th on the power play (22.0) and 25th on the penalty kill (78.7).

It is evident that Colorado’s strengths come from their glut of offensive firepower, while there are question marks over their defense which should only get better given that it is a young unit.

And it has been a perfect start to the year for the Avalanche who are 4-0-0, an impressive stretch which has included wins over the Boston Bruins and the Calgary Flames.

Rantanen and MacKinnon each have six points while Makar has put up five points (five assists), scoring in every game.

Make no doubt about it; the Colorado Avalanche are a Stanley Cup contender and they have all the pieces in place to potentially become the next dynasty in the NHL if everything goes their way.

DENVER, CO – JANUARY 4: Jesper Fast #17 and Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers defend against Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO – JANUARY 4: Jesper Fast #17 and Marc Staal #18 of the New York Rangers defend against Mikko Rantanen #96 of the Colorado Avalanche at the Pepsi Center on January 4, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Against The Rangers

There was an early season meeting between the New York Rangers and the Colorado Avalanche in 2018-19, a game the Blueshirts won at Madison Square Garden on October 16.

Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes were on the board for the Rangers, while the big guns of Gabriel Landeskog and Nathan MacKinnon scored for Colorado, and it was a defenseman who won it in the Shootout after Kevin Shattenkirk scored the decisive goal.

However, the season series was split on January 5 after the Avs hammered the Rangers 6-1 with Mikko Rantanen scoring two goals and former Rangers draft pick defenseman Ryan Graves getting his first NHL goal against his former team.

Ryan Strome scored the only goal of the game for the Blueshirts who were outclassed at Pepsi Center.

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